Foil Boat Penny Challenge
Written by Adi Ackerman, Head Teacher
"Foil Boat Penny Challenge" is written for 1st Grade to 3rd Grade (Ages 6-9). It also works a grade below or above: younger children can use it with an adult reading it aloud, and older ones as a quick refresher.
4 pages in this set
Foil boat penny challenge for 1st to 3rd grade: build a foil boat, learn float, sink and buoyancy, and test how many pennies it holds in 3 trials. Part of our National STEM Day holiday activities collection.
More National STEM Day activitiesNational STEM Day 2026: dates and teaching guide
How do I use this resource?
Give each child one square of foil. Children add pennies one at a time until the boat sinks, change the shape between trials and compare their counts.
What students will practice
- Gives 1st to 3rd grade students hands-on science, technology, engineering and math challenges to plan, build and test.
- Mixes several short activities in one pack, from tracing and counting to coloring.
- Made for 1st to 3rd grade, and prints on US Letter paper for a lesson, a center or home.
Curriculum Links
Find this in the curriculum
Browse the grade, subject, and topic this belongs to.
FAQ
How do I use the Foil Boat Penny Challenge?
⌄
Give each child one square of foil. Children add pennies one at a time until the boat sinks, change the shape between trials and compare their counts.
What is the Foil Boat Penny Challenge?
⌄
Three pages after the cover. The challenge page lists a 6 inch square of foil, a tub of water and about 50 pennies, with 4 picture steps. Why Do Boats Float? defines float, sink and buoyancy, has a fact box and asks for a prediction and a drawing of the boat. The Foil Boat Test Record has a sketch box, a table for 3 trials and a line for how to improve the boat.
Can I use the Foil Boat Penny Challenge at home and in the classroom?
⌄
Yes. We made it for 1st Grade to 3rd Grade holiday activities, and it works the same at home or at school. Families print it for one child and keep it where they will use it every day. Teachers print a copy per student or one for the whole room, whichever the day needs.
How many 1st Grade to 3rd Grade National STEM Day resources are there?
⌄
1 printable resource, free to preview. There are 30 National STEM Day resources in all, from Preschool to 5th Grade, gathered on our National STEM Day activities page. Downloads are included with a ClassWeekly free trial, and every page prints on standard 8.5 x 11 paper.
What age are National STEM Day resources for?
⌄
These are written for 1st Grade to 3rd Grade students, roughly ages 6-9. Many teachers also use them a grade up for review or a grade down as an extension, so use the preview to judge the fit for a particular child.
Can I use these National STEM Day resources for homeschool?
⌄
Yes. Nothing here assumes a classroom of 25, so they work the same one-to-one at the kitchen table as they do in a 1st Grade to 3rd Grade classroom, a learning center, or a tutoring session.
Ratings & Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share what you think.
Reviews are for ClassWeekly members.
Make a Request
Spotted something to fix, or want a resource we don't have yet? Tell us and we'll make it.
Resource Details
| Grade | 1st Grade to 3rd Grade |
| Subject | Resources |
| Topic | Holiday Activities |
| Pages | 4 pages |
| Difficulty | Medium |
What is ClassWeekly?
ClassWeekly offers free worksheets and printable learning resources for kids, from preschool up. All worksheets are aligned to Common Core, NGSS, and C3 Framework standards and designed by educators. Become a member to access the full library and download unlimited PDFs.