Upcycled Backyard Music Station

  Usually it happens that the activities I think Kay will like the best are the ones that flop. This one was unusual in that I thought she'd love it, and she actually did. It may not look pretty (especially since we're redoing our yard so it look particularly messy right now!) but this is one she went back to over and over again. 

  Mosswood Connections shared their Junk Jam Music Game on P is for Preschooler's Facebook page for share day (Fridays - pencil us in!). I was instantly intrigued and made plans to do our own version, which coincided perfectly with this month's Project: Recycle & Create material (bonus!). 

  I raided the recycle bin for plastic bottles and then searched through the house for a few things to add inside, for extra sound effects. In the end, I chose jingle bells and colorful pony beads (from our friends at CraftProjectIdeas.com) and beans from our sensory bin stash. I also left a couple of empty bottles, one with a cap on, one without, for different sounds. Finally, I used friendship bracelet thread and craft shoelaces to string them up, deciding on the not-put-together backyard swing as the perfect height. 

  Adding a couple other recyclables and an overturned pail for drumming, I left it all out with two wooden sticks I found in the garage and waited for her to find it. 

  She was instantly drawn to the drums, as she loves all things bang-y. But when she started with the bottles, she was hooked. She liked whacking at them with the sticks, but also just swinging them too. I made the strings long enough that they would slam into each other, but also long enough that they wound up getting tangled together. Kay actually liked that, but next time I would make the strings shorter. 

  After she experimented we played some sound games, such as one person would close their eyes and the other would hit one of the bottles. The first person had to guess which bottle it was (Jingle bells? Beads?)

  I've seen some amazing outdoor music stations, but this one was perfect for us - noisy enough to be entertaining, but not loud enough for our neighbors to complain. 

Co-hosted by:
P is for Preschooler ~ Powerful Mothering ~ Afterschool for Smarty Pants  ~ Still Playing School ~ Lemon Lime Adventures ~ Creative World of Varya ~ Mama Miss ~ There's Just One Mommy ~ Little Bins for Little Hands ~ Peakle Pie ~ Sugar Aunts ~ Teach Me Mommy ~ Playtivities ~ Danya Banya~ ALLterNATIVElearning ~ Widsom Knowledge Joy ~ Preschoolers Day by Day

  Learn more aboutProject: Recycle & Create or jump right in and join us! We'd love to have you share your ideas with us!