Construct a Winter Wind Chime

What You Need:

• Old silverware, metal lids/caps, and hardware (nuts and bolts)
• Round plastic lid or a tin lid
• Twine
• Hammer
• Nail
• Bells (optional)

What You Do:

1. What is wind? Discuss the definition of wind with your child and brainstorm what you already know about this large-scale flow of gases. There's nothing wrong with doing a little online research if you need to refresh your memory.
2. Using the round lid as your base, help your child poke holes around the edge of the lid with a hammer and nail. Be careful to space the holes no more than an inch apart. If the holes are too far apart, the chimes won’t touch, and therefore won’t make a sound.
3. Punch one hole in the center of the lid.
4. Cut different lengths of twine (no longer than the distance between your fingertips and elbow) and string them through the holes, securing each string with a knot so that it can’t escape through the hole.
5. At the end of each piece of twine, tie a piece of silverware, hardware, bells, or any kind of metal scraps you came up with. Adjust the objects and twine length until you get the appropriate sound.
6. Hang your wind chime outside and encourage your child to listen to the melody. Observe and discuss the strength and direction of the wind, and how it affects your wind chime.