Today’s Wonder of the Day was inspired by Aidan from west bend, WI. Aidan Wonders, “how do you whistle” Thanks for WONDERing with us, Aidan!
Have you ever been wrapped up in an intense game of kickball or tag on the playground? You're having so much fun that you don't even notice that it's time to head back to class. You don't even hear the teacher telling you it's time to go.
So what gets your attention? It's that shrill, loud sound that cuts right through to the center of your brain. What are we talking about? A whistle, of course!
From the beginning of time, teachers and principals have used a loud whistle to get the attention of kids on the playground. There's just something about the sound of a loud whistle that will stop you in your tracks!
Can you whistle? A whistle is simply a high-pitched sound made by forcing air through a small opening. For example, most people whistle by forcing air through a small hole they form by puckering their lips into an “O" shape.
Now, if you pucker your lips and blow air through them, you probably won't hear a whistle. There's a little more to whistling you need to know about. You'll need to get your tongue involved, too. And your lungs. Your tongue and your lungs help to regulate the speed of the air flow and the exact direction it takes as it passes by your lips.
If you've never whistled before, it might seem a little too complicated. Trust us, though. Everyone can learn to whistle. It just takes time and a lot of practice! Learning to whistle takes a lot of trial and error, so don't give up.
If you're having trouble whistling by blowing air out of your lips, you might want to try sucking air in instead. The direction the air flows doesn't really matter and sometimes it can be easier to learn to whistle by sucking air in rather than blowing it out.
Once you get the hang of whistling by blowing air out through your lips, you can challenge yourself to learn how to whistle with your fingers in your mouth. You may have seen some people do this on occasion. This technique can produce an extremely loud and shrill whistle that will get everyone's attention! You can check online for videos that show you how to go about learning this special whistling technique.