Feb 22, 20181 min read

Make Your Own Noisemaker (Grogger) & Control The Noise

Purim is a festive time of year, and while most children eagerly anticipate the dress up, parties, and carnivals, for children who are hypersensitive to sounds, sights, or crowds, Purim can be a challenging day.

When hearing the story of Purim read aloud, it is customary to make noise in order to drown out the name of Haman, the villain of the tale. This can be overwhelming and alarming to a child who is hyper-sensitive to loud or unexpected sounds, or has auditory defensiveness. The key to enabling your child to participate is advance planning! Help your child make his/her own noisemaker, or grogger, with noisy innards that he can tolerate, such as beans or metal nuts and bolts, to build some excitement for the occasion. Practice shaking it louder than everyone else so that he/she feels “hears” her noise some control over the level of noise.

Below is one simple, creative way to make your own noisemaker from Views From My Window, or check out this 2-minute YouTube for other ways to use household items to create unique groggers with your children.

Materials

Empty paper towel roll
Duct tape (we go a little crazy with duct tape)
Paint in assorted colors
Uncooked rice, beans, or pasta

Directions:

Tape one end of the empty paper towel roll, and fill it with about a cup of raw rice, beans, or pasta before taping the other end. Have your child paint the rest of the paper towel roll. He/she can either do the rainbow design as pictured above, or any other design. Let the paint dry completely.