You will need

 Junk modelling boxes
 Clear film/ food wrap plastic
 PVA glue
 Photocopy of the duck
 Yellow collage materials & feathers.
 To play the racing game you will need
 Large water tray
 Blowing tools eg – straws, pipes, bellows, rolled up newspapers (no reverse suction Hoovers, as this could be deemed as cheating!)

To Make and explore..

 Photocopy the duck and cut out as many as you require.

DUCK TEMPLATE

 Allow the children to colour or collage the ducks if they want or you can photocopy it directly onto yellow card and then laminate for waterproofing!
 Fold the duck in half ...

and crease the lower flaps outwards so that they can be glued to the top of the box later.

 Let the children choose their own junk modelling box as the Ducks base .. is this going to be part of the duck - its nest or a boat maybe ...?
 Talk about the pictures on the box ~ Is it a food box or a domestic box eg- toothpaste or soap. 
 Do they like the item or use it in their own home?
 Does the box still smell of what it had inside it? 
 What is the box made of, plastic/paper or cardboard ~ will it absorb/soak up water or dispel it ?
 Have a shallow tray of water in the centre of your activity table so that you can all experiment with smaller pieces of the materials.
 Using collage materials decorate the box.
 Attach a name label so that you can tell whose it is.
 Once finished and if necessary cover the entire box with clear food wrap. 
 Try to make sure there are no gaps for the water to seep through - unless your activity is to discover which materials do float or sink !

 Glue the tabs on the bottom of the duck to the top of the box.

And race .....


TO PLAY

 As a group or paired activity use the water tray to stage races.
 Demonstrate and discuss the items of wind/air power that you have collected and show the children how they work eg- by flapping the paper and blowing through the straws.
 Let each child experiment with the objects – maybe have them all laid out on a ‘Table of interest’ as an additional activity during the session.
 Decide if the children can choose their own blowing implement or be given a designated item.
 Hold the races by starting at one end of the water tray and using the tools as propellants see who can blow their duck to the finishing line.
 Maybe you could map the effectiveness of each of the tools by including them in a chart. Other information you could include is the outcome of the races.
 Whose duck floated the best – and why…. Did it have a large or smaller surface area, was it lighter or heavier than the others, did it leak and sink? Did the child blow really hard and make their duck sail fast?