- art materials (for decorating lids) (e.g., colorful stickers, markers, self-stick pom poms and shapes, etc.)
- hammer
- jar lids (small), 2 for each child
- music (Spanish dance)
- nail
- pipe cleaners
- Spicy Hot Colors (book)
- castanets
- color
MA Standards:
Language/L.PK.MA.5.c: Apply words learned in classroom activities to real-life examples (e.g., name places in school that are fun, quiet, or noisy).
Head Start Outcomes:
Language Development/
Expressive Language: Engages in communication and conversation with others.
PreK Learning Guidelines:
English Language Arts/Language 4: Engage in play experiences that involve naming and sorting common words into various classifications using general and specific language.
EEC Infant and Toddler Guidelines:
PW50: The older toddler engages in a variety of physical activities.
Make Colorful Castanets
© Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care (Jennifer Waddell photographer). All rights reserved.
Skill Focus: Color Recognition, Creative Expression, Fine Motor Skills, Vocabulary
Educator Prep: Prepare materials in advance for children. Use a hammer and nail to punch two holes in each lid. Make finger handles by pushing a pipe cleaner up through the two holes. Leave a small loop for the child’s finger to fit through on the top. Twist the ends of the pipe cleaner to secure it on the bottom. Place a piece of masking tape over the ends to cover the pointy ends of the pipe cleaner.
Open to the picture of the castanets in the book Spicy Hot Colors by Sherry Shahan. Explain that castanets are an instrument often used to accompany Spanish dancers. Say, Castanets are usually made of shells or wood, but we are going to make them with different materials -- lids from jars.
Give each child two prepared castanets. Encourage each child to decorate their castanets using the art materials.
As you monitor children, help them to identify colors of the art materials they are selecting. (e.g., blue pom pom, green sticker, etc.)
Before children put the castanets on, have them mimic the movement by tapping their thumb and middle fingers together. Then help each child slide one castanet on his or her middle finger and the other on the thumb of the same hand. Demonstrate how the castanets are played by tapping the middle finger and thumb together. Play some Spanish dance music and let children dance and play (click) their castanets.
Adaptation: If you have very young children or children with small motor challenges, you can make the pipe cleaner loop large enough for them to fit their full hand through and have them clap their hands together.