Sailboats need wind to sail. (Duh.)
Even little toy ones for a Rain Gutter Regatta birthday party.
My solution, so the kids wouldn't have to huff and puff and pass out in the heat? Fast and easy paper fans.
I could have gone really old-school and just accordion folded some paper, but I thought it would be fun to find a quote about wind or sailing for the fans. A little bit of decoration, a little bit of inspiration. I printed out my quote on cardstock, and trimmed into a fannish shape (technical term). I glued a dowel to the back of the cardstock, and glued on some rope trim with my glue gun.
That probably would have worked just fine, but it felt a little flimsy, so I decided to glue on a second layer of cardstock, sandwiching the dowel between the two sheets of paper. That added substantial sturdiness, and I liked the contrast of the colored border.
It worked perfectly for our purpose, and, since it was a hot day, the kids enjoyed having fans around to help keep things cool.
I think this would be a fabulous way to make wedding programs for an outdoor service with a potential for hot weather. I've been to many weddings where the programs were used as impromptu fans, anyway! Why not make them truly appropriate for the purpose.