STEM activities for youngsters to experiment with sounds 

Sounds fascinate us all. Unfortunately, we can only hear the infrasonic (audible to human ears) sounds, while there’s a whole other world of ultrasonic (beyond the range of sound perceptible to the human ears) sounds that remain inaudible to human ears. Introduce your school goer to the fascinating world of sounds with these fun and engaging STEM experiments.  

DIY wind chimes 
The sound of wind chimes is appealing to both adults and youngsters alike. Encourage your youngster to make one at home.  

What you’ll need 

• Varied sized washers (flat disks with a hollow at the centre) 
• Yarn 
• Different coloured paints  
• A sturdy wooden stick 

How to 
Gather all the ingredients and start the activity with your kids. Here is a step-by-step guide. Help them follow these. 

• Paint the washers in the chosen colours and let them dry.  
• As per the number of washers, cut the yarns into equal length. String the yarns tightly through each washer.  
• Now, tie the loose ends of the yarns to the wooden stick. 
• Take another tiny piece of yarn and make a loop, in order to hang the wind chime. 

• Now ask the kids to hang the chime somewhere around the balcony. They will see that the washers will collide with one another in the breeze and make a sweet and soothing sound. 

DIY paper whistle 
Who doesn’t like the sound of whistles? Encourage your kids to make a paper whistle on their own, that will not only be exciting but also safer than the plastic options available commercially.   

What you’ll need 

• A piece of scrap paper (A4 size will do) 
• A pair of scissors 

How to 
It is pretty easy to make a paper whistle. Help your youngsters follow these steps.  

• Cut the paper into a rectangle and fold it in half.  
• Now fold the paper into fourths. These folds should be in opposite direction to the fold of the half. 
• Next, on the first fold made (the half), cut a tiny triangle at the centre of the fold. 
• The paper whistle is ready. Ask your kid to place his lips on the other side of the triangle and blow, holding the paper from both ends.  

DIY finger piano 
Most children are fond of music. Their interest levels multiply when they start learning an instrument. This DIY finger piano is sure to make your budding artist enjoy sound even more.  

What you’ll need 

• A container lid 
• 4 to 6 bobby pins 
• Sticky tape 
• A ruler 

How to 
Here is a step-by-step guide for creating a piano. Make sure your youngster follows this right. 

• Arrange the bobby pins side by side with the gap of 3-4 inches with the help of a ruler. 
• Now take a contained lid and paste the linear ends of the bobby pins using sticky tape. 
• Now consider the loose ends of the pins as piano keys and strum them. The music derived will be one of a kind. Note, different distances between the bobby pins will generate different kinds of sounds.