Build a Bell Tower
Time: 45 minutes
Recommended Age: 11 years old and up
Materials:

Popsicle sticks, craft glue, scissors, jingle bell, string

Summon your inner engineer to construct a freestanding bell tower using popsicle sticks. How high can you go? Challenge your friends and family to see who can create the tallest, the strongest, or the most beautiful bell tower. The sky's the limit!

Color a Bell
Time: Varies
Recommended Age: All ages
Materials:

Coloring sheet printout, colored pencils, crayons, markers

Set aside some time for creative expression and peaceful meditation with a coloring sheet designed by National Bell Festival artist-in-residence, Cris Clapp Logan. Each original black ink illustration is ready for you to unleash your colorful imagination.

Go on a Bell Scavenger Hunt
Time: Varies
Recommended Age: All ages
Materials:

Scavenger hunt printout, pencil

Bells can be found in cities and towns across America. They can be hidden from sight way up in lofty bell towers, or they can be prominently featured in parks and gardens. Do you know where the nearest bell is to you? Explore your neighborhood and discover the bells that hang around.

Create a Bell
Time: 30 minutes
Recommended Age: All ages
Materials:

Paper cup, ribbon, pipe cleaners, wood beads, decorations

Turn your craft table into a bell foundry! Make a bell out of a paper cup, empty tin can, or small terra cotta pot. Get creative as you decorate your bell, experiment with different sizes and materials, and use your new instrument to ring in the New Year with the National Bell Festival.

Learn about the Different Parts of a Bell
Time: 5 minutes
Recommended Age: All ages
Materials:

Digital worksheet

Tower bells differ greatly in size, weight, and ornamentation. Even their uses and configurations may vary, from change ringing and carillons to single bells that toll the hour. But all of them, generally, are composed of the same parts. Can you identify them?
 

Read "The Bells" by Edgar Allan Poe
Time: 5-15 minutes
Recommended Age: 13 years old and up
Materials:

Digital reprint of the poem

What does the sound of a bell mean to you? How does it make you feel? In "The Bells," Edgar Allan Poe relies on a rhetorical device known as a diacope (the repetition of a word or phrase) to pull the reader into ever-darker emotions and feelings about bells.

Make a Bell Necklace
Time: 5-15 minutes
Recommended Age: 3-5 years old
Materials:

Bell, craft cord, pony beads

This New Year’s Day, enjoy the tinkling sounds of wearable bell art! Perfect for all children, but especially the youngsters, these bell necklaces will help children practice their fine motor skills, counting, math, and music – all while ringing in the New Year.

Play Bell Tower Bingo
Time: Varies
Recommended Age: All ages
Materials:

Bell Tower Bingo printout, pencil

Have some fun (and a little competition!) while learning about bells and bell towers. In this game of bingo, select one square on the grid and complete the challenge printed inside. If you complete three activities in a row, column, or diagonal, you win!