Looking for music science activities for kids? Then try making a musical science pool! This fun outdoor music science experiment is the perfect way for toddlers and preschoolers to cool off this summer while learning.
As a piano teacher, I've always been passionate about sharing my love for music with my kids. There's a reason why we've done so many music activities over the years. It's easy for me to come up with music themed activities for my kids.
But coming up with fun science projects? Yeah, not so much. That is definitely not an area of strength for me. So don't come to me for science fair project ideas, okay?
So when our copy of 101 Kids Activities book arrived, I was delighted to see a musical science pool activity in it. Right away I knew it would be the perfect fit for us the minute I spotted it in the book.
Now pretty much everyone is familiar with water xylophones, right? The musical jars science experiment where you usually color the water into rainbow colors that you then tap with spoons? That. It's just one of those cool musical science experiments all kids do at some point. Admit it, you did it as a kid too. I know you did.
Well, imagine taking that classic science experiment from your childhood and doing it on a much larger scale. That's basically what this musical science pool activity is all about. It's really just kids banging on containers of water after all.
So grab some swim trunks, a kiddie pool, and some things from your kitchen because I think your kids are going to love this outdoor music science experiment as much as my kids did! And it'll give you that good old nostalgic feeling too.
Disclosure: I was given a copy of the new 101 Kids Activities book from Kids Activities Blog to review. All opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced by the free product. This book is filled with awesome activities for kids (just like the title suggests!). It's a great resource for parents to keep handy when the kids say they're bored. And my kids love to flip through the pages to pick out ideas to try because sometimes even I need some fresh new ideas to try with my kids.
What You'll Need for this Outdoor Music Science Experiment
One of the activities from the 101 Kids Activities book that immediately caught my eye was an outdoor sound science activity called the musical science pool. I mean it was right up my alley! So that's the activity we decided to try first from the book.
Here's what you'll need to try this fun sound experiment at home:
- Small kiddie pool filled with some water - Or try this activity indoors in a bathtub! You could even color the water for added fun with some liquid watercolors or food coloring.
- Kitchen utensils such as a metal whisk, wooden spoons, plastic spoons, etc.
- Metal baking dishes, cake pans, and/or muffin tins
- Tin cans of various sizes - Just be sure to check that there are no sharp edges or anything.
- Metal bowls of various sizes
- Anything else metal laying around that might make a good "drum" - For instance, we used a green metal flower pot as part of this activity
Simply fill the pool with as much (or as little water) as you want. My oldest J insisted on not filling the pool too much. Basically, you need just enough water that the kids can scoop and pour with it. Then toss in all the other materials and it's ready for play!
We're essentially creating a DIY outdoor music station, but in a pool.
Your Kids are Going to Love this Musical Science Pool Activity!
The first thing the boys did was lots of scooping and pouring of water. Like lots and lots of scooping and pouring. They happily transferred the water back and forth between the different bowls and containers. A little water science and math learning going on here. But not much of a music science experiment yet at this point.
My youngest son K then took a break from pouring water to wear the cake pan on his head like a hat. He's such a goofball! But that's just how science experiments with toddlers go, right? Yep, definitely.
Then finally the boys decided it was time to make some music! It was very tentative banging at first, but then K got right into it, experimenting with different combos of water, bowls, and "drumsticks." I mean this activity is a sound experiment after all.
K was really intrigued by the whisk on the metal bowls. I mean the sound vibrations that come along with drumming with the whisk are really cool. You can almost hear the sound when you look at this picture...sproing!
Both boys really enjoyed this musical science pool activity from the 101 Kids Activities book. It was easy to set up and tons of fun for the kids. Plus, it's a great way to cool off this summer. So definitely keep this music science experiment in your back pocket for those hot summer days!
