Instruments:

To Buy:

DIY Ideas:

Shakers

Shaky eggs or maracas

• Collect plastic or cardboard containers of varying sizes (e.g., sippy cups, coffee canisters, small tupperware, etc.
• Fill them with uncooked/dry rice, beans, small pasta, beads, or whatever your imagination (and cupboard!) can come up with…
• Decorate!
• Don’t forget to tape or glue your shakers shut...
• Or... opt for boxes of mac & cheese, rice, etc. (on the louder side); plastic jars of sprinkles, herbs, etc. (on the quieter side)

Rhythm Sticks

Wooden or plastic combination sticks (one smooth & one ridged per pair)

• Wooden or plastic spoons
• Empty toilet paper or paper towel rolls
• Unsharpened pencils
• Lincoln logs, etc.

Resonator Bells

A & D pair

• Metal water bottle, or metal bowl, with a stick/mallet
• Triangle with a striker

Castanets

Wooden or plastic

Crafts project for making fun, home-made castanets out of bottle caps and cardboard: https://youtu.be/tlrczXY80FI

Play-Along/ Kitchen Instruments

Percussion instruments, such as wrist bells, triangles, tambourines, tone blocks, sound shapes, clatterpillars, rainmakers, etc.

• Any cooking utensils or supplies that are age-appropriate for your child to play with safely (e.g., plastic ice trays or cardboard egg cartons, measuring cups/spoons, pots/pans with lids, plastic bottles to tap or blow into, etc., etc., etc.)!
• If you prefer to keep the volume down – or you have a child who is sensitive to loud noises – opt for soft plastic containers rather than metal or wood, and perhaps use hands instead of wooden or metal “mallets” (you get the idea!)

Scarves/ Streamers

Movement scarves, ribbons and streamers

• Clothing accessories/scarves
• Dish towels
• Large scraps of fabric
• Handkerchiefs
• Bandanas

• To make your own rainbow streamers, take a hair scrunchy (or a large rubber band, or anything a child can hold/put around their wrist); tie ribbons of different colors (e.g., for wrapping presents) from one corner or side of the scrunchy/band (the ribbons should be long enough to float through the air, but short enough so your child won’t trip over them while dancing).

Drums

Frame drums, floor toms, bongos, djembes, congas, gathering drums, etc.

• Pots and pans
• Metal or plastic bowls
• Tupperware containers
• Cardboard boxes
• Laundry basket turned over, etc.