Whistling with a Blade of Grass

by Lauri Griffin | More from this Blogger

19 Jun 2008 08:31 AM

This activity comes with a warning. Teaching the kids how to whistle through a piece of grass is a fun thing to do, and it will thrill them. But a little of this whistling goes a long way. The sound gets annoying pretty quick.

The first thing you need to do is to find a blade of grass. The blade should be flat, not round, and several inches in length. Wider grass makes a lower sound, thinner grass makes a higher pitched sound and is a little harder to work with. Pick blades that aren't torn and that don't have any holes in them.

Getting the grass into position is the hardest part of this activity for children to master. What you want to end up with is your hands flat together as if in prayer, with your thumbs facing your face. See the small hole between the base of your thumb and the knuckle? That's where you want the grass to be. The easiest method for me is to press one end of the grass flat between the base of my thumbs and close my thumbs over it. The grass should be taunt between your thumbs. Sometimes, raising your thumbs up a little makes it the grass a little tighter between your knuckles. Don't stretch the grass too hard though, or it will tear.

It is a little tricky, but not really hard. Just play around a little and you will find your own methods for positioning your hands and the blade of grass.

Now bring your hands to your face. Put your lips against your hands, with your upper lip on your knuckle and blow gently. Your air will travel across that vertical blade. It should make a funny whistle sound, almost like a duck call. If it doesn't work right off, keep trying. You may need to adjust your hands a little, or pull the grass a bit tighter, or try a different piece of grass.

Why does it work? The air makes the blade of grass vibrate, which makes the air around it vibration. Those vibrations travel through the air to your ears where you hear them as sound.

Do be careful with young children and blades of grass, some are very sharp and cut their tender little hands and lips. This is a better activity for older children. And if you are annoyed by the sound, don't say I didn't warn you.

For More Outside Games See:

Sidewalk Chalk Games

Five Cool Ways to Beat the Heat!

Blasting Water Guns

Learn more about Lauri Griffin

Lauri lives in Colorado with her husband and three sons. Amidst all the laundry and packing of lunches, she tries to keep parenting fun.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger