Making music can be fun. For your youngest children, you'll find that they often make their own instruments out of pots and pans, lids, sticks and whatever you have handy. If you want to get a bit more sophisticated without buying pricey equipments, here are a few items to make at home that will get you started.
Bean Shakers
What You Need:
Soda Bottle (small, medium or large -- it's up to you)
Dried peas, beans or lentils
Superglue
Directions:
Clean out the bottle and allow to dry thoroughly.
Fill the bottle about 1/8 to 1/4 full with the peas, beans or lentils.
Place superglue around the threads of the bottle opening and quickly tighten the lid and allow the glue to dry before playing with the shaker.
Cork Drumsticks
What You Need:
2 pieces of cylindrical cork, about 1 1/2 inches long
2 wooden or bamboo chop sticks
Glue
Directions:
With a sharp pencil, start a hole in the center of one side of each cork.
Finish the hole with one of the chop sticks.
Fill the hole with a small amount of glue and insert the chop sticks, allowing to dry before use.
Comb Harmonica
What You Need:
A clean comb
Thin paper
Directions:
Wrap the paper around the teeth of the comb.
Place the comb against lips and hum to play.
Drum
What You Need:
Cylindrical oatmeal container or Pringles container
Rubberbands or duct tape
Fabric (faux or real leather, vinyl -- experiment with different types for different sounds)
Directions:
Remove the container lid and discard.
Cut the fabric large enough to fit over the container and overlap the edges by 1 1/2 inches.
Cover the container and secure the fabric tightly by using many rubberbands or the duct tape.
Kazoo
What You Need:
Waxed Paper
Paper towel tube
Rubberbands
Directions:
Cut the waxed paper to fit over one end of the paper towel tube.
Secure the paper with several rubberbands.
Poke a few holes in the waxed paper.
Hum into the unpapered end to make music.
When you think your budding musician is ready for other instruments, there are many rhythm instruments here that are very inexpensively priced.
