Nicholas’s Toy Raft

Nicholas and Matthew test a little wooden raft at the garden table. Dad has helped them tie three strips together. The boys lower it into a shallow tray of water.

Nicholas puts a tiny wooden frog near one corner of the raft. That corner sinks lower than the others. A little water creeps over its edge towards the toy.

Matthew quickly lifts the frog out before the raft can tip. The empty raft lies flat again. They have not changed any of its wooden strips.

Dad asks them to think about where the passenger was sitting. The boys check their two string ties, then choose a place near the middle for the frog’s next ride.

Nicholas sets the toy down carefully in the middle. The raft stays much more level. All its edges are above the water. No corner dips down.

Matthew makes a gentle wave from the far end of the tray. Their passenger travels towards Nicholas. He catches the raft softly without pushing its side beneath the water.

They swap places and try sending the frog back across the tray. Dad watches them use small waves and reminds them to check the toy’s position each time.

When they finish, they lift out the raft and let the wooden strips dry. “Our passenger needed the middle seat,” says Nicholas. He is pleased that looking closely helped solve the problem.