Hear the Gusty Wind Chime

The force of wind plays a powerful part in deconstructing houses in The Three Little Pigs, but it can produce positive things, too! Harness the capacity of wind to make beautiful sounds with this homemade wind chime project. Your child will develop stronger problem solving skills as he creates music to your ears! These handcrafted music makers look great in the backyard and make for a unique gift idea, as well.

What You Need:

• 4 to 6 strawberry baskets (1 basket for every 4 to 5 children)
• String
• Washers of different sizes
• Small bells (optional)

What You Do:

1. To prepare for this project, have your child cut pieces of strings into different lengths.
2. Help him tie a washer to the end of each string. If his little hands are having trouble, slowly show him the steps for tying a knot, and then give him a string to practice on (without the washer attached).
3. Next, form the wind chime by tying the strings with attached washers to the strawberry basket. For a little variety, you might want to add small bells, but that's entirely optional.
4. After each string has a washer attached, help him tie lengths of string to different parts of the strawberry basket. Attach them near a visible window, or in a nearby tree so that he can hear the wind make the homemade wind chime produce sounds. If you can't find a good area outside to place the wind chime, try hanging it inside near an oscillating fan.

Questions you might ask: When there is no wind, do you hear the chimes? Why? How do the chimes make music?