Rubber Band Guitar
Materials:
- A small, sturdy cardboard box
- An assortment of rubber bands that are large enough to stretch around the box. Choose a variety of lengths and thicknesses.
- A paper towel tube
- A pencil
- Duct tape
Directions:
Cut a hole about 4 inches in diameter in the top of the box. Stretch 4-6 rubber bands around the box and situate them over the hole. Slice a pencil in under the rubber bands on one side of the hole. Tape one end of the paper towel tube on the box, opposite end of the pencil. This is the “neck” of your guitar. Pluck or strum the rubber bands. Notice how the thinner and tighter bands make higher-pitched sounds, while the thicker and looser bands make lower pitched sounds.
Bottle flute
Materials:
- Glass bottles (narrow neck) of various sizes
Directions:
Blow across the top of each bottle until you get a “hooty” sound. Notice how the sound changes as the size of the bottles change. Put some water in the bottles and notice how the sound changes with different amounts of water. This is how flutes and piccolos make sound.
Comb clarinet
Materials:
- A small hair comb
- Squares of thin paper cut into 2”x2” sizes
Directions:
Hold the comb so that the teeth point towards you. Use your thumbs to hold a small piece of paper loosely on the comb. Put your lips lightly on the comb and the paper. Blow air across the paper and hear the sound it makes as it vibrates. This is how clarinets, oboes, English horns and bassoons make sound.
Straw oboe
Materials:
Directions:
Flatten one end of a straw by pinching ½-1 inch between your fingers. Clip the corners off the flattened end so that it ends in two points. Insert the trimmed end of the straw into your mouth with the flaps just inside your lips. Apply very light pressure with your lips as you blow through the straw. The two flaps will vibrate against each other and produce a tone. Try this with straws of different sizes and note how the tone changes.
Garden Hose Horn
Materials:
- A small funnel
- An 18:-24” length of garden hose
- A plastic snap-on hose connector
- Duct tape
Directions:
Insert the funnel into one end of the garden hose. Wrap duct tape around it to secure. This is the bell of your trumpet. Insert the smaller end of the hose connector into the other end of the hose and secure with duct tape. This is the mouthpiece of your instrument. Coil the hose so you can hold both ends as you play. Put your lips into the mouthpiece end and “buzz” them together. The hose length determines how high or low your instrument sounds.
Maracas
Materials:
- Small lidded container such as yogurt containers, baking-powder cans, coffee tines, butter containers, drink bottles
- Dried beans, seeds, uncooked rice or nuts
- Duct tape
Directions:
Partially fill the container with the small dried items. Secure the lid with duct tape. Notice the different sounds produced by the different containers as you hand shake your maraca.
Drum
Materials:
- An empty oatmeal or coffee can
- A sheet of heavy plastic (like a garbage bag) or a large balloon
- Ruler
- Marker
- Scissors
- Large rubber band
- Spoon, stick or pencil
Directions:
Measure the diameter of the can. Mark a circle 2-3 inches larger in diameter on the sheet of plastic and cut it out. Stretch the plastic tightly over the opening of the can and secure it with the rubber band. Use the stick, spoon, pencil or your hand to hit the drum.
Cymbals
Materials:
- 2 similar-sized pot covers
- Yarn or ribbon
Directions:
Tie the ribbon or yarn around the handles of the pot covers. Loop the ribbon or yarn around your wrists. Play by striking the two covers together.
Copper-Pipe Glockenspiel
Materials:
- A 10-foot length of ½ inch copper pipe
- Yardstick
- Pipe or tubing cutter
- 2 strips of foam rubber, each about 20 inches long
Directions:
Get an adult to help you with this project
Measure and cut the pipe to the following lengths, starting with the longest first: 11, 10 ¼, 9 ¾, 8 7/8, 8 ½, 7 7/8, 7 5/8
Lay the strips of foam rubber parallel to each other on a flat surface. Arrange the pipes in order from the shortest to the longest. Lay them across the strips of foam rubber like railroad ties. Experiment with various types of strikers to get the best sound.
Bottle-Cap Tambourine
Materials:
- A strong Y-shaped tree branch (hand-sized)
- 10-15 metal bottle caps
- Strong wire
- Hammer and a nail
Directions:
Get an adult to help you with this project. Remove the rubber liners from the bottle caps. Flatten the caps with a hammer. Use a nail to punch a small hole in the center of each cap. Thread the caps onto the wire and string tightly between the arms of the “Y”.
Hello Friends,
Remember making a tent out of sheets and blankets when you were a kid? Fun, right? A reading cave will be super inviting for young children. Just drape a bed canopy or lacy white curtains from the ceiling, add a hanging lantern and presto – you’ve got a reading cave! Set it up in the corner of a little used room and leave it for the readers to enjoy.
