Pluck!

Materials

• rubber bands of different thicknesses
• boxes, bread pans, and other containers around which the rubber bands can be stretched
• images of guitars, violins, cellos, banjos, pedal steel guitars, etc., to hang in the Learning Center

Directions

Note: It is important to try out these materials before you have the children use them so you can choose rubber bands that produce satisfying tones of different pitches when stretched around the containers.

Introduce the materials to the whole group by demonstrating and talking about instruments. Show the images of musicians and talk about the instruments they are playing. Ask children what type of instruments can be plucked. Then model how to produce different sounds with the boxes and rubber bands. Ask, What different sounds can we make if we change the rubber bands? Encourage children to describe and imitate the sound/s. Then invite several children to make improvised instruments.