When you're out in nature, there is always something for children to discover – and with a few small ideas, even a long trail turns into an adventure. Gabrielle from @kindwaldundwiese brought us a wonderful project: Using a found stick and a simple blade of grass, we whittle a natural whistle that creates surprisingly loud sounds – almost like the whistle of a marmot. Whether used as a secret language between siblings, for answering bird calls, or to test if a marmot might actually come out to listen: The whistle brings a playful touch to any time spent outdoors.
Gabrielle will be building this marmot whistle together with a few families during a workshop at our Discovery Days at the end of August. But since the spots for our mountain camp filled up right away, we came up with something special: The namuk Outdoor Challenge - Discovery Days Edition. Our goal is to spend as much time under the open sky as possible together that weekend.
For everyone who cannot join us at the Discovery Days, Gabrielle’s craft idea is the perfect inspiration. This way, you can easily realize the project wherever you are. You can test the whistle in the woods around the corner, on a hike, or during an outing in your area. So, in a way, we're all spending the weekend outside together.
What you need
The lovely thing about this project is that the whistle is made almost entirely from simple materials found in nature. You don't need special tools, and the "hammer" can be picked up right off the forest floor.
- A piece of round wood (we recommend linden wood as it is nicely soft), about 30 cm long and 2 cm thick
- A long, sturdy blade of grass (alternatively reed or bamboo)
- 2 rubber bands
- A child-friendly whittling knife
- A small hand drill
- A pencil
- Optional: a small ring to attach it to a backpack
- Optional: acrylic markers for decorating
It is best to use branches that are already lying on the forest floor, and avoid breaking branches off living trees.
Step by step: How to make your whistle
Preparing the wood: Find a suitable branch. Using the whittling knife, carefully strip the bark over a length of about 10 cm.
Sawing: Saw off a piece of about 7 cm from the barked area.
Splitting: Place the piece of wood on a firm surface. Position the whittling knife in the middle of the wood and carefully drive it into the wood using a larger stick as a "hammer". This creates two halves that are as equal in size as possible.
Marking: Place the two halves side by side and mark an area of about 2 cm in the middle on the inner side using the pencil.
Notching: Carefully make small cuts at both ends of the mark with the knife. This creates boundaries so you don't accidentally whittle beyond the intended area.
Whittling the hollow: Now, whittle a very shallow groove of about 1 mm depth within the marked area. This works best if you rotate the piece of wood again and again, slowly working your way to the right depth.
Drilling a hole: Drill a hole through both pieces of wood at one end. This is where the small ring will go later, allowing you to attach the whistle to a backpack.
Assembling: Look for a long, sturdy blade of grass. Place it between the two pieces of wood and stretch it slightly. Then, secure the two halves on the left and right with a rubber band each.
Testing: Now comes the most exciting part! Blow into it and test it out. Sometimes it takes a little patience before the whistle makes a proper sound. Even small changes to the position and tension of the blade of grass can change the tone.
Decorating: Finally, you can add your own personal touch to the whistle. We used acrylic markers. The ends of the wood can also be rounded off slightly if you like.
Tips & tricks for crafting
To make sure crafting stays relaxed and the whistle sounds great in the end, a few simple tricks help. When whittling the groove, less is definitely more. Take your time and remove only tiny bits of wood step by step, you can always whittle a bit more later. It's also worth experimenting with the blade of grass: Try different blades and adjust their tension or position until the sound is just right.
What we love about this project is that every family member can help out. Younger children enjoy searching for the right wood, helping to mark the spot, assisting during assembly, and proudly painting their finished work. Older children from around 8 years old can usually handle the whittling knife on their own and figure out how to get the wood to make a sound. For the trickier steps – like splitting the wood or carefully shaping the groove – adults can easily lend a hand. And most importantly when working with a knife: Create a calm atmosphere, stay close to guide the children, and make sure everyone keeps enough distance from one another.
Why we love this project
What Gabrielle likes most about the marmot whistle? "It connects craft, nature, and play in a very simple way." It's all about trying things out and figuring it out together: What do I need to change for the whistle to make a sound? Does the groove need to be deeper? Is the blade of grass stretched enough?
"I love seeing children experience firsthand that something works through their own trial and error," says Gabrielle. "And if it doesn't work right away, that's not a problem at all – it's just part of learning."
For everyday family life, it's a wonderful opportunity to do something together without needing lots of materials or preparation. A knife, a piece of wood, a blade of grass, and a bit of time are all it takes. And best of all: The whistle isn't just a craft project, but a real little instrument dangling from your backpack to accompany you outside. Who can make the highest sound? Who the lowest? With a bit of practice, any hike can turn into a little forest concert – and maybe even call out a marmot or two.
