Fun at Home - Marvellous Molluscs - Clacking Castanets

Find out more about a marvellous mollusc, the pearl oyster, and make your own pair of clacking castanets!

Step1
Choose either the silver lipped pearl oyster from the Broome area or the black lipped pearl oyster from the Houtman Abrolhos Islands.

Step 2
Cut off the top finger band of each and set aside.

Step 3
Fold the page in two along the long blue dotted line. Glue together

Step 4
Cut around the shell and along the orange lines, leaving two white wedge shapes marked A and B. Do not cut the blue dashed lines.

Step 5
Look for the three lots of dashed blue lines. Fold along these.

Step6
Slide the A and B wedges under and stick with glue, sticky tape or staple together.

Step 7
Take the finger band and fold up along the dash blue lines.

Step 8
Line up the white dots on the finger band with the white dots on the shell and stick with a staple or sticky tape.

Step 9
Refold along dashed blue line – the hinge line – where the two shell halves meet.

Step 10
Roll the four pieces of blue tac into sausage shapes and press on to the top edge of each bottlecap.

Step 11
Line up the second cap on top of the first, close the shell and press on the second cap. Stick firmly using thumb and fingers.

Step 12
Slip your fingers through the finger band and test your clacking castanet!

Step 13
Post a picture or video of you using your castanets on the Museum of Geraldton’s Facebook page

This Fun at Home activity is presented by: