Music is a great way to explore world cultures as a family. People all over the world make music, sing, and dance. Many will fasten things like bells, shells, or even goat nails to their ankles and wrists to create sound as they dance.
Family Activity:
Teaching Time: 15 minutes
In India, classical Indian dancers wear ghungroos, a series of small bells attached to a strip of leather or cloth that is then tied around the dancer’s ankle. Ghungroos help accentuate the movements of the dancer. The more advanced and skilled the dancer, the more bells they will have on their ghungroos.
Option 1: felt strips with jingle bells
Materials: 2 strips of felt 3.5 x 12 inches long, jingle bells, hot glue, velcro, scissors
Cut a piece of felt into a strip approximately 3.5 x 12 inches long. Attach a piece of velcro to one end of the felt. Wrap the felt strip around your child’s ankle to measure where you need to place the other piece of velcro. Make sure the velcro pieces are fastened on opposite faces of the felt. Lay the piece of felt flat. Hot glue the bells in rows along the felt. Let dry.
Option 2: yarn with jingle bells braided in
Materials: yarn, jingle bells, scissors
Cut three strands of yarn approximately 12 inches long. Tie the three strands together by making a knot about 3 inches from one of the ends. Braid the strands together a few times. Stop and add a bell onto one piece of yarn. Continue to braid. Add another bell into the braid. Continue this process until you have about four inches of yarn left on the end. Tie the ends in a knot. Fasten your ghungroo around your ankle and make some music!
Discuss:
- Read Psalm 149:3. What does the Bible say about dancing and instruments?
- Dancing is just one way to worship Jesus. What is your favorite way to worship?
Pray:
Pray that people in these cultures will praise and worship Jesus with song and dance.
