Super Why Guitar

Introduction

Your children can play along with the Super Readers with their very own Super Why! Guitar!

The following activity introduces reading music, linking musical notes with letters of the alphabet, along with an appreciation of the power of music to soothe.

Materials:

• Shoe Box without a lid
• Glue
• Markers or Crayons
• Scissors
• Paper towel tube
• Clear tape
• 4-8 Rubber bands

Directions: Create a homemade guitar:

• Have your child decorate the outside of the shoebox and paper towel tube!
• Ideas to decorate:
• Draw music notes on a scale (make sure to label them, A,B,C,D,E,F,G!)

• Write all of his/her favorite letters
• Draw their favorite Super Reader!
• Cut a hole in the top of the shoe box that will fit the paper towel tube. Insert the paper towel tube and secure with clear tape.
• Wrap the rubber bands around the shoe box the long way. Leave some space between the rubber bands.
• Pluck the rubber bands to make music! Try one, then the other, maybe two together. See what happens when you pluck them in different places.

Take it further:

• Talk with your child about what their favorite song is. What is his/her favorite bedtime song? Sing it together using your new guitar.
• Sing the Alphabet Song together.
• Sing each letter with a word that starts with that letter - A is for alligator, B is for Book, C is for Crayon. Pause for your child to fill in a word.
• If you have a piano, make an Alphabet piano by putting letters on the piano keys. Teach your kid how to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb;"
  
  E D C D E E E D D D E G G E D C D E E E D D E D C
• Make more musical instruments to make a Super Why! Band! Play drums with an empty bucket, cut holes in a paper towel tube to make a recorder.

Talk about it:

• Speak with your child about how each note makes a different sound, and each note has two names; Do/C, Rei/D, Mi/E, Fa/F, So/G, La/A, Ti/B, Do/C.
• Think of a song that starts with the first letter in your child's name.