How to Make Homemade Musical Instruments with the Kids

Children enjoy making musical instruments from collecting the materials to performing in a homemade band. Go 'green' with recycled materials for your projects. Most of the musical instruments found in a child's rhythm band closely resemble those that are believed to be the first ones developed and used by humans. Sticks and stones were one of the first discovered. Sticks were clicked together to create only rhythms, but later sticks of different lengths and types of wood were found to have different pitches when struck. Today, rhythm sticks are used in school music classes to teach patterns.

The term idiophones (self sounders) are musical instruments that are made from materials that have their own unique sounds. Just think how instruments created from glass, metal, ceramics, or wood can create different vibrations. These instruments are hit (like chimes, woodblocks), shaken (like rattles, maracas), or moved (like bells, clappers). These idiophones are mostly found in the percussion section of the orchestra.

The homemade instruments below fall into the category of idiophones and with a few recycled materials, children can make creative rhythm instruments to experiment with sounds and contribute to a classroom rhythm band. The best part of these homemade instruments is that when playtime is over or the child tires of the project, most materials can go back into the recycle bin for a greener Earth.

Coconut Clappers

Those who live in the tropics can pick up a coconut, if not this fruit can be found in markets.

• -An adult needs to cut the coconut in half, drain the milk and take out the meat.
• -Help the children sand the outside of the coconut shell until all surfaces becomes somewhat smooth.
• -Children can paint the coconut shell with poster paint and decorate the outside as they wish.

To play this primal instrument, children need to hold a half in each hand. Tap the cut edges together to create unique, hollow-wood sounds. Challenge the kids to guess which animal makes a sound like a coconut clapper. The correct answer is horse and have the children use these clappers to make sounds like a horse is walking and a faster pace like galloping.

Bongos

Simple bongo drums can be made from empty gallon or half-gallon plastic containers, such as bleach containers.

• -To prepare the containers, cut the tops off and make sure both bottles have been cut to the same size.
• -Tape the cut edges with a heavy duct or vinyl tape to protect the fingers.
• -Have an adult staple two containers together side by side for each child.
• -The kids can decorate the plastic bongos with adhesive stickers and/or permanent colored markers.

To play these drums, turn the containers upside down and children can tap the bottoms with their hands. To be authentic, sit on the floor and place the bongos between the knees.

Jug Shaker

This is the perfect instrument for younger children as plastic jug containers with handles make it easy for little hands to handle this instrument.

• -Help the kids fill the jug half full with jingle bells and beads.
• -To make a more natural jug shaker, find nature finds outdoors like stones and acorns to place inside.
• -Place a bead of glue along the inside edge of the lid and screw this lid on tight. For extra safety, wrap heavy-duty tape around the lid to reinforce if for safety reasons.
• -Children can decorate the jug as they wish with art materials.

To play this instrument, have the kids hold the jug by its handle and shake. Try up and down movements and then vary with side to side movements for different sounds.

Water Bells

Help the kids line up five clear water glasses (the same size) in a row. Place a numbered card (1-5) in front of each glass. Pour water into each glass as follows. Use a ruler to help. Tap each glass lightly with a metal spoon. Ask the kids to name the numbered glass with the highest pitch and then the glass with the lowest pitch.

• 1-inch in glass 1
• 2-inches in glass 2
• 3-inches in glass 3
• 4-inches in glass 4
• 5-inches in glass 5

Invite the children to use the numbered water bells to play the following simple tunes:

"Three Blind Mice"

3-2-1

3-2-1

5-4-4-3

5-4-4-3

"Mary Had a Little Lamb"

3-2-1-2-3-3-3

2-2-2

3-5-5

3-2-1-2-3-3-3

3-2-2-3-2-1

Making homemade instruments offers kids a creative, hands-on experience with materials and encourages their pride of ownership. Playing these instruments is not only fun but truly educational as well.

Sources:

A Song is a Rainbow by Patty Zeitlin [Scott, Foresman & Company, 1982]

Shake, Tap, and Play a Merry Tune by Tania K. Cowling [Fearon Teacher Aids, 1992]