Here’s a good weekend activity for you…
So, I found this set of Decorate-Your-Own guitars on a school supply website and I absolutely LOVE them. I use these sturdy, cardboard cutout guitars in my classes just after we learn about how stringed instruments create harmony. The craft is actually the exact size of my ukulele, so if I’m working with a class that has seen the uke a lot, I say we are making ukuleles rather then guitars.
The best part about these is the fact that they have little elastic strings that you can actually pluck and strum. So even though it doesn’t actually sound like a guitar (or ukulele), my students still find them fun to play because they get the sensation of strumming strings when we play songs together at the end of class.
Here are some decorating suggestions:
-Use colored pencils, markers, crayons, or anything else you’d like to color in the body, neck and head of the guitar. Paint is cool too, but don’t paint the elastic strings – it makes them hard and crunchy, and they won’t play as easily.
-You can study the parts of an acoustic guitar and draw them on: sound hole, tuning pegs, bridge, frets, etc.
-Use colored cording and add your own strings that run all the way down the neck to the elastic strings already attached. These can be taped on after the instrument has been colored; they make the finished product look super cool. Use 6 strings to make a guitar and 4 strings to make a ukulele.
-Always finish this craft up with a jam session! If you play guitar or ukulele, play for the kids so they can sing and play along with their new instruments! Or just put on a fun song and have them jam along.
To find out more about this great craft, go to: DiscountSchoolSupply.com/decorateguitars
You get 12 guitars for $15.99 – so it’s great for a playgroup, birthday party or weekend playdate activity.