Musical Seeds
LESSON 6
Children will explore the sounds of different seeds, create maracas using paper mache and their chosen seeds, and enjoy making music with their new instruments.
Acrylic paint
Variety of seeds or beans
Water balloons
Paper (copy paper or newspaper, nothing too stiff)
Cups to hold the balloons for drying
Decorative paper or paint
Dry seeds or beans
Duct tape
Wooden stick for handle
Hollow wooden eggs, plastic eggs, or small containers
Cornstarch
Materials
Gather materials for the lesson
Prepare cornstarch mixture for paper mache: place one tablespoon of cornstarch in a small pot. Mix in 10 tablespoons of water and bring to a boil. Once it begins to turn into a gel-like substance, take off heat and let it cool. Poor into a bowl to use for paper mache assembly.
Prepare a space to paper mache
Preparations
Initiate the exploration of seed sounds, guiding children's observation and comparison.
Facilitate the maracas crafting process, offering assistance with paper mache and decoration.
Supervise and manage the drying process of the maracas.
Foster a sense of achievement as children play music with their homemade maracas.
Provide guidance on seed characteristics during sensory exploration and craft activities.
Promote fine motor skill development through tearing paper, paper mache layering, and decorating.
Objectives for Teachers
Children engage in discovering and comparing the sounds produced by different seeds.
Children craft maracas using paper mache, balloons, and chosen seeds.
Children express creativity by decorating maracas with paint or decorative paper.
Children practice making music and rhythms using their self-made seed-filled maracas.
Children learn about seed characteristics through sensory exploration and craft.
Children develop fine motor skills while tearing paper, layering paper mache, and decorating maracas.
Objectives for Children
Collect and Connect
Growing
Inside the seed,
All bundled up tight
A tiny plant grows,
Needing water and light,
I’ll plant it in soil,
Let it catch the sun's glow,
Then water it gently,
And watch the plant grow.
Activity Flow
Exploring seed sounds: Begin the lesson by delving into the various sounds that seeds make. Use hollow wooden eggs, plastic eggs, or small containers. Work with your child to fill each egg/container with different seeds, then close them and shake to hear the distinct sounds.
Prompt your child with questions during this exploration:
Do they all sound the same?
Why do you think they sound different?
What is your favorite sound?
Enjoy playing with the eggs, and shaking the eggs to the rhythm of a favorite song or creating a rhythm together.
3. Maracas craft: After exploring the different sounds the seeds make, gather around the paper mache craft materials and tell your child that they will be making a musical instrument called maracas. Explain that this craft will span two days due to the drying time needed for paper mache.
Day 1:
Inflate two balloons to roughly the same size (more if desired).
Work together to tear up paper for covering the balloons.
Dip paper in the cornstarch mixture and layer it on the balloons, ensuring multiple coats for sturdy structure.
Leave a small hole for adding seeds and securing a stick.
Allow the paper-covered balloons to dry for 24 hours. Refrigerate any remaining cornstarch mixture for future use.
Day 2:
Once dried, carefully remove the balloons from the maraca shells.
Proceed to decorate the maracas using paint or decorative paper, following the same paper mache steps from day 1.
After the maracas dry again, involve your child in choosing seeds to place inside. Revisit the seed sounds explored using eggs/containers. My children chose rice for one, and pea seeds for the other (approximately ¼-⅓ cup each).
Insert a wooden stick halfway into the maraca, securing it with duct tape. Consider applying paper mache over the tape for a neater finish.
Allow the maracas to dry thoroughly.
Once dry and stable, enjoy making music with your new seed-filled instruments.
