Jingle-Bell Ball

Make beautiful music with a jingle-bell ball!

Skill Level: Moderate

Time Needed: 1 hour a day for 2 days

Age(s): 5 to 9

Appropriate For: Christmas

Supplies Needed:

Project Rating:

DAY ONE:

1. Cover a flat surface with newspaper.
Mix about 1/4 cup of glue and a small amount of water in a medium-sized bowl. The mixture should be runny.
Tear the newspaper into small strips.
Blow up a round balloon.
Dip the strips of newspaper into the glue mixture. Cover the balloon with wet strips. Leave a 1" hole uncovered by newspaper so that you can drop in jingle bells later. Smooth out any bumps or bubbles in the newspaper with your fingers. Allow the balloon to dry overnight.

DAY TWO:

Pop the balloon! You will be left with a paper mache shell.
Drop in the jingle bells.
Create a new batch of the glue and water mixture. Dip newspaper strips into the glue mixture, and cover the hole. Let the newspaper dry completely.
Paint and decorate your ball however you'd like. Let the paint dry completely.
Shake and enjoy your jingle-bell ball!

Time-Saving Hints:

Place the blown-up balloon—tied end down—in a small bowl. The bowl will hold the balloon steady while you work.
After dipping each strip of newspaper into the glue mixture, run it between two of your fingers to remove the excess mixture.

Teaching Tips:

Introduce a simple pattern or rhythm to your students by shaking the jingle-bell ball. Ask students to repeat the pattern back to you. Have students create their own patterns and rhythms for other classmates to mimic.
Have students create simple song lyrics to the tune of Jingle Bells. For example, "I love dogs. I love dogs. I think they're really cute!" Ask students to sing their songs while shaking their jingle-bell balls.
Have students act out a simple story, such as The Three Little Pigs or The Little Red Hen. Students shoudl use their jingle-bell balls for sound effects during the story.