Tuesday Tip! Swimming Noodle Sand Blocks

Best Sand Blocks Ever!

These "sand blocks" are made from inexpensive "swimming noodles," which are available just about everywhere now for a couple of dollars. They are brightly-colored 6 ft long pieces of foam used for flotation. In my town they are even available at the supermarket and drug store! If you can't find these (because it's not summer where you are, or they just aren't available where you live), you can use the gray foam pipe insulation tubes available at hardware stores. Not as colorful, but fully functional and still inexpensive.

To cut the noodles, you can use anything from a saw to a utility knife. The best tool is an electric knife. It makes a clean cut and you can make 30 pairs of blocks in just a few minutes! Be aware that if you use a saw, you will have rough pill-y edges which will shed for a while as the children are playing them. So if you have a choice between a saw and a utility knife, a utility knife makes a cleaner cut. Just be very careful, and you might want to mark a circle around the noodle before cutting, since the knife won't go all the way through.

So, once you have selected your cutting tool...

Cut the noodles in about 4" pieces, then cut each piece in half lengthwise. When children rub them together they make a wonderful sand block sound. And when they "clap" them, as children will inevitably do, they will make a very nice (quiet!) muffled clap, unlike wooden sand blocks that are very hard on the ears! Also, they won't cause injury when thrown ( another inevitable occurrence when working with young children!). They are washable, inexpensive, colorful, and musical! What more could you want?! I use them with train songs and any song that has wheels, as you can rub them around in circles. When playing train songs, you can make a train and walk around the room while playing.

Another great activity, is to play a pattern with your blocks, and have the children copy it. Older children can take turns being the leader.Or sing nursery rhymes and keep a rhythm on the blocks. All of these activities are great for building early literacy skills!

See my website for more songs and ideas for using homemade instruments. www.Nancymusic.com

Have fun!