The city of New Orleans, located in the southern portion of the United States in the state of Louisiana, is known for its music. Every year the city holds a Mardi Gras festival that centers around the city's roots in music. Parades, Cajun food, music and general celebration are the norm during Mardi Gras. Jazz and Rhythm and Blues are the most popular types of music in this city. It is nearly impossible to walk though New Orleans without hearing some sort of music. Perhaps for this reason, the children of New Orleans like to make Bottle Top Tap Shoes so that they can dance to the music!

Suggested Age for Child: Any child can wear Bottle Top Tap Shoes, but should get an adult's assistance when attaching them to shoes.

Materials Needed:
1. One pair of your old, favorite shoes that you'd most like to dance in!
2. Two large bottle tops, such as the kind you find on the tops of fruit drinks and orange juice bottles.
3. Small, short nails or tacks.
4. A hammer or tack hammer.

Directions:
1. Turn one shoe upside down so that you are looking at the sole.
2. Take one bottle cap, turn it so that the top (the side without the rim) touches the bottom of your shoe. Place the bottle cap toward the toe area of the shoe.
3. Take your short nail or tack and hammer it through the cap into your shoe. Make sure the nail is not so long that it goes through the shoe . . . you don't want to step on the nail!
4. Repeat this for the other shoe.

How to Play: Put on your new Bottle Top Tap Shoes and dance away to any music that you like hear! Have your friends make tap shoes as well so that you all can dance.