The Orgelkids Do-organ is a kit in a box. The Do-organ is suitable for children of primary school age (especially 7 to 12 years old) to discover how an organ works by building one.
Orgelkids NL owns two of these unique organs, especially designed for children to repeatedly assemble and disassemble. Children are empowered to discover how the organ is constructed and how it works by building it. The design is almost self-teaching with the help of illustrated instruction sheets. Organbuilder Wim Janssen designed it, carefully considering how it would be most appealing and educational to children. They must be challenged to discover and to ask technical questions about the construction. And, of course, when the organ is built, they must be able to play music on it. Orgelkids organ has it all. That’s why we call it a ‘Do’-organ (from the verb ‘to do’) rather than a demonstration organ.
What's in the box?
The Orgelkids organ is a mechanical, two rank pipe organ in a box. In the box you find all the parts to build a real organ. Children can build this organ (with a little help of an organ builder or organist). Different tasks can be done in groups simultaneously: constructing the frame, sorting pipes, sorting keys. Then all the parts come together in the frame: the windchest, the bellows, keys and pipes. Then … play!
The box contains:
- all 128 parts to build the Orgelkids organ
- teachers manual lesbrief voor de docent
- quick start for proper use
- instruction sheets
- book with sheet music composed for the Orgelkids organ
For a good preparation, all materials can of course also be consulted on this website.
Transport
Locations
Our Orgelkids organ is packed in a box with wheels (80x40x40 cm). It’s easy to transport in a normal car. The organ is rented out to organists to take to schools.
Orgelkids organs can be picked up and returned to:
- Leusden (for the Netherlands)
- Antwerp (for Belgium)
Organists and organ teachers who search for Do-organs outside the Netherlands or Belgium are referred to our map Orgelkids worldwide.
Conditions
Organist needed
The Orgelkids organ is loaned out to schools and groups for educational projects, outreach and organ promotion.
The fee for renting the organ is € 45,- per lesson. A security deposit of € 100,- will be refunded if the box and organ kit components are returned in good and complete condition.
Read the complete conditions (sorry, only in Dutch now huurvoorwaarden.)
If a school or teacher wants to work with the Orgelkids project, a combination has to be made with an organist who can explain the children and guide them in working with the organ kit.
Orgelkids can sometimes mediate in finding a suitable organist as a guest teacher. In that case, also take into account an agreed fee for the organist.
Two Do-organs of Orgelkids NL
Orgelkids NL owns two Do-organs to be loaned out. Orgelkids I and Orgelkids II are only different in tuning. They are both equally suitable for building and researching the functioning of the organ.
Orgelkids-II was built by Verschueren Orgelbouw in 2017 and tuned to a’ = 440 Hz. This instrument can be used in ensemble playing with other instruments.
Orgelkids-I was made by the designer himself, Wim Janssen, in 2013. This Do-organ is not tuned to a’ = 440 Hz, and is therefore less suitable for use together with other instruments.
If you want to get started with the Do-organ, we have instruction cards, a lesson plan, sheet music and much more ready for you.
