violamama Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I run two weeks of summer camp for kids. Every year we have an instrument making class where we talk about the physics of sound and over the course of 5 days they usually make 6 to 8 different instruments. Do you have ideas for me? I don't mind buying supplies like pvc pipe, etc. Here are some things we've enjoyed: Buzzing spinners (string + folded 3x5 card + erasers on ends of popcycle stick makes a sound like a cicada) Straw Oboes Fat straw pan pipes Paint stirrer slap sticks cardboard box banjos string + old metal keys= neat sound experiment (You put the ends of the string over your fingertips, your fingers gently in your ears and let the key hang down and bang on things. Sounds neat, can compare different surfaces to bump the key on and different size keys. Surprisingly popular.) Plastic easter egg rhythm shakers I could really use some tried-and-true neat instrument projects. I've been eyeing "boom whackers".... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnIslandGirl Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 We love balloon drums! You can make them with any recyclable container. http://www.balloondrums.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yucabird Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 How about sistrums (Egypt)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 We like the shoebox (or any box) guitar https://wow.osu.edu/experiments/Sound/Shoebox%20Guitar Some nice ideas here http://nancymusic.com/PRINThomemade.htm We also like the drums made from the oatmeal containers http://www.howcast.com/videos/501430-How-to-Make-an-Oatmeal-Container-TomTom-Drum-Musical-Instruments-for-Kids Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Does your library have Jumbo Book of Music. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book and have been using it for over a decade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
violamama Posted May 21, 2013 Author Share Posted May 21, 2013 We like the shoebox (or any box) guitar https://wow.osu.edu/.../Shoebox Guitar Some nice ideas here http://nancymusic.co...INThomemade.htm We also like the drums made from the oatmeal containers http://www.howcast.c...uments-for-Kids Great sites! I'm thinking we'll do an embroidery hoop drum this year, and maybe the shoebox guitars again. They like things they can personalize. I wonder if it matters whether the hoop is plastic or wood... Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
violamama Posted May 21, 2013 Author Share Posted May 21, 2013 Does your library have Jumbo Book of Music. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book and have been using it for over a decade. Just ordered that and two others from Amazon. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
violamama Posted May 21, 2013 Author Share Posted May 21, 2013 We love balloon drums! You can make them with any recyclable container. http://www.balloondrums.com/ Ooooh! That's easy and fun. I can get big balloons (the thick punching kind) 3 for $1. Time to check out Goodwill to see if we can snatch up some good metal containers. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Supposedly, you can use the tubes that golf clubs are stored in to make boomwhackers. You can also use PVC pipe to do something similar. If you really, really want to get involved, one of my teaching mentors made a contra-bass xylophone with middle school students over one summer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilaclady Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 You can also make simple shakers with beans in two cups joined to each other on the bottom and then covered with paper and taped down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
violamama Posted May 22, 2013 Author Share Posted May 22, 2013 Supposedly, you can use the tubes that golf clubs are stored in to make boomwhackers. You can also use PVC pipe to do something similar. If you really, really want to get involved, one of my teaching mentors made a contra-bass xylophone with middle school students over one summer! Did he use wood or pvc pipes? I can see that being totally fun for our final concert... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathnerd Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 In my child's preschool, they made simple musical instruments all the time: 1. Shakers made with paper plates - decorate the plate, fold into two and fill it with dry beans and staple them 2. tambourine from a decorated paper plate - punch holes on the edges of the paper plate, string some christmas bells on them. 3. Coffe can drum - the kids painted the sides of an empty coffee can tin, decorated it with beads and stickers. Then they stuck felt on the lid of the can, made drum sticks with wooden dowels. We still have this drum at home even a few years later. 4. Tissue box guitars - using rubber bands. If you google these terms, there are tons of pictorials out there. Some TV channels like Nick Jr and Sprout have these type of musical instrument crafts on their website too. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Robotic-like spam by maynsx reported. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaChicken Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 If you do some of the prep work ahead of time, cigar box diddley bows are an awesome project. W've made roughly 50 of these, and people love them, particularly kids! http://voices.yahoo.com/rare-musical-instruments-own-diddley-bow-8639387.html?cat=37 http://www.onestringwillie.com/index.html This is our blog post about them: http://easywaydown.blogspot.com/2012/11/diddley-bows-are-taking-over-our-house.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanitaL Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Try a canjo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Trumpet physics: Sorry, it wouldn't let me post all the links. Google Nick Drozdoff and trumpet physics Make a PVC trumpet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrhNBMrXXlI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 He used wood bars (I think even rosewood) and PVC Pipe resonators. Here's one of his You-tube videos-this is from an elementary school clinic. Depending on the amount you want to spend, make your own dulcimer kits are very do-able, either with cardboard resonator boxes, or wood ones. In both cases, you can buy the fingerboard pre-built. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyJoy Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 My favorite childhood science experiment book had a colored pencil xylophone. A quick Google search showed several different sites with instructions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanitaL Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 He used wood bars (I think even rosewood) and PVC Pipe resonators. Here's one of his You-tube videos-this is from an elementary school clinic. Depending on the amount you want to spend, make your own dulcimer kits are very do-able, either with cardboard resonator boxes, or wood ones. In both cases, you can buy the fingerboard pre-built. One of our favorite dulcimer videos (they're not cardboard dulcimers, but they're fun to watch). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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