How to Make Homemade Musical Instruments for Children
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Children can cover a container with paper to design their own drum.Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
Make a drum. A drum can be made out of any empty large recyclable container, but a large coffee can or oatmeal container is ideal for this project. Help children cover the container with construction paper and decorate it with crayons. Provide new, unsharpened pencils for drum sticks and children will figure out the rest. - 2
Differently-sized rubber bands can make guitar strings.Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images
Create a guitar. Remove the top of a shoebox and attach a stick or ruler to one end to make the arm of the guitar. Wrap five large rubber bands of different widths across the shoe box. Children can pluck the bands or strum them just like a real guitar. - 3
Tie bells on a paper plate to make a tambourine.Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
Put together a tambourine or maraca. Staple two paper plates together so their tops face each other. In "9 Easy to Make Musical Instruments for Kids," Kinder Art suggests using a hole punch to place holes around the outside of the plates. Then use string to tie jingle bells on the holes to make a tambourine. For a maraca sound, fill the plates with dry beans before stapling them together. - 4
Tap glass jars with water to make a water xylophone.Thomas Northcut/Photodisc/Getty Images
Provide materials for a water xylophone. Gather 6 to 8 glasses or jars. According to PBS Kids in "Glass Xylophone," children should fill each container with different amounts of water. Children can tap each one with a spoon to figure out the different tones created, and can experiment with them to make their own song. - 5
Turn a child's favorite tree into a musical instrument.Jupiterimages/BananaStock/Getty Images
Create an outdoor musical tree. Make a tree into an enormous wind chime by tying items to its branches. In "Magical Music Tree," Family Fun suggests using heavy-duty fishing line to tie different lengths of copper pipe or other metal items such as old pie plates to a tree. Give children wooden spoons to gently hit the items and create different sounds.
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