The pan flute is one of the easiest music crafts to assemble for your child. The pan flute creates various notes based on different lengths of straws when air is blown over the top of the openings. It’s rather sturdy too. Which means that it will keep its integrity for days to come while your child plays and creates music with it. 

The pan flute music craft is a part of a week of preschool music activities. From music crafts to music activities your child will explore notes and how music is made in your homeschool. Book suggestions and coloring pages enhance the learning experience all centered around music. Read more at the button below.

Enhance the learning before diving into music crafts.

Xavier Ox’s Xylophone Experiment by Barbara deRubertis and A Xylophone for X-Ray Fish by Liza Charlesworth are two books we enjoy bringing out for the week of Xx is for Xylophone. Since this craft explores the different sounds made with varying lengths of straws, reading about xylophones is an excellent choice. In addition to the two books you can follow the link to read a beautiful poem by Elizabeth Bishop, I am In Need of Music.

Why the pan flute is the best of music crafts.

Easy to make.

The pan flute is truly one of the best music crafts because it’s easy to make, educational, and sturdy. The materials are easy to find and the process of assembling one is easy for a 3-5 year old with a little guidance.

Educational

Pan flutes provide a couple ways for your child to learn. First, to learn how to use it. My youngest, 2 years old, tried it out. I watched him as he turned the pan flute over in his hands. He would examine it and then blow through the straws. Watch his brothers and then try again. It only took him a few tries to figure out that he needed to blow across the top holes, not through them. This is only an example of learning to use it. 

Second, with a bit of conversation I guided my boys to recognizing that the notes didn’t all sound the same. From the shorter straws ring higher notes, and from the longer straws come deeper notes. We then compared them to a xylophone. The shorter metal planks have high notes and the longer metal planks have deep notes. 

The deeper tones are produced because the larger masses vibrate at a slower rate than the smaller ones. These vibrations produce rich and deep tones. Versus a sharp, high tone with quick and fast vibrations that a shorter object allows.

Durability

My boys carry these everywhere with them for days. Sometimes they’re left on the floor and trampled or fought over. And yet they remain playable. They are truly one of the best music crafts we have made in our homeschool.

Create the best of the music crafts.

Materials needed.

The supplies are easy enough! 8 plastic straws, I prefer smoothie straws. These are wider and allow for more individualized notes when blowing across the top. Plus tape. Masking tape works well for this. I have colorful masking tape for purposes like this, I have purchased these exact ones a couple times!

Prepare and make the cuts.

Lay out the straws next to each other and, with a permanent marker, place a mark where each straw will be cut. The shortest straw should be about a quarter the size of the longest. 

You could make the cuts but the straws are relatively easy to cut through and your child is capable of doing it if they have had practice with scissors before. If not then check out this Watercolor and scissors jellyfish activity. Your child will be excited to learn how to use scissors with the proper technique.

Help your child cut each straw on the mark by holding both ends and facing the mark towards them. Clear away the extras. These can be used to make another pan flute. Now, assemble the other pieces in the correct order in front of you.

Assemble the straws together from longest to shortest.

Lay the tape down on the table with the sticky side up. Hand your child the longest straw and show them where to place it. There should be about a finger’s width between the top of the straw and edge of the tape. 

Hand your child the rest of the straws by length, from longest to shortest. Help your child place each straw touching the previous straw and so that the top is flush with the last straw. The only noticeable difference in size should be at the bottom.

Secure the straws in place with tape.

Once all are in place, wrap the tape around to secure the top. Lastly, take more tape and secure the longer straws at the bottom. The shortest straws won’t reach. 

Demonstrate how to use the pan flute.

Allow your child to use it and play with it. Give them space to figure out how to create music with it. Then step in and demonstrate if necessary. Show how to blow from the side and across the top of the straws. Play high and low notes. 

Once your child now has had the opportunity to create their own music you can teach them the difference in tones. Larger masses create deeper tones and smaller masses create higher tones. Don’t forget to bring out the xylophone to drive home this concept.

Of music crafts, pan flutes are easy to make, educational, and durable.

You’re all done! Besides being easy to make, educational, and durable I left out one more great reason this is the best of music crafts! You can let your child play with their new instrument to their heart’s content. Because, lucky for you, the sound isn’t loud enough to be obnoxious! And they have to pause for breath so they can’t just bang away making noise continuously.

The pan flute is a part of a week’s worth of lessons all centered around music and movement. There are more opportunities for your child to engage with the idea of slow and fast vibrations. Xx is for Xylophone includes music crafts, experiments, and activities await!

More music crafts for 3-5 year old’s.

Xx is for Xylophone is a part of a 26 week curriculum. It’s Letter of the Week reimagined for all that home learning has to offer. Free printables, activity ideas, book suggestions, and more are all included in themed weekly lessons. This play based learning curriculum not only teaches your child the alphabet but will also challenge and encourage them at the beginning of their learning journey.

Music Crafts: The Pan Flute

Activity Instructions