Ant Hill Fence Attachment, Spring Playground - UW-Milwaukee: Children's Learning Center

 

The Music Wall was requested by the Spring Wing staff of the CLC to enable newborns and infants to experience the phenomena of creating sound and haphazard music via percussion in a somewhat instrumental fashion.

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Various household items were collected and modified to be installed on the wall and then laid out to be within easy reach of children.  These items varied greatly—a few of the more notable items included a fish-shaped cake tin and a hanging kettle, measuring cups and even an ice cube tray.

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In order to prevent the Music Wall from being subjected to the harsh winter storms common to South-East Wisconsin, the wall was designed to be easily removed and brought indoors without the use of, or need for, special fasteners.  Two offset legs were created to slide through the open slots of the existing fencing and grip the other side.  In addition to this, a series of slots on the rear upper portion of the wall enabled the tops of the pickets to engage with the top of the wall and prevent it from moving.  To remove the wall one must only lift up on it to safely disengage it with the fencing.  The Music Wall is light enough for a grown adult to remove it, but heavy enough that early age children cannot dislodge it. 

 

The project took approximately 6-7 weeks to complete and was finally installed for the first time in Autumn of 2015.