How many ways has your child explored the multitude of sounds that can be created with a simple wooden pencil? Is your little one a natural percussionist with everything they touch? How about considering the possibilities of making a homemade instrument with a pencil?
A Brand New pretty wooden pencil, that children often get as gifts for holidays, has so much potential other than writing. Exploring the options for sound making with a common object is an excellent exercise in creativity for young minds, and expanding on different actions, timbres, and combinations is how children learn to teach themselves. It is this kind of out-of-the-box thinking that develops problem solving skills. With the right approach from an adult partner, such as a lot of open ended questions, can extend to higher level critical thinking skills that will prepare your child to tackle the many changes they will face in the future. And to think, this can start with a pencil, and a desire to create a variety of sounds. This can even be enjoyed by children around 1 years old with your full focus and guidance.
Exploring Sounds – Take a PENCIL SOUND Walk
It is likely for a child to get a colorful pencil as a gift these days, for holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Easter or Halloween. You might surprise your child by asking if they can find 3 ways they can make sounds with a pencil, and watch their cognitive wheels start turning. (adjust the number higher if they are older). Of course they are likely to start tapping it on a nearby object. If they seem interested in exploring more, you have a ripe opportunity for learning, using some good scaffolding teaching techniques.
Show your enthusiasm for their efforts by describing their actions (copy them if you have a pencil too), and use your voice to mimic the sound it makes, which helps them focus on the sound. Then encourage them to explore more ways to create sounds. “How else can you make a sound with a pencil?” Before we “TEACH” them how to do anything, it is amazing to see what they can discover for themselves.
Fun fact: Percussion instruments create sound through 3 basic methods.
So you can ask your child, “Can you make a sound by _____”
- Striking (I like to use a more gentle word, TAPPING, with our youngest musicians.)
- Scraping or Rubbing
“Let’s walk around the house (or outside), and find things we can TAP, RUB, or SHAKE to make sounds with our pencils.”
When you ask about the rubbing, they may look around for something to rub it on… help them seek and find at least ONE thing to rub that will make a good sound (like a ridged water bottle or the wooden slats of a crib) so the technique is clear to them. Then ask, “What else can you rub to make a sound?” and describe the objects they try, their action, and the sound they create to add language to this learning experience.
When you ask them to make sounds by SHAKING, they may try to shake the pencil be confused. And you can ask “Does that make a sound?” No. “You’re right, there is no sound. To make a shaking sound, we’ll have to put it together with something else. The most simple way is to place the pencil inside something, perhaps an empty milk jug and shake it. What else can you put it in, or put ON it to make a shaking sound?
Set up a PENCIL INSTRUMENT SOUND Exploratorium
Gather a variety of objects for them in one place to sit and explore so many options with a pencil. When you gather a nice collection of objects, and set them up with a nice display, you can invite them to play. Look for objects that allow for exploring the different ways to play, objects that make a SHORT sound and LONG sounds, and that have different sounds (timbres):
- Metal – baking pans, cookie cooling tray (ridges),
- Wood – Hollow box
- Plastic – empty water bottles with ridged edges; food containers; toys with ridges
- Cardboard – toilet paper or paper towel rolls
In the previous activity, you were encouraged to be involved as a facilitator and provide language support. In this activity, encourage your child’s free unstructured play, with no guidance or instruction from adults. When a child explores a new set of objects (after initial introduction of concepts as above), and tap, rub and shake it to find out what sounds it makes, they are developing curiosity and persistence. When they decide they would like to try creating a LONG sound instead of a SHORT sound, they are following their likes and dislikes. When they create a rhythm they like to repeat and find ways to vary it, the are learning to express themselves.
Having music playing in the background can enhance and extend their focus and provide ideas for rhythms. If your child is older, they may be ready to help you look and gather more objects.
Of course, this type of exploration leads to the question, “What can I combine or change to CREATE more unique sounds?” Which opens the opportunity creating a homemade instrument with a pencil.
Creating your own PENCIL INSTRUMENT
It has become a tradition for each Kindermusik student from 12 months old up to 7 years old to have the opportunity to choose a colorful pencil for Valentine’s Day . They, and their family, are challenged to make an instrument, of any sort, using this pencil (leaving it UNsharpened). A few examples are demonstrated, and most of the students leave the classroom explaining their creative ideas in detail to their parents. They are so excited to be given this project.
Since 2008, my Kindermusik students and families continually surprised me with their creativity. These pictures span the years and brings back such great memories of each of these children and the families that opened the door to let their creativity flow – in their own unique way.
Sharing these pictures with your child may jump start their creativity by seeing so many examples. Make a list of all the different types of things that were used. Putting a wide variety of ideas in writing, even if the child cannot read, supports the real world USE and importance of writing down our ideas… so we remember them all, even if we only choose to use a few of them.
On a blank piece of paper, divide your sheet into 4 categories, and write down what you can see in these pictures, recognizing:
- Containers (milk jug, water bottle, toilet paper tube…)
- Pencil Percussion: How the pencil is being used? (tap or rub…) How many are used? Or is there something attached to it for shaking?
- Sound makers What is actually making the sound? (bells, shaker materials, rough texture? drum head material?)
- Creation method: How are things attached (rubber bands, tape, glue…), and are there decorations that don’t add to the sound?
This is an excellent way for a child to see the importance of words on paper, leading to an interest in literacy. It also can be helpful in setting them up for success in letting their creativity flow. Read over the lists, talk about what you have around the house, and gather several options from each category. Lay them all out on a table – easy to see and reach.
At this point, you may just sit back and relax, and OBSERVE your child as they enjoy the process of creating something truly their own. Describe the objects and what they are doing, but don’t judge. Ask them what they think about it.
If the child is younger, or if they need a little more guidance, simply ask open ended questions:
- What is your favorite thing on this table?
- How can we use it to make a sound that you will like?
- How shall we use the pencil?? tap with it? rub it over a bumpy part? attach it and use it to shake or twist it? (Demonstrate each type.)
- What do we need to do to put it all together?
- How would you like to decorate it?
Really observing and describing their actions and choices without judgement helps them recognize that you value their efforts each step along the way, building their confidence as independent thinkers, and DOers. Let them ask you for help if they need it, or if they seem frustrated, offer 2 – 3 different options to resolve the next step.
Do they want to make more than one? Would they like to see something that the parent may create separately? Their answers may surprise you.
Once completed, put on the upbeat tunes and have a parade. Call Grandma and let them share their enthusiasm about the new instrument – letting them tell the story to describe how they made it. (Here is a great opportunity to see how much they listened to your descriptions of them, and how much they use their own words to describe what they did.) This is EXCELLENT for language skills, and eventually make much better writers!
I suggest video taping everything in that last paragraph ! Then share with as many people who will listen in front of the child. The child will be so proud, reinforcing ALL of the learning that went into this creative process.
If your child is too young to describe it, then have them play the instrument for a family member, then point to the different parts as YOU describe in detail how the child created this special instrument. In their minds, it’s as if they are doing the whole thing themselves, AND it helps make connections as they listen to the description so they can point to the correct part, and gain that vocabulary that will be used in the future.
I look forward to seeing what our children and families will create this year. Perhaps I’ll make a new slide show with the results !
If you DO enjoy this activity, we’d love to hear about your creative ideas. How did YOU and your child make an instrument using a pencil? If you recieved a color changing Kindermusik pencil at a recent local Cookie Concert, EXCELLENT. Perhaps you will take the challenge to make it into an instrument. We’d love to have you Schedule a Visit, and bring your Pencil Instrument to share your creativity… and you will have a great time making music with us, as well as being able to choose a scarf, or a red egg shaker to take home.
More DIY Instruments, and WHY this is great for your child
If you were able to explore sounds with us at a local Lakeland event, such as the ISO Cookie Concert, you may have also enjoyed the TIMBRE eggs. Plastic eggs were filled with different objects to create a variety of sounds. Children are invited to shake them and see if they can find a matching SOUND. Older children are challenged to find ONE of EACH FOUR sounds.
For more information about making these TIMBRE Eggs, or for learning about TIMBRE, check out these other articles I wrote:
You are likely to have plastic eggs around this season, and there are SO many more uses than just your traditional egg hunt. One of these ideas is making TIMBRE eggs.
This article discusses what TIMBRE is, why it is important for our children to explore, and a variety of ways to explore this concept, developing audio discrimination skills… specific to all ages starting in infancy.
Interested in creating other homemade instruments? You may be inspired by these ideas, and adorable pictures of my previous students and their creations. Oh, how this makes me miss them.