Making Homemade Musical Instruments

Making homemade musical instruments is a fun way to experiment with sound


If you are a parent, then you probably know that kids love to make noise. And, if you are like me, somehow that noise doesn't bother you.


Especially when children are little, it's amazing to watch them explore their world. Exploration involves getting messy and being noisy. Make no mistake about it though, when you making homemade instruments they are learning, and building experiences that they will draw from for the rest of their lives. Even if it seems to you like all they are doing is banging your pots and pans around



How to make homemade instruments
Get involved in the noise making. Become a kid again for an afternoon and you will love it. Here are a couple of simple homemade musical instruments you can make with inexpensive items from the grocery store.

Pie Tin Tambourine

You can make these fun tambourines in about twenty minutes. Try making several and filling them with different items to hear how it affects the sound they make.

Materials:
Disposable aluminum pie tins (tart size works best), masking tape or packaging tape, dry grains (rice, beans of different sizes, macaroni noodles, popcorn seeds).

Directions:

1. Fill one pie/tart tin with a handful of the dry grains of your choice.


2. Sandwich the other tin upside-down on top of the filled tin.


3. Use masking tape or packaging tape to secure them together all the way around.


4. Shake and enjoy.


5. You might want to play some music to shake along to. This helps kids develop rhythm.

 

Plastic Easter Egg Shakers

These little guys are fun to take anywhere. And, they mimic a higher priced egg shaker available at many music stores.

Materials:

Plastic Easter eggs, dry grains (rice, beans of different sizes, macaroni noodles, popcorn seeds).

Directions:

1. Open an Easter egg of your preferred color.


2. Fill half of the open egg with 1-2 Tablespoons of dry grains (again you can experiment with different items for different sounds, even consider a few pennies).


3. Close the egg and shake your home made musical instruments.