A little paper for big imaginationsMade for grown-ups & little ones
Ready Play Days

Play starts here.

Preview draft. Activities have not been tested with caregivers.

Paper · The activity desk

Paper plate sailboat picture

Make a sailboat picture with a folded paper sail.

Let's play →

A little plan for play

Open interactive activity →Add to play journal →

What you need

A plain paper plate, a full sheet of paper, a glue stick, and large child-appropriate crayons.

Age: 3–5 years; choose for the individual child.

Stay with the child throughout. Check the space and supplies, including anything within reach of younger siblings. Skip any activity that is unsuitable. Stop if a child puts non-food material in their mouth or becomes distressed. Use intact books, full sheets of paper, a large child-appropriate crayon and a clean, dry towel. Follow product labels; remove torn paper and keep broken crayons and caps away from children. Adult handles and stores supplies.

Set up: Place the plate and paper on a flat surface.

Adult's role: Help fold the sail and supervise glue use.

Let's make it happen

  1. Draw and color a curved boat hull across the lower half of the plate.
  2. Fold the sheet diagonally into a large triangle, tucking extra paper behind it. Decorate the triangle as a sail.
  3. Glue the folded sail above the hull so it extends beyond the plate. Add waves and imagine where the boat is sailing.

Make it simpler: An adult folds the sail while the child decorates it.

Clean up: Close the glue stick and put away the crayons.

Adult stays beside the child and supervises glue use. No water or cutting is needed.

Browse all activity pages