The drum show in Kandy is a thrilling experience for children. Enhance it with educational activities that show why and how drums go boom!
For every travel activity I highlight, I include children’s educational activities. I find this makes the travel experience more meaningful and memorable for the whole family.
Drums Go Boom!
Music Activity
Show your children some short clips of traditional Sri Lankan drummers. Here is a good drum show on YouTube. 
Then make your own “yak bera” drum. The traditional drum would have a cow’s stomach lining on either end of a wooden cylinder, but seeing as I don’t have a lot of cow stomachs handy at home, we’ll be using plastic containers.
What you’ll need:
- 2 containers with lids
- 1 roll of tape
- 1 piece of string
- Scissors & Knife
- Brown paper and marker
Step 1: Tape the containers together so that the openings are at either end.
Step 2: Using a knife or scissors place a small hole in each lid. Pull a string through and tie. I tied a bead onto each end to keep knot in place. Tie the string to both lids so they are attached.
Step 3. Screw lids back onto containers. Cover with brown paper. Make lines (as if ropes) along the paper or allow your child to color with markers.
Step 4. Place string around child’s neck. Adjust height. Let your child bang away!
Science Activity
Learn how sound is made. The Kids Activity Blog has a great lesson on drums and sound that is so much fun to do!
Cultural Activity
Wearing a sari. There is a real art to wearing a sari and fierce rivalry between various countries and even cities on the best way to wear a sari. The saris you’ll see women wearing in Kandy are gorgeous! And not just at the drum show – everywhere in Kandy, everyday for the working women they wear beautiful colorful silk saris. It is a splendid sight.
How to: Pull out a pashmina and attempt to tie it around the child like a sari. The traditional Ceylon style is with the final piece placed over one shoulder. Here is an instructional video to help.
Want more fun educational activities for
Sri Lanka? Try out:
