Popsicle Harmonica

Create some sound!  This do-it-yourself harp project is so entertaining that even adults will be tempted to jam.   Put those popsicle sticks away now!

What you’ll need:

• 2 popsicle sticks or craft sticks
• 1 wide rubber band
• 2 smaller rubber bands
• a plastic straw

Instructions:

1. Cut two approximately 1-inch pieces off the end of your straw
2. Wrap the wide rubber band lengthwise around one popsicle stick
3. Take one piece of straw and tuck it under the rubber band on one end of the popsicle stick
4. Place the other piece of straw on top of the rubber band on the other end of the popsicle stick
5. Place your other popsicle stick on top, and wrap a small rubber band around each end of the popsicle sticks
6. Blow into your harmonica, just like you would a real harmonica!  It’s tempting to think you need to hum, like with a kazoo, but a simple blow will do the trick!

Instead of using straws, you may try the same exercise with toothpicks.

Take a listen to your harmonica’s tone. How does the sound alter when you move the two straws closer together or farther apart? What happens if you use your lips or fingers to pinch the harmonica together more?


The energy generated by vibration is called sound. The boom sound produced when you pound a drum is caused by the drum surface vibrating so quickly that you can’t always see it move!

The vibration enters your ear through the atmosphere. The brain perceives the vibration of your eardrum as sound once it begins to occur.

The force of your breath causes the rubber bands and straws on the harmonica to vibrate as you blow into it, producing the sound you hear.


As you and your kid go about your day, investigate how vibrations accompany other noises. There’s really music in the air!