Spoon-Instrument Activity for Fidgety Kids

Grab a couple of spoons and get ready for some fun!

Have your kid hold the two spoons back-to-back.

Put a cork parallel between the base of the handles to force the spoons about an inch apart.

Help your kid secure the cork with duct tape. Voila! They're ready to be played!

To play the spoons, have your kid hold them between his pointer finger (the one he uses to lay blame on his sister) and middle finger (the one Mommy uses to lay blame on the car that cut her off) and have him shake his hand to get the spoons to hit each other to make a clicking sound. He can also play them on his leg by holding the spoonless hand palm-down about seven inches above his leg while bouncing the spoons up and down between his leg and his palm. Every time he makes contact with his hand or thigh, the spoons will make a satisfying clacking noise. "The Roll" is another spoon-playing trick. Have your child spread the fingers of his empty hand and bounce the spoons down each finger, one at a time.

Try keeping the beat with classic kid's tunes like "Old MacDonald" or "B-I-N-G-O." With a little luck, you'll get through a whole meal and have mood music to go with it!