Putt Putt Steam Boat

(7 reviews)

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Putt Putt Steam Boat
Item #: SB-100
$9.95

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Fuel Candles (pkg of 8)
Item #: SB-150
$3.50

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These 4 inch long boats will chug along for hours.

Description

Originally called "Putt Putt Steam Boats" in the 1920s, these reproduction toys can be used to teach many scientific principles. Using a small flame from a candle or a few drops of cooking oil, the 10 cm (4") long boats will chug along for hours. It is great for demonstrating the transformation of heat energy to mechanical energy. More advanced students can be given the problem of explaining how it works. Fascinating to watch in a circular pan of water. Colors may vary.

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Reviews

7 reviews

Love the putt-putt boats

Sep 14, 2023

I bought these for demonstration to show my students the fuel they made from used oil could power a small boat. And it was so much fun...for them and me!

CStein

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Putt Putt Steam Boat

Apr 19, 2019

From reading the other reviews, it appears that everyone is quite satisfied with this product. I have used it with my undergrads in class but have not yet decided how I can best use it in my outreach program. It does remind me of a Japanese movie my grand daughters watched numerous times where the characters used a Putt Putt boat. This movie has been translated into English but for the life of me I cannot remember the title of the movie. One word of caution is that the flame heats the top of the boat. One can be burned, if not careful. I have had my boat for several years now. I tested the boat today and found that the boiling chamber has rusted so the "putt, putt" sound comes from the boiling chamber, not the back of the boat. Fortunately, the cost of the boats is not prohibited so I can replace it. I believe it would be an excellent means to help young people to begin the idea of vaporization, expansion of heated gases, and atmosphere pressure but it would take effort to get them to fully understand how the boat (and steam engines) work.

Kenneth Lyle

Owner Response: I think the movie you're thinking of is Ponyo. We posted a video of the Putt Putt Steamboat on our Instagram page and had almost 7 million views and 752 comments, most of which referenced the movie... :-)

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Best steam engine demo EVER!

Dec 20, 2015

I wasn't really sure what to expect from such an affordable item. OMG! This thing is freakin' awesome! I can't decide whether to call it a toy or a science demo because it's both. Buy it, follow the instructions, and you will not be disappointed!

Karen

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H5rb5t

Oct 29, 2013

Arrived on time.

Herbert Moore

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Too cute! Assorted graphics.

Jan 2, 2013

Have to say that I regretted purchasing this cutie for awhile after finding larger boats online and the M&M graphics picture seemed too young for DS. We were delighted to see that ours was a blue WD-40 graphic and it's the perfect tiny size for a bathtub toy for boys. Love it.

Spring Creek Academy

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Will get you to talk about engines

Jun 1, 2012

I've used it in class as a demo and it's a real attention grabber. Undergrads and grads, professors and kids, all are awestruck. With basically a heated pipe full of water and in touch with water, you have a working motorboat. The water is the expanding gas, the piston and the heat sink. Great for discussing engines and thermodynamics.

Guillermo Nery

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Putt putt steam boat

May 16, 2012

I remember having one of these as a child in the 1950s! It's great to see them available again. There's a lot of science in this simple toy and much of it is not that evident at first sight so it stimulates observation and deduction. They can also be used to design simple investigations. I use them in teacher training programs to stimulate observation and questioning skills - they also turn up in my bath from time to time! A great product - thought provoking and fun! Barry

Dr Barry Meatyard

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NGSS

This product will support your students' understanding of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)*, as shown in the table below.

Elementary

Middle School

High School

K-PS2-2

The Putt Putt Steam Boat can be loaded with water and candle fired up to investigate to movement. Students can analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended to change the speed or direction of an object with a push or a pull.

2-PS1-2

The Putt Putt Steam Boat can be loaded with water and candle fired up investigate to movement. Students can analyze data obtained from testing different materials to determine which materials have the properties that are best suited for an intended purpose.

3-PS2-2

The Putt Putt Steam Boat can be loaded with water and candle fired up investigate to movement. Students can make observation and/or measurements of an object's motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion.

MS-PS2-2

The Putt Putt Steam Boat can be loaded with water and candle fired up to investigate movement. Students can plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object's motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.

HS-PS2-1

The Putt Putt Steam Boat can be loaded with water and candle fired up to investigate movement. Students can plan an investigation; analyze data to support the claim that Newton's Second Law of Motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration.

Suggested Science Idea(s)

The Putt Putt Steam Boat can be loaded with water and candle fired up to demonstrate basic principles of Newton's Laws to students.

K-PS2-2
2-PS1-2
3-PS2-2
MS-PS2-2
HS-PS2-1

The Putt Putt Steam Boat can be loaded with water and candle fired up to investigate movement. Students can run trials to determine which variable gives the best push to the boat. Races are a natural way for students to test their ideas. Students can make observations and/or measurements of the boats' motions to find pattern that can be used to predict future motion and provide evidence that the change in an object's motion is related to the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.

* NGSS is a registered trademark of Achieve. Neither Achieve nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of, and do not endorse, this product.

Putt Putt Steam Boat

NGSS

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