Materials
Discontinued wallpaper sample book
Artwork of ships at sea
Corrugated cardboard
Crayons
Scissors
Construction paper, 12" x 18" (30 cm x
45 cm) in black, blue, purple, and gray
Glue
Instructions
What to do
1. Ahead of time, select wallpaper samples
with dark, preferably solid colors
and a texture that has a swirling or
wavy pattern.
2. Show the children artwork of ships at
sea and invite them to create a work
of their own.
3. Have the children tear the wallpaper, leaving a ragged edge and creating the appearance of a
rough sea.
4. Show the children how to tear off the thin outer layer of a piece of corrugated cardboard,
exposing the ridges. On the reverse side, have the children draw the shape of a boat and cut it
out. Let the children cut out a mast or other features, if they choose.
5. When they are finished cutting, have the children hold the boat with its ridged side facing up
and position it on their construction paper as though it were angled precariously in a stormy
sea. Have them place the wallpaper along the bottom of the paper. Glue the boat and the sea
to the paper.
More to do
More art: On butcher paper, draw the outline of a number of historic ships to scale; invite the children
to decorate them and compare their size.
