You’ll need

  • A plastic bucket (to make a cow sound)
  • A plastic cup (to make a chicken sound)
  • A ping-pong ball (to make a mouse sound)
  • A drill or nail (to make some holes)
  • 3 pieces of string, each about 40 cm long
  • Sticky tape
  • 2 paperclips
  • An absorbent cloth, like a dishwashing cloth
  • Scissors
  • Water
  • A black permanent marker (optional)

What to do

Warning

This activity uses scissors, and a sharp nail or drill. Ask an adult for help with these steps.

Gather your materials on a flat surface.

 

Mooing bucket

 

  1. Using the drill or nail, make a small hole in the middle of the bottom of the plastic bucket.
  2. Tie a paperclip to one end of a piece of string. This will stop your string from being pulled through the hole.
  3. Turn the bucket upside down and thread the string down through the hole. Pull it through until the paperclip meets the bucket.
  4. Tape the paperclip to the bottom of the bucket.
  5. Use the marker to decorate the bucket to look like a cow (optional).
  6. Cut off a small square of cloth (about 3 cm by 3 cm) and dampen it with water.
  7. Hold the bucket under one arm. With your other hand, wrap the wet cloth around the string and pull down on the string in jerky movements.

 

Clucking cup

 

  1. Follow the steps 1-4 above but use the plastic cup instead of a bucket.
  2. Decorate the cup to look like a chicken (optional).
  3. Cut off a small square of cloth (about 3 cm by 3 cm) and dampen it with water.
  4. Hold the cup in one hand. With your other hand, wrap the wet cloth around the string and pull down on the string in jerky movements.

 

Squeaking mouse

 

  1. Tie a length of string around the ping-pong ball. Secure it with sticky tape.
  2. Decorate the ping-pong ball to look like a mouse (optional).
  3. Cut off a small square of cloth (about 3 cm by 3 cm) and dampen it with water.
  4. Hold the ball in one hand. With your other hand, wrap the wet cloth around the string and pull down on the string in jerky movements.

Try singing Old McDonald had a farm, but instead of singing the animal noises, play the mouse, chicken and cow instruments!

Questions to ask

Will the chicken be louder than the mouse?

Will the cow be louder than the chicken?

Why do you think they make different sounds?

Do cows make high (squeaky) sounds or low (deep) sounds?

What else do these instruments sound like?

What's happening

The ping-pong ball, cup and bucket are all made of plastic. Pinching the string with a wet cloth and pulling down makes the string vibrate. The vibrations travel up the string and make the plastic vibrate. This makes the air around the plastic vibrate, which creates sound waves that we can hear. The bucket makes the loudest noise because it is larger – it makes more air vibrate, making bigger soundwaves.