--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you give a boy a lake and a log he…" description: "\"“If you give a boy a lake and a log he will very rapidly invent the ship.”\" — Patrick Brophy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9f/patrick-brophy-268370_invent_if-you-give-a-boy-a-lake-and-a-log-he-wi_2812796.jpg" --- # If you give a boy a lake and a log he will very rapidly… ![“If you give a boy a lake and a log he will very rapidly invent the ship.” quote by Patrick Brophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9f/patrick-brophy-268370_invent_if-you-give-a-boy-a-lake-and-a-log-he-wi_2812796.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9f/patrick-brophy-268370_invent_if-you-give-a-boy-a-lake-and-a-log-he-wi_2812796.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9f/patrick-brophy-268370_invent_if-you-give-a-boy-a-lake-and-a-log-he-wi_2812796.jpg) > ““If you give a boy a lake and a log he will very rapidly invent the ship.”” [Patrick Brophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-brophy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Providing a child with simple resources sparks inventive solutions, showing how necessity drives creativity. **In simple terms:** Kids turn basic items into inventions. Key Takeaway Encourage play with simple materials. Themes innovation education resourcefulness Mood observation aphor Type Invent:1 Lake:0 Invent Ship:1 Lake Log:0 Rapidly Invent:0 Boy Lake:0 When to use this quote - classroom projects - home experiments - DIY kits Key Concepts creative problem solving imagination Questions to Reflect On - playful - inquisitive A Different Perspective What limits might prevent a child from experimenting?;How does play influence innovation? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boy Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boy-lake-3531235/) [Invent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invent/) [Invent Ship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invent-ship-2696779/) [Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lake/) [Lake Log](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lake-log-3531233/) [Rapidly Invent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rapidly-invent-3531234/) ## Related quotes > [When you invent the ship, you also invent the shipwreck; when you invent the plane you also invent the plane crash; and when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-virilio/when-you-invent-the-ship-you-also-invent-the-shipwreck-when-you/) [Paul Virilio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-virilio/) > [Remove what is unfitting in your life, keep the rest and invent something new for that which you remove.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/remove-what-is-unfitting-in-your-life-keep-the-rest-and-invent/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [You can only really invent something if you connect yourself to the real world - whatever that means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-lindbergh/you-can-only-really-invent-something-if-you-connect-yourself-to-the/) [Peter Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-lindbergh/) > [The answer, The answer, my friend, is not yours to invent or create. It will be decided for you. It is outside you. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-answer-the-answer-my-friend-is-not-yours-to-invent-or-create-it/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [What you dont see with your eyes, dont invent with your mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-you-dont-see-with-your-eyes-dont-invent-with-your-mouth/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It gives me confidence to know that what I'm writing has a veracity of its own without me having to invent it. When I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/it-gives-me-confidence-to-know-that-what-i-m-writing-has-a-veracity/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [I don't think we have very good records about what they were thinking except, as I pointed out earlier today, that they did invent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/i-don-t-think-we-have-very-good-records-about-what-they-were-thinking/) [David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/) > [“China it! Why invent the wheel when it has already been invented!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/china-it-why-invent-the-wheel-when-it-has-already-been-invented/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [You will never win fame and fortune unless you invent big ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/you-will-never-win-fame-and-fortune-unless-you-invent-big-ideas/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [The function of the artist is to invent, not to chronicle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-function-of-the-artist-is-to-invent-not-to-chronicle/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > ['The New Yorker' didn't invent the magazine cartoon, but it did really establish it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/the-new-yorker-didn-t-invent-the-magazine-cartoon-but-it-did-really/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [You can't invent something you have no epistemological access to. In a way, it's all recombination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-batuman/you-can-t-invent-something-you-have-no-epistemological-access-to-in-a/) [Elif Batuman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-batuman/) > [“Being a pioneer can be damn lonely, too early, no money, tough, endless, stupid,” Samwer said. “And that healed us. Since then, we basically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sennett/being-a-pioneer-can-be-damn-lonely-too-early-no-money-tough-endless/) [Frank Sennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sennett/) > [When you have a large amount of the workforce being laid off, some of them have no other choice but to go out there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daymond-john/when-you-have-a-large-amount-of-the-workforce-being-laid-off-some-of/) [Daymond John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daymond-john/) > [My wish for humanity is to invent a way to communicate between us and whatever comes next. And in the end that we the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugata-mitra/my-wish-for-humanity-is-to-invent-a-way-to-communicate-between-us-and/) [Sugata Mitra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugata-mitra/) ## More Invent quotes > [My wish for humanity is to invent a way to communicate between us and whatever comes next. And in the end that we the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugata-mitra/my-wish-for-humanity-is-to-invent-a-way-to-communicate-between-us-and/) [Sugata Mitra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugata-mitra/) > [When you have a large amount of the workforce being laid off, some of them have no other choice but to go out there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daymond-john/when-you-have-a-large-amount-of-the-workforce-being-laid-off-some-of/) [Daymond John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daymond-john/) > [“Being a pioneer can be damn lonely, too early, no money, tough, endless, stupid,” Samwer said. “And that healed us. Since then, we basically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sennett/being-a-pioneer-can-be-damn-lonely-too-early-no-money-tough-endless/) [Frank Sennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sennett/) > [You can't invent something you have no epistemological access to. In a way, it's all recombination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-batuman/you-can-t-invent-something-you-have-no-epistemological-access-to-in-a/) [Elif Batuman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-batuman/) > ['The New Yorker' didn't invent the magazine cartoon, but it did really establish it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/the-new-yorker-didn-t-invent-the-magazine-cartoon-but-it-did-really/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [The function of the artist is to invent, not to chronicle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-function-of-the-artist-is-to-invent-not-to-chronicle/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [You will never win fame and fortune unless you invent big ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/you-will-never-win-fame-and-fortune-unless-you-invent-big-ideas/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [“China it! Why invent the wheel when it has already been invented!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/china-it-why-invent-the-wheel-when-it-has-already-been-invented/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [I don't think we have very good records about what they were thinking except, as I pointed out earlier today, that they did invent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/i-don-t-think-we-have-very-good-records-about-what-they-were-thinking/) [David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/) > [It gives me confidence to know that what I'm writing has a veracity of its own without me having to invent it. When I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/it-gives-me-confidence-to-know-that-what-i-m-writing-has-a-veracity/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [What you dont see with your eyes, dont invent with your mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-you-dont-see-with-your-eyes-dont-invent-with-your-mouth/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The answer, The answer, my friend, is not yours to invent or create. It will be decided for you. It is outside you. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-answer-the-answer-my-friend-is-not-yours-to-invent-or-create-it/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [You can only really invent something if you connect yourself to the real world - whatever that means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-lindbergh/you-can-only-really-invent-something-if-you-connect-yourself-to-the/) [Peter Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-lindbergh/) > [Remove what is unfitting in your life, keep the rest and invent something new for that which you remove.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/remove-what-is-unfitting-in-your-life-keep-the-rest-and-invent/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [You young people yourselves are capable of performing anything. Our inventors can invent in a high level. Our innovators can innovate in a high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruhollah-khomeini/you-young-people-yourselves-are-capable-of-performing-anything-our/) [Ruhollah Khomeini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruhollah-khomeini/) [Browse all 393 Invent quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invent/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If you give a boy a lake and a log he will very rapidly invent the ship.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Patrick Brophy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-brophy/if-you-give-a-boy-a-lake-and-a-log-he-will-very-rapidly-invent-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Invent" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-brophy/if-you-give-a-boy-a-lake-and-a-log-he-will-very-rapidly-invent-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9f/patrick-brophy-268370_invent_if-you-give-a-boy-a-lake-and-a-log-he-wi_2812796.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9f/patrick-brophy-268370_invent_if-you-give-a-boy-a-lake-and-a-log-he-wi_2812796.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9f/patrick-brophy-268370_invent_if-you-give-a-boy-a-lake-and-a-log-he-wi_2812796.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you give a boy a lake and a log he will very rapidly invent the ship.” — Patrick Brophy", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Patrick Brophy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-brophy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“If you give a boy a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-brophy/if-you-give-a-boy-a-lake-and-a-log-he-will-very-rapidly-invent-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-brophy/if-you-give-a-boy-a-lake-and-a-log-he-will-very-rapidly-invent-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```