This is the moment Indonesian schoolkids paddle home from school across a river in foam boxes while using the same material as makeshift paddles.

The incident was filmed in a village in the district of Tulung Selapan in the regency of Ogan Komering Ilir in the Indonesian province of South Sumatra, and a Twitter post of the clip is going viral with over 500,000 views.

According to local media, the video was originally shared on TikTok by user ‘Boykehapiler’ and was later taken down, but not before already appearing on other social networks.

The video shows three boys in primary school uniform crossing a river while using foam boxes as makeshift boats.

A man, filming the children until they reach the far end, says: “They really enjoyed that (paddling in the boxes).”

He is also heard saying that the children are third grade students returning home from a day at school.

After the video was widely shared on social media, the local authorities visited the village and told residents to ban students using foam boxes for potentially dangerous river crossings.

A spokesperson for the Tulung Selapan district council said children in the village are “used to water” and that the netizen who first posted the video is not from the area and therefore found it unusual, adding: “The children are even capable of crossing the 120-metre-wide river by swimming.”

The village chief, named as Hartoni, said children in the area often use foam boxes in the river and that many locals rely on water transportation to take their kids to and from school.

Hartoni added that villagers “who live near water like this are accustomed to using water transportation for easier access, don’t blow the video out of proportion”.

However, local media said little is likely to change as it is common for children in underdeveloped Indonesian regions to take perilous routes to get to school.