I’m going to be visiting with a large of number of children as the holiday season starts and they’re usually quite interested in anything that makes noise, I thought it might be nice to corrupt a few with tinwhistle.
What whistle would you recommend for younger (8-12) kids as far as forgiving of breath control and ease of fingering?
Walton’s brass D is good, as is the Mello D.
Acorn is good and doesn’t require the thorny breath control of the Oak.
And…dare I say it…Sweetone would be ideal, methinks.
Best to ya, and congrats on a neat idea,
–James
http://www.flutesite.com
I happen to be an expert in this area (I have 13 kids!). 
Buy a box of Megs from the whistle shop. Seven of the ten will be quite good.
I find that kids really like the Clares because they are pretty. I’ve bought 3 Clare’s and haven’t gotten a stinker yet.
Kids also like the acorns but the plastic makes their tongues and lips tingle which they don’t like.
I think Clarke originals take more air than some little lungs can comfortably deliver.
My kids play the following:
Jenni 15…Sneaks in and steals my expensive whistles…prefers Busman and Copeland.
Luci 14…Dixon
Jozef 14…PVC flute we made
Maggie 9…Acorn blue..bothers her lips
Merri 9…Clare one piece
Claire 8…Clarke original balck w/ diamonds
Hiram 8…Clarke original Silver colored
Lara 6…Looses Megs
Evan 6…Clare one piece
John-Cai…5 Likes to blow my generation F (ouch!) Fortuneately he’s always satisfied with just one toot.
Stanlendy 4 non-whistler
Katherine 2 always wants two toots of whatever whistle I’m playing.
Kara 11 months…likes to suck on any whistle that gets left lying around. Prefers to listen to a Reyburn Low-D.
Cheers,
Doc
As much as I dislike them, I think the Sweetone (or possibly the Meg) may be the best way to start. Those who show promise could advance to a better-sounding (although slightly less forgiving) instrument, such as the Acorn.
Sweetones were specifically designed
for children, and Michael Copeland
designed the mouthpiece. Some
don’t like them, but many do.
Hard to go wrong.
I’d recommend the Generation Eb - a smaller whistle for smaller fingers (maybe even the soprano G).
Although I don’t like them for myself, I find that Sweetones are perfect giver-outers for kids and I often do that around the holidays.
My daughter (14 next month)has gone on to clarinet and my step-son (32) has abandoned music for the time being.
Hey Doc, 13? God bless.
Philo
On 2002-11-08 23:21, Doc Jones wrote:
I happen to be an expert in this area (I have 13 kids!). >
Please tell me you’ve been married more than once and/or adopted a few of them…
otherwise, your poor wife 
doc jones, have you really got 13 kids???
Yup, there are really 13.
They are the best, nicest, smartest kids in the world.
However, I can only take biological credit for four of them. The other nine are adopted…four domestically as infants and five older kids from Haiti.
They are a wonderful blessing. 
I’d post a picture of the little bugs but have no idea how to do it.
Doc
Doc, bless your heart… your home must be filled with lots of love and laughter!
As to whistles for young’uns, my daughter (8-1/2) loves the Celtic Sweetone that came from a multiple whistle purchase here on the board; my son (7) enjoys the Walton’s brass D I got from the same deal. That wonderful seller out there who knows who he is-- you made two kids most happy!
All the best,
Andrea ~*~
Um, and don’t forget some cheepie slide whistles for the little, littel kids! The plastic kind from Oriental Trading Company! They don’t last long and a dozen is $4.95
oriental trading company rocks. they’ve got the most crazy random stuff…
I had good success teaching 3 children with Acorns.
Erik
QUIET ONES!
Actually I gave my two grandaughters a Meg each. They promptly treated the neighbors to a loud impromptu concert by running around blowing them as loudly as possible for ten minutes, then used them as drum sticks on the doors, arms of chairs etc, followed by the youngest chewing the fipple - new twist on whistle teething problems I guess!.
Both whistles and children unharmed by the experience - not so sure about parents eardrums though.
Revenge is so sweet!
No whistles were harmed in the transmission of this communication.
[ This Message was edited by: Easily_Deluded_Fool on 2002-11-09 17:31 ]