Praise Him with songs and music

Use scriptures to bring an inspirational lesson to music fun. You’ll find suggestions at the end of the article.

Paper tube rhythm instruments

Seal one end of the tube by cutting a circle of cardboard to match the size of the end. Place it in the end and secure it with a square of paper and tape. Place a tablespoon of uncooked rice or beans into the tube. Seal the open end. Decorate as desired. One rhythm instrument is ready to go.

The timbre of the instrument will vary depending on what is put inside, how much there is, how long and wide the tube is and how tightly it is sealed. With enough different “voices” you can create a real band.

Pop bottle woodwinds

A washed soda pop bottle with a little water added becomes a woodwind instrument when you blow across the top of it. Add different amounts of water to create different sounds. Ask some questions of the children: Does more water sound deeper or higher in tone than less water? Does the force of the air across the top of the bottle make a difference?

Oatmeal box and coffee canister drums

An empty oatmeal box or coffee canister (can or plastic) with a lid makes a great drum. Tap or rap on the lid to create tempo for the band. Try using plastic spoons, wooden dowels and fingertips for a variety of effects.

Tissue box dulcimer

Place rubber bands of varying thickness around an empty tissue box to make a do-it-yourself dulcimer. Sounds will vary with the width and depth of the box and the size of the rubber bands. If you don’t have a variety of rubber band thicknesses, vary tension by knotting the rubber bands to different lengths.

Play the dulcimer by sitting with it across your lap and plucking the bands, rather than strumming like a guitar.

Warning: Snapping rubber bands can be quite hazardous. Exercise extreme caution when playing a tissue box dulcimer. Use discretion as to age group.

Rhythm sticks

Lengths of dowel (eight to twelve inches long) in pairs form a simple instrument – old-fashioned rhythm sticks. By tapping one stick against the other, children can learn rhythm skills and how different tempos can combine to make music. Vary the sounds by using different thicknesses of dowel. Just beware of impromptu swordfights among the musicians.

Doing this at home? Substitute a pair of wooden spoons for dowels.

Paper tube kazoos

Okay, so they aren’t really kazoos. But kids can hum or sing into paper towel or toilet paper tubes to get some interesting harmonics going.

Jingle bells

Tie a couple of sleigh bells along a length of ribbon or yarn. Tie the ends of the ribbon or yarn together to make a loop. Shake the loop to play the bells. Punch holes through a handful of bottle caps and string them loosely on a piece of yarn or ribbon to make another jingly instrument. Metal caps will sound more “tinny” while plastic ones will be “rattle-y.”

Pot lid cymbals

Light-weight metal pot lids of similar size make dandy cymbals. Warning: don’t use enameled lids – the enamel is likely to chip.



Put together a marching band to burn off some energy, or have quiet sit down music to encourage winding down. With homemade instruments, music is just moments away.

Scripture references

Add a scripture, such as: “The Lord is my strength and song.” (Exodus 15:2, KJV) or “…therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” (Psalm 28:7b, KJV). Other possibilities: Judges 5:3; I Chronicles 16:9; I Chronicles 16: 23; Psalm 7:17; Psalm 9:2; Psalm 13:6 and many more. Use a concordance or go to Biblegateway.com to search for things like “music,” “sing,” “song,” or instrument names like trumpet or flute. You’ll find lots of choices.

Faux King Cake -- a Mardi Gras treat for those who can't make it to New Orleans!

Yesterday was January 6, Epiphany or King's Day. It marks the beginning of the Mardi Gras season. Like me, many New Orleans expatriates are going through King Cake withdrawal.

Here's a quick and easy way to enjoy a similar sensation without the big bucks of shipping!

Purchase several tubes of bake and serve cinnamon rolls. The exact number will depend on how large you want your finished cake to be.

Open the cans and separate the individual rolls, then unroll them into rope-like shapes. Braid the ropes, taking care to stagger the ends of the ropes. Braids may be three ropes or more, depending on the size of the ropes.

Shape the braided dough into a circle on a greased baking sheet. Let rest in a warm, moist area for 30-45 minutes.

Bake the cake according to package instructions. Cool slightly, then insert a token (such as a pecan or plastic baby) in the underside of the cake.

Frost and decorate with colored sugar, jimmies or some other decorative product in the traditional purple, green and gold colors of Mardi Gras.

Enjoy!

Stand-up pictures and figures

Nearly any figure or photo can be made into a free-standing figure with a few simple cuts.

Supplies:
Duplicates of the figure or photo, mounted on heavy paper or cardboard
Sharp scissors, craft knife or paper cutter

The key to the success of the project is interlocking slits in the figures. By cutting one from the top and the other from the bottom, the figures can be slid into the corresponding slits at right angles.  The figures will then be able to stand.

The finished figures can be mounted for display, hung for decoration or used in other projects such as dioramas. Make stand-up photos for gifts - just print two copies of each photo.


A few cautions:

Use extreme care with cutting tools when children are present. Consider doing the cutting ahead of time or outside of the meeting room or work area if the children are very young.

Correct placement of the slits is crucial, especially for asymmetric items such as photos. Make the placement easy by turning one copy of the photo upside down and placing it face down on top of the second photo. Cut both at the same time, to the midpoint.

Cardboard Tube Crafts

Use those paper or cardboard tubes from paper towels, toilet tissue, food wrap and gift wrap to create fun projects for your group. Whether for small tots or older children, there are many ways to use paper tubes for fun.

Avast, me hearty!

Cover a long tube in black construction paper to form a play telescope. You’ll spy lots of play through this easy toy.

Use two shorter tubes to form binoculars. Tape them together and add a yarn or ribbon strap and you’ve got one child ready for look-out duty.

An added bonus to using these toys is the ability for a child to focus on a single thing while peering through the tubes. It allows concentration on that thing. Great for starting discussions.

Personal presents

Put tiny gifts into a tube and cover in gift wrap for an interesting gift presentation.

Make little favors for a party. Little candies can be wrapped in food wrap or snack bags before insertion into the tube. Gather the gift wrap and tie the ends for a firecracker look.

Safe candles

Make safe candles for little ones by wrapping the tube in tissue paper of the appropriate color and use a pipe cleaner as the flame. Tuck the ends of the tissue into the top of the role, and stick the pipe cleaner into the center. For processionals and ceremonies, these flameless candles will allow little ones to participate without danger.

Add a scripture reference to provide an enlightening lesson: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119: 105, KJV, for example.

Little lighthouse

Use ribbon or construction paper stripes to wrap around a covered paper roll to make a lighthouse. A ball of yellow paper or a yellow yarn pompom on top serves as the beacon.

Add a scripture, such as “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” (Isaiah 60:1, KJV) for inspiration.

Let’s make music

Seal one end of the tube by cutting a circle of cardboard to match the size of the end. Place it in the end and secure it with a square of paper and tape. Place a tablespoon of uncooked rice or beans into the tube. Seal the open end. Decorate as desired. One rhythm instrument is ready to go.

The timbre of the instrument will vary depending on what is put inside, how much there is, how long and wide the tube is and how tightly it is sealed. With enough different “voices” you can create a real band.

Add a scripture, such as: “The Lord is my strength and song.” (Exodus 15:2, KJV) or “…therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” (Psalm 28:7b, KJV).

Kaleidoscope

National Geographic Kids has a great page on making a kaleidoscope from a paper towel role. Check it out: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Activities/FunScience/Be-dazzled. This is one I haven’t done myself yet, but I’m looking forward to it.

Napkin Rings

Slice tube into rings approximately 1” wide. (You’ll probably have to do this for younger children to avoid squashed rings.) Decorate the rings to use as napkin rings. Here are some ideas, but feel free to use your imagination:

Glue ribbon around the ring.

Wrap the ring in yarn.

Measure strips of plain paper to cover the rings. Let the children draw on or put stickers on the paper before covering the ring with it.

Glue pieces of colored paper in a patchwork pattern (great for using up scraps of construction paper left over from other projects!).

Glue wrapping paper appropriate for the occasion on the ring.

Glue decorative braid or little ornaments to the ring.

Glue a strip of paper with a scripture verse on it around the ring. (“The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul…’ Proverbs 13:25a, KJV, for example.)