Your kids can quite literally ring in the Chinese New Year with their own make-at-home gong! A gong is a large hanging percussion instrument that you strike with a stick or a beater for a wonderful, loud, resonant sound that will definitely make anyone around you sit and take notice. In ancient China, it's said that gongs called farmers in from the fields and some were so loud they could be heard nearly 50 miles away!
What you'll need:
- A metal (disposable) pan, the larger the better
- Pipe cleaners or yarn
- Cardboard tube from wrapping paper (if you don't have an empty one, use one with the paper still on, preferably in red)
- Paint, stickers, glitter, glue or textured paint for decorating
- A 12- to 18-inch wooden dowel
- Electrical tape
What you'll do:
The first step to making your own gong is finding something that can be the gong! The best choice for this is a disposable metal turkey roaster (available at any dollar or grocery store). You can also try a large disposable metal cake pan or even smaller pie tins, but the larger the pan, the better the sound. Decorate your gong! Make it fancy, funny, or ornate. Add Chinese symbols or stickers, paint, gillter, and glue to make your own unique gong. Let it dry completely.
Make two holes in the top area of your metal pan, about two to three inches apart. Slip a pipe cleaner or some yarn through each hole and twist or tie the ends together to form a circle. For an easy movable stand to hang the gong, set two chairs back to back, about three feet apart. On top of the chairs, place a wrapping paper tube (or large stick, dowel rod, or broomstick). Slip the handles of your gong onto the stick and it will hang down perfectly.
Lastly, you'll need a beater to strike the gong. Take a 12- to 18-inch wooden dowel and wrap one side with electrical tape to form a head. If you don't have a wooden dowel, you can substitute a wooden spoon, a chopstick, or an unsharpened pencil.
GONG AWAY!!!
To discover more musical and multi-cultural ideas, visit Daria's award-winning website at dariamusic.com.
