Musical Gloves and Socks Crafts
Your kid will literally be there with bells on!
Submitted by
Kayla Chong
Kayla Chong
Many famous composers claim to have "seen" their music before they composed it. Take a twist on that theme by letting your musical genius draw what she hears in a musical mural! Is Mozart a flowery meadow? Do the blues make her think pink? Put on some tunes, set out the crayons and see what music really looks like!
- Music:Anything you and your child dig.
- Kitchen or Craft Table
- Butcher Paper:Get a piece big enough to cover the whole table.
- Masking Tape
- Color Creators:Crayons, markers, paint pens, glitter pens.
- Toy Bucket:For the crayons, markers, etc.
Look through your iPod or CD collection with your child and pick out some fun music. You'll want a wide variety of songs. So anything from Britney to Bach to the Beastie Boys is game.
Lay the butcher paper out on the table. Tape the edges down to keep it in place. If your child is too short to comfortably reach the table top, tape the paper on the floor. Don't leave the tape on for too long or it will be hard to get off. (For tips on removing the tape, see "Do Note.")
Fill the bucket with crayons and markers. Place it on a nearby chair. If you're daring, use paint.
Crank up the music!
Invite your child to walk around the table, drawing what she sees and feels. Maybe that riff in Hendrix makes her sees swirls (that's what Dad saw the first time he listened to it ... but we won't discuss what precipitated those visions here!). Maybe Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" inspires her to draw an autumn leaf. Encourage her not to be shy and to pour her heart out onto the paper.
While she's creating her masterpiece, take a moment to plop on the sofa with a magazine. Indulge—it's not often you get to sit around and listen to music without your kids shouting over the songs!
When she's finished her work of art, hang it up on a large empty wall and have her explain the inspiration behind each little scribble to Daddy or Grandma. That might even buy you enough time to finish your magazine (well, maybe just an article).
- To remove any unwanted, stubborn tape, hold a hair dryer 3 or 4 inches away from the tape. The heat from the dryer will soften the adhesive so you can gently pull it off. This technique will work on almost any kind of tape or label to remove it from wallpaper, paint, wood finishes or even furniture. So next time your kid plasters your walls with stickers, don't panic—just grab your Conair!
Thanks to Karen Baicker
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