
Make · Wild and Tumble activity
Stick xylophone
Plink, plonk, ping! Hang sticks of different lengths and play a woodland tune.
*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.
Line the sticks up from shortest to longest.
- Grown-up job
An adult ties string to each one.
Hang them in a row from a branch or fence.
Tap each one gently with the beater. Which sounds high? Which sounds low?
- Together
Play a little tune, or copy each other's rhythm.
That's every step. However it went, you made a little moment together.
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