Have a couple of drink containers or recycled plastic bottles in the recycle bin> Here is one easy way to use plastic water bottles to make a color xylophone with the kids.
Music Bookmark Craft
You’ll need just a few materials to make this music bookmark craft:
One sheet of music (We have several books found at a yard sale. We used one sheet for this craft.)
Red card stock, cut into heart shapes
Glue
Scissors
To make the music bookmarks:
Cut the sheet music along the space between each staff. You’ll end up with several strips of music notes. Cut the red card stock into heart shapes. Glue the hearts to one end of the music strips. As easy as that, your music bookmarks are done!
Water Xylophone
If you follow this blog, then you know that we love to use recycled materials in play and crafts. After our bottles of Coca-Cola were empty, we decided to make our own songs with a DIY water xylophone!
To make a water xylophone using recycled plastic bottles:
This was SUCH a huge hit with my kids. We filled the plastic bottles with varying amounts of water. We used all six bottles from the six pack of plastic Coke bottles and added liquid food coloring to the bottles. Each bottle held a different color of the rainbow to make a rainbow water xylophone.
I showed my kids how to blow across the top of the opening of the bottles to make a musical sound. It was fun to see my kids’ expressions as they realized they could make a sound on the opening of the bottles. Even better was watching them make a little tune with the xylophone! This is one activity that they will remember for a long time to come.
This is a great activity for addressing oral sensory needs. Check out some of our favorite ways to provide sensory input through oral motor exercises for sensory calming sensory input here and here.
A water xylophone would be the perfect addition to a summer bucket list! Take this idea outside to create memories with your kids! Just like music invokes memories, making music with this water xylophone will be the hit of the summer break.
