(Like young children, cats are enthusiastic and relentless scientists.) For years I’ve used strings (mostly ukulele strings and rubber bands) to help young children explore and understand how pitch (the highness and lowness of sounds) works. I plan to write more on this later, and I’ve shared several of these activities in my latest book, “Exploring […]
Category Archives: science of sound
Games for Exploring Timbre For his fourth birthday, Brycen received a rhythm band set. He enjoyed playing with all the instruments, and his mom, Kyleigh, was delighted that he seemed to be musically inclined. Then one day she found him playing with the maracas in a rather unusual way – he was stomping on them! […]
Let’s Talk About Timbre Can you tell the difference between the sound of a piano and the sound of a drum? Of course you can. Young children can do it. VERY young children. But can you describe how you can tell the difference? Um… That’s what I thought. Not easy, is it? The particular sound of […]
Music and science are related in all kinds of ways, but there’s a certain musical instrument that always brings out young children’s scientific inquiry. Of course, young children are curious about everything. And one kind of thing especially intrigues them – wondering what’s inside something. Particularly when they can hear that something making a sound […]
How often do you use classical music in activities with young children? I used to be a little intimidated by the prospect. Love classical music! Love young children! But just didn’t picture how they’d look together. However, like chocolate and peanut butter joining their yumminesses to create Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, children and classical music […]
It’s so great that I love to make quiches and I’m too lazy to make my own crusts. Because then I have to buy frozen pie crusts – which come with FREE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS!!!! If you’ve never played the aluminum pie plate as a musical instrument, there are a couple things you should know: […]
I’m constantly tapping rhythms on stuff – cookie sheets, the dryer, cardboard boxes, anything that looks like it might make an interesting sound. That’s how I found myself starting, for the tenth time so far this summer, to sort through some stuff in the garage, picking up this large pot lid and tapping on it. […]
Don’t you love it when the materials you need for a project are available at the dollar store or, better yet, free? These science and music projects use any and all kinds of plastic cups you can round up. They might include large or small plastic or paper drinking cups, applesauce, yogurt and snack cups, […]
Exploring the Sounds of Egg Cartons I started using egg cartons in my early childhood music classes many years ago. They always interested me because they’re so light, yet because of their structure they can make sharp and impressively loud sounds. At first, I had my classes simply tap the cartons on the floor in […]
Music (and Science) For Young Children 