- Gather your materials. You will need 2 pieces of construction paper, some markers, 5 colors of foam ( more construction paper would work too), glue and scissors.
- Start by drawing a large X on one piece of construction paper.
- Have your child color it if they want. The audience of garbage trucks is optional.
- While they are coloring cut out 4 strips of foam, each slightly smaller then the previous.
- Cut out small squares of foam – please skip this if you have a young toddler who still likes to eat things.** you should cut out your X here, I had a momentary lapse and forgot, trust me it’s easier if you do it now, glue it onto your 2nd piece of paper.
- Add 4 long lines of glue
- Add your foam bars
- Add dots of glue on each end of each bar
- Add the tiny foam squares.
- Let dry.
* If desired you can make small mallets and glue them in the extra space of the X. I had them cut out but as you may be able to see in some pictures, my son had his garbage trucks watching art time and ready to go. At this point was more into filling them with foam scraps than doing any more art.
“Meet The Orchestra” by Ann Hayes is a good resource for teaching about musical instruments. The book goes through many instruments found in an orchestra with a sizable description for each. Animals are used for the musicians and my son thought that was funny and actually learned a bit about them as well. It was really too long for us to sit and read cover to cover but it’s easy to break up and read one or two instruments at a time if it’s too much for your child in one sitting. Also there is some figurative language that young kids will not get at all. Helpful for teaching but I don’t expect it to become a favorite to snuggle up with.
“Zin Zin Zin ! A Violin” by Lloyd Moss is a big hit at our house and if you have a child into music or musical instruments this is a great book. You count the instruments as they come on stage for a performance and not only is this a great counting book, but it introduced musical instruments in it’s rhyming text and super fun pictures. I am biased though my little man is really really into instruments and loves this book. The day we bought it I had to sit in the back with him on the way home from the bookstore because he couldn’t wait to read it .
Additional Alphabet Activity
Lacing Card
Love the X! How awesome is it that your son plays the air upright bass. My dad plays upright bass (bluegrass)and I have always admired his talents, so it made me smile to think of a little one playing.
Super cute! That is a great idea.
I love how those lacing letters look… very scrapbooky.. haha