Box Strummers

[20 Minutes]

Your child can pluck, strum, and pick; making music with this homemade instrument is fun!

You'll need:

• shoe box (throw away the lid) • 4-6 rubber bands of different widths • markers, crayons and/or stickers

What to do:

1. Help your child decorate the shoe box.
2. Stretch four to six rubber bands of different widths across the box.
3. Encourage your child to pluck a rubber band and listen to the sound. Help him to discover that thin, tight bands produce high sounds and thick, loose bands produce low sounds. WARNING: pluck rubber bands gently so that they won't break. Immediately throw out any broken pieces.

How to use:

1. Invite your child to "strum" his box instrument as you sing songs and dance around the room together.
2. Help your child play his instrument following the directions in this song. (Tune: "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"):

   Use your strummer here today
   To help you sing and dance this way.
   Pick, pick, strum; pick, pick, strum,
   Keep the music with a pick and strum.
   Play your strummer here today
   To help you sing and dance this way.

Let's Talk: Ideas to Explore Together.

• Tell me how each rubber band sounds on your strummer.
• Would you like to make and play another instrument? Which one could we make?

Useful information:

While you are having fun together, this activity helps your child develop language skills and an understanding of cause and effect.