It cost all of $5.06, including shipping, at Amazon. (The last I looked the price has gone up slightly.)
Why would I buy a kids’ harmonica? Because I read a recent Wall Street Journal article, Why a Hospital Has a Harmonica Band:
The harmonica is among the few instruments where breath is both inhaled and exhaled. Medical experts say playing it mimics the breathing exercises used in pulmonary rehab. It exercises the diaphragm, reduces anxiety and could help with shortness of breath and clearing phlegm from the lungs.
Apparently harmonica classes have started at hospitals and clinics around the country. I don’t have a pulmonary disease, but I remember when I was in the hospital years ago with what they said was pneumonia. They had me exercise my lungs with a gadget like this:
Incentive Spirometer, Wikipedia
Creative Commons license
A harmonica is a lot more fun — I’m having a grand time playing easy songs from harmonica4kids.com — and it’s good exercise.
Do you have any new toys? What do you do for fun?
I solve crossword puzzles and read for fun. I used to play the harmonica during my younger days and was quite good at it. May be I should start again. Thanks for the remindier.
I think it would be great if you started again. 🙂
I saw the photo of the harmonica and thought – now why would anyone want that?
Then I read your post and I might just be ordering one! LOL!
I wonder how my dogs will react to it?
LOL!
I’ll bet they love it. 🙂
OMGOSH!
I forgot. I used to have a wonderful harmonica.
I bought it for about that same amount at ‘the cracker barrel.’
I’m had so much fun with it! I think I gave it to Jacob.
I’ll have to get myself another one now.
thanks for the reminder. 🙂
AND thanks for the link. xoxo
Let me know if you do get one. 🙂
I’ve got one – stored- from my past – possibly Mother bought it for the same reason as yours, because according to a sibling, when I was a child I had many doses of pneumonia… but I could never play it! – okay I could make noises but not anything tuneful (maybe it doesn’t matter)…
interesting exercise…
I’m not sure I have any “new toys” right now though…but having looked Rummusers’ recent blog (well not new post) about movie stars making me thinking of getting out to more movies…so maybe that could be classed as “new toy” doing something regular/different.
That’s neat that you have one. It turns out there are all sorts of helpful lessons on the web. I’m impressed by that.
I keep wanting to buy a new set of Lego bricks. We used to have a huge collection of them and our daughter and I would build towns that covered half a ping pong table. I miss that creative outlet.
sounds like a neat idea – I never had lego when I was child…but whether I would now… you idea of having something from the past as a toy/hobby sounds good.
I do have a lot of wood sticks that I use for some of my outdoor art projects and actually like using them in unusual ways. I just made in the last few months a “destroyable nest” with my sticks.
https://cedar51.wordpress.com/2016/10/21/labour-weekend/
Please do, Linda! It’s healthy.
Oh my goodness I’m not sure the neighbours would like it if that was my new toy :). Larry Adler I wouldn’t be lol
Actually the more you think about it the more sense it makes. Breathing in and out at regular intervals would certainly help the lungs. My doctor recommended walking to help my asthma but this would be good for ‘oh look at the weather’ days.
Oh and I came to you via Diane’s blog. (Still the Lucky Few)
Cathy
I like it because we live in an apartment and it’s more quiet than a piano. Thank you for coming by. 🙂
Those sound like some very good reasons for getting a harmonica – especially the reducing of anxiety! I must acquire one. Just as long as Jenny doesn’t get sick of a constantly wailing harmonica….
Hmm. That could be a problem. Andy is gone most of the day, so I have the apartment to myself for hours. Anyway, I do it in small bits so I don’t it would bother him. In fact he has a good ear for music and is helping me figure out the tunes.