Lolly Stick Xylophone

This fun project will be music to your ears – quite literally! If you’re teaching children about different musical instruments or want to help them construct 3-D models using simple craft materials, give this one a go! Stacking lolly sticks and a sneaky metallic bell all come together in an easy yet satisfying make that will provide them with hours of entertainment.

Skill Level

Intermediate

Time to Make

1 hour

Adult Supervision

Yes

Lolly Stick Xylophone

Top Tip

You can decorate further with glitter glue or stickers around the edge of the stacks.

How to Make

  1. Take eight orange lolly sticks and arrange them in two piles of four, stacked up together so the ends are lined up. Glue each stack of four together using either a glue dot on each end the top three sticks or a blob of glue from the glue gun.
  2. Arrange your two stacks of sticks so they are roughly 9cm apart, then position 11 coloured lolly sticks horizontally over the top, so they rest on the two stacks, as shown. Place them in the following order: red, purple, green, blue, yellow. Don't stick them in place until you're happy with the arrangement.
  3. When you're ready to stick them down, add a blob of glue to the underside of each stick, at either end and press it down so each end is secured to one of the orange stacks. Repeat until all the sticks are stuck down, as shown.
  4. While the glue dries, take a mini metallic bell and another lolly stick and glue the bell to one end, hanging loop upwards so the widest part of the bell faces downwards. Leave to dry.
  5. You now have your mock xylophone, and if you hit the 'keys' with your bell, it will make a noise!

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