How to Make a Foghorn

A couple of years ago we went to a free craft event at our local art center where a local artist taught the kids how to make a foghorn from a cardboard tube, a rubber glove and a straw. It was an instant hit with the kids! 3Po, Jammy and The Pea loved the low, moaning foghorn sound it makes when you blow into it. The only problem was that the cardboard tube kept bending and crumpling from being repeatedly doused by overenthusiastic kids' spit. To solve the problem, we replaced the cardboard tube with a plastic tube, and the rest is history.

3Po and Jammy each made one and brought it to school for their homemade orchestra, and from my totally unbiased viewpoint, it was the coolest instrument in the classroom. Seriously: there were guitars made from cereal boxes and rubber bands, pot-and-pan drums, maracas made from pebble-filled bottles..... and a foghorn that sounds like this:




Total winner. Not that it's a competition or anything. Just sayin'.

Whether you're a type-A mom who wants her kid to shine at everything, even a silly little first-grade homemade instrument orchestra, or you're just looking for a fun craft your kids will enjoy, this foghorn is awesome. Here's a video of 3Po and Jammy showing you how easy it is to make your own foghorn:




If you prefer written instructions and photos, I've posted a how-to on the Yahoo! Motherboard. Enjoy!