Making Music

It's Scott from Brick by Brick. I love to repurpose materials—use materials in ways different from their intended purpose.

Homemade and Purchased Instruments used together

Music is a great way to engage young children in learning and in fun. Lots of posts here on this blog talk about music. Recently I was working with a colleague in assembling information about teaching preschoolers with music. One task I had was to suggest some ways to make instruments. I thought I'd share some of those ideas here.

You can make these instruments for kids to use...or get them to make the instruments for the classroom.

Fill small containers with items to make shakers. Use containers with lids, such as small chip cans, film canisters, water bottles, or small candy containers. Fill the containers halfway with popcorn kernels, dried beans, rice, aquarium gravel, or small beads. Use hot glue gun to seal the lids on the containers; then tape around the lids with colored masking tape.

We used Tic-Tac containers for these small shakers.

Materials to make shakers

Decorating paper to wrap around shakers

You can make egg shakers with small plastic eggs and rice to make egg shakers. Glue the eggs together and seal with wide transparent tape.

Paper plates and dried beans or gravel make tambourine shakers. Set a plate on the table and place beans on gravel in the middle. Staple a second paper plate on top of the first plate; position staples close together so beans or gravel will not come out. Seal the edges with masking tape.


Make jingle bell instruments different ways. String jingle bells on chenille craft stems; bend the stems into circles and twist ends together.  Sew jingle bells on lengths of elastic. Sew the elastic ends together to form loops. Drop jingle bells in plastic drink bottles. Seal the lids with glue and masking tape. 

If children are making wrist bells, use dice and coded direction for number practice while making instruments.

For drums, use plastic coffee cans with snap-on lids or oatmeal containers with snap-on lids. Use small mailing boxes. (Stuff with newspaper or bubble wrap to keep them sturdy; seal with tape.) Use a variety of pots and pans; offer wooden spoons as drum sticks.

To create rhythm sticks, use wooden spoons or short dowels, unsharpened pencils, or newspaper rolled into tight “sticks.” (Tape to hold the newspaper together.)

What homemade instruments have you created?