Wind Chimes
I am always amazed by the joy on children’s faces when you quieten them down and ask them to listen for an extended period of time to the music of an outdoor environment. Initially they fidget and then, as those little ears adjust, they tune in and wow! I can feel my own ancient ears almost relax and hum as the jostle of chatter fades into quiet. Suddenly your senses are heightened and sounds from near and far, high and low seep in- the rustle of leaves, the wing flap of overhead birds, a distant vehicle, the call of a far-away farm animal, a snuffle from something in nearby undergrowth. Listening carefully is a real skill and an important sense to nurture.
This month we have made some natural wind chimes to add a little gentle cacophony to our outdoor space. The children used real tools (with supervision) and learned new skills.
You will need:
- Twine
- Sticks
- Hand-drill(optional)
- Vice(optional)
- Scissors
- Paints(optional)
- Potato peeler
- Knife (optional)
- Collect some sticks and smooth them off.
- Use a potato peeler to remove patches of bark to make a decorative pattern (always peel away from your hands and body).
- Using a hand-drill and a vice to secure, you can drill a small hole in end of wood through which to thread some twine (or wrap and tie the twine around one end).
- Finish decorating by adding paint ( we love natural dyes- beetroot/spinach and turmeric).
- Hang your chimes up in a tree - close together so they can jostle with the wind and make their magic.
- Stand back and shhhhh…
