Rubber Band Sound Jam

You may want to try making a rubber band instrument yourself before your child builds it.

Next, invite your child to build a rubber band instrument. Before they start, review safety rules for working with rubber bands:

• Don’t shoot rubber bands.
• Don’t stretch the rubber bands too far, or they may break and hurt someone.
• Don’t put rubber bands in your mouths.

If needed, you can be the helper and hold the box while your child stretches the rubber bands around the box.

Next, invite your child to pluck the rubber bands to play their rubber band instrument! Encourage your child to describe what happens when they pluck the rubber bands. They may notice that the rubber bands vibrate as they make sounds.

Help your child change the way the instrument sounds. Here’s one way to try: You can stretch a rubber band away from the side of the box while your child plucks it. Encourage your child to predict whether the sound will be different or the same. How do they think the sound may change? Then ask them to describe how the sound is different from before. You and your child can try stretching the rubber band a lot or a little. Ask your child, "How does stretching the rubber band change the sound?"

Encourage your child to share what they noticed. Ask them what they observed about how the rubber band looks and sounds when they pluck it?. Can your child explain how they changed the sound the rubber band makes? Find out what they noticed about the stretched rubber band. Finally, ask them to compare the before and after sounds.