Summer Crafts For Kids: Wind Chimes And Musical Instruments

Continuing with our series of summer activities for children, here are two for your budding musicians. Making a wind chime and crafting musical instruments can keep your kids occupied for many hours on a hot summer afternoon.

Make a Wind Chime

The sound of a wind time in the summer breeze is very relaxing and making one can occupy the children for an afternoon.

The materials you will need are items that will make a pretty sound when they rub against each other (shells, beads, or even old utensils), something sharp to poke a hole through each item, a hammer, string, a round item (a lid or piece of wood) for the top, and a hook to hang the wind chime.

Once all the items are collected the adult should use the hammer and sharp object (such as a screwdriver) to make a hole in each object. If the item is too hard to make a hole in (like a rock) tie string around it several times until it is secured.

After the holes are made tie a piece of string to each item. Take your tools again and punch holes in the round lid that you are going to use, one for each item that will be hanging from the wind chime.

Thread the string through the hole and tie a knot so that it will not fall back through. Poke two more holes in the lid and tie one piece of string through both holes and attach the hook.

All that is left is to find the perfect spot for your wind chime. Place it close enough so that it can be heard through an open window on a breezy day. If the items do not knock against each other when the wind blows you may have to adjust the lengths of the string a few times until you get it just right.

Keep an eye on the wind chime to make sure it doesn’t lose any of the pieces. If it does be sure to pick them up as they can pose a choking hazard to young children.

Making Musical Instruments

Spend a summer day making musical instruments with the children it is lots of noisy fun. Once everyone is equipped with their homemade instrument go on parade through your neighborhood to show off you new marching band.

Make a tambourine with two paper plates and something that makes noise to go between them. You can use beans, rice, or small bells from a craft store. Use staples to keep the two plates together with the noise makers inside. Have the child decorate the outside and hang long streamers from the edges.

You can make a drum with a large empty cereal box. Punch two holes in the sides of the cereal box and tie a piece of yarn to go around the child’s neck. Use two pencils or wooden dowels with corks or empty thread spools affixed to the ends for drum sticks.

Use a wrapping paper or paper towel cardboard tube to make a horn. This can be used just as is and some decoration. To make it sound more interesting, cover one end with was paper and keep it in place with a rubber band. Poke some holes along the tube and make noise through the open end.

Use a shoebox, a paper towel roll and some strong rubber bands to make a guitar to take on the road. With the cover off of the box, put the rubber bands around the box. The bands should be stretched but not too taught that they can’t be plucked or strummed like a guitar. Glue the paper towel roll to one end of the box to be the arm of the guitar.

After everyone has made their musical instruments let them jam for awhile and then march about sharing their music with everyone. You can carry the baton and be the band leader.

© Loving Your Child

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