Water Music
 In "Arthur Rides the Bandwagon," Arthur starts a fad by playing music with a juice cap. Help your children make their own unusual instrument with water, glasses, and a spoon! (An adult should supervise this activity at all times.) Experimenting with sounds can increase a child's ability to discriminate sounds. This promotes language development. Here is an activity where you can experiment with sound and tone.
You'll need:
- 8 glasses
- food coloring (optional)
- spoon
- water
 Directions
- Prepare: Pour varying amounts of water into each glass, increasing the water level so that the last glass contains the most water. (If desired, use food coloring to create a rainbow effect.) You can place the glasses in a tub to minimize mess.
- Create: Show children how to tap the glasses gently with a spoon to hear higher and lower notes. Encourage them to create their own melodies.
Ask your children to predict how the sound will be affected by the amount of water in each glass. How can you change the sound in each glass? Try some combinations and see if you can create a song.
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Music is all around us, and it is sometimes found in unusual places. Bird songs, the rhythmic pounding of a hammer, the humming of your refrigerator, the dripping of a faucet, the honking a car horn. All of these are examples of "music" in your everyday life.