Official Kids Mag www.kidscoop.com © Vicki Whiting May 2023
8
File a notch on one
end of your stick.
The notch will help
hold the stick in
place on the rim of
the can.
hat is an idiophone? Idio
means self and phone means
sound. Idiophones are instruments of
solid materials that vibrate when hit,
shaken, plucked, scraped, rubbed,
stamped or crashed together. But
who's to say what's an instrument?
Stomping your foot on the floor turns
the floor into an idiophone. Tapping a
pencil on your desk uses the desk as an
idiophone. Think of other things that
could be idiophones.
Partially fill empty
plastic yogurt
containers with
different things:
sand, seeds,
marbles, uncooked
beans, rice or pasta.
Cap and shake.
Notice the different
sounds each makes.
On the other end of
the stick, have an
adult drill a small
hole. Feed the
string through and
tie to secure.
Turn the coffee can upside down. Have
an adult punch a small hole in the bottom
of the can. Feed the string through and
tie a pencil or dowel on the end of it. Set
the notch end of the stick on the rim of
the can.
Hold the gutbucket as shown here pulling the string
taut. Then, start plucking!
Find the differences between
the two pictures.
You are
surrounded
by idiophones!
And anyone
can play them!
A sound box (you
can use an empty
coffee can, bucket
or cardboard box)
A stick
about twice
the height of
your sound box
Pencil or
dowel
String or wire
Match the marbles.
