WRENCH XYLOPHONES!
We had a total blast today playing xylophones made of wrenches! Thanks to Mr. Dan, our maintenance man at First Presbyterian Church, for lending us lots of different sized wrenches which fit fabulously on the xylophone frames I already had with removable bars! I also experimented with creating a xylophone that balanced on two parallel wooden rhythm sticks.
We discussed the length of the wrench and how it related to pitch, and also worked in small groups and with partners to rearrange the wrenches for differing effects!
This is such a fun project that is mighty easy to do at home with any metal tool that will vibrate when struck with a mallot (or anything you have lying around--a popsicle stick, a spoon, etc!).
The kids also enjoyed listening to a short song about a mystery animal that turned out to be a polar bear--the clues were sung to them and included facts like a home in the north pole, white fur, and looking like a brown bear dipped in white paint. ;)
See all of the great pics below and also the questions to ask your child about music class today! Have a great week!
1. What did you use to make a xylophone today in music class? (Wrenches, of course!)
2. Did you work with a partner? Who was he or she? (Only 3 years and up worked with partners today, but our two year old class did share with groups of four at their table).
3. What animals did you sing about? Was it an animal that lives in the North Pole? (It was a polar bear!)