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Make · Wild and Tumble activity

Stick xylophone

Plink, plonk, ping! Hang sticks of different lengths and play a woodland tune.

  • 25 min total
  • Low mess
  • Ages 3–5*
  • Outdoors
  • Any season

*Illustrative age guidance. Your child's development and circumstances matter more than a number.

A tiny plan for your day

Estimated time: 5 min to gather · 15 min to make · 5 min to play. It's fine to stop early.

Before you start

What you’ll need

  • Five or six dry sticks of different lengths and thickness
  • String
  • A low branch, fence or washing line
  • A short stick for a beater

Let's begin

Five simple steps

That's the whole activity. Tick each step off as you go, and stop whenever you like.

  1. Line the sticks up from shortest to longest.

  2. Grown-up job

    An adult ties string to each one.

  3. Hang them in a row from a branch or fence.

  4. Tap each one gently with the beater. Which sounds high? Which sounds low?

  5. Together

    Play a little tune, or copy each other's rhythm.

All done!

That's every step. However it went, you made a little moment together.

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