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Make Some New Year's Noise with Science Projects!

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By Amy Cowen on December 21, 2023 8:00 AM

Make Some Noise for New Year's with Science Activities - like the harmonica and kazoo shown

Turn Up the Volume with this Quartet of Noisemaker Science Activities!

Whether you are looking for last-minute ideas for the science classroom before winter break or suggesting fun DIY science ideas for students to explore at home, these hands-on science activities make learning about sound fun—and noisy!

With New Year's celebrations coming, these short science projects are a great way for students to explore the physics of sound and make something they can use, too!

Make Your Own Harmonica!: Make a harmonica from craft sticks, straws, and rubber bands and observe how vibration of the rubber bands creates sound waves.
Make a Kazoo: Make a simple kazoo from a cardboard tube and experiment with different materials for the covering at the end to see which produces the most vibration when the kazoo is played.
Build a Disk Siren: Make a disk siren using a plastic lid with holes punched around the rim and then experiment to see how different sound patterns are created based on how fast the disk is spinning.
Paper Squawker: Use paper to make a small instrument that "squawks" when you blow in it. Experiment to feel the vibrations related to the sound waves and explore ways to change the pitch of the sound by changing the design of the squawker.

Other Sound Science Explorations

If your students enjoy making noisemakers like harmonicas, kazoos, and squawkers, be sure to check these other sound science resources and activities from Science Buddies, too:

18 Lessons to Teach the Science of Sound
Make a Rubber Band Guitar (elementary school and middle school Lesson Plans available!)
Musical Bottles
Do-Re-Mi with Straws
Build a Paper Speaker
Make Sprinkles Vibrate with Sound (Lesson Plan available!)

Share Your Story!

If you or your students do any of these noisemaker STEM activities, let us know! We would love to hear about your experience and share your story with the Science Buddies community. Reach out to us at scibuddy@sciencebuddies.org and let us know about your science project or activity.