Submitted by Connie Herbon, Iowa
Idea posted November 9, 2004
My students enjoy looking at the basket of assorted gourds I keep on the shelf by the door of the music room. I've given up trying to get them to keep their hands off, and they comment daily about the beautiful shapes and sizes. I'm always on the lookout for another gimmick to get the little ones exploring with their voices. My attention was drawn to an especially curvy gourd in the grocery store this morning. I found my finger tracing the long, rounded neck and thinking how I could follow it with my voice.
The best gourds to use are any variety that is smallish and easy to hold but have long, skinny, tightly curved necks. They come in beautiful colors and sometimes have "angel wing" type growths around the body. The one I bought this morning can be easily held in the hand of a four or five year old, with the pointer of the other hand tracing the neck up, around, and down as they make their voice do the same thing. At 29 cents, the price was certainly right!