A duck craft that quacks

Another thing we did this weekend was go to story time at Auntie's bookstore, which is Spokane's version of Powells or whatever fabulous local bookstore exists in your town. The children's books manager (how great is that job?) read the girls some books about ducks then made the craft below with them.

It's a duck, by the way. Sure it just looks like a cup from a kegger with googly eyes attached. But this duck cup has a secret trick. It quacks.

Here are the instructions:

Poke a small hole in the bottom of a plastic cup. Pull a piece of string, about 18 inches long, through the hole a bit so that the long end runs through the inside of the cup and the short end (maybe a half inch) pokes through the bottom.

Secure that short end to the bottom of the cup using glue from a hot glue gun. Be careful with that step if you're working with kiddos. Let the glue dry. The string has to be attached firmly to the cup because you'll be tugging on it.

Tie a small piece of sponge to the end of the string's long end.

Decorate the cup with googly eyes, feathers and a beak.

Once the duck is decorated, dampen the sponge slightly (don't soak it). To make the duck quack, run the sponge over the string, squeezing it not too firmly but not too gently. Just right, like Goldilocks would do. (See the demonstration below by Nissa.)

There you have it--a quacking duck craft that grows with your child (for use later in college).

I don't see any reason why the quacking string trick can't be applied to a more aesthetically pleasing duck. Maybe even a papier mache duck or a softie? Any other ideas?

Now, get quackin'!