If you’ve ever seen a two-year old grab a stick and bang it on a trash can, you know that kids have an innate desire to make music – or at least some noise!
Rather than buy a band's worth of expensive instruments, you can find everything you need to make music right in your home. With some ingenuity and imagination, your child can transform a shoe box and some rubber bands into his own guitar. And the best part is, he can keep adding instruments to his repertoire! Drums, shakers, guitars; he can make them all and make a lot of music for everyone to enjoy.
What You Need:
- Shoebox
- Rubber bands
- Markers
- Glue
- Construction paper
- Scissors
- Paper plates
- Dried Beans (or small shaped pasta)
- Stapler
- Oatmeal canister
- Chopsticks
What to Do:
- For the guitar, choose a sturdy shoebox with a lid. Cut a hole in the center of the box, about three or four inches wide. You may need to help with cutting the hole.
- Get inspired by playing some of your child’s favorite music in the background as he decorates his guitar. He can use construction paper and glue to cover the box and make it a different color (but don’t cover up the hole!) Let your child embellish it with plastic jewels or sequins, or he can even simply draw some designs with markers. It's his guitar to decorate however he pleases.
- When the design is complete, wrap three to five rubber bands around the box (lengthwise) and over the hole. Now let him strum his very own music. If you like, you can help him staple each rubber band in place on the top and bottom faces of the guitar. (Be sure that you don't staple on the front face of the guitar where the hole is.)
- For the shakers, simply take two paper plates and have your child decorate them (on the underside only) with markers and and any other embellishments he would like. Fill one with dried beans or small pasta, cover it with the other plate so that both undecorated sides of the plate (the sides that you would normally put food on) are facing each other on the inside.
- Staple all around the edges and then get to shakin'!
- Lastly, you can save your empty oatmeal canister and have your child turn it into a fabulous drum to complete his homemade band. Have him decorate the canister with some construction paper and glue (markers and paint will work as well). Be sure you have the plastic lid and place it on top when the decorating is done.
- Now grab a set of chopsticks (or two unsharpened pencils) and get drumming!
Everyone in the family can get involved in these activities. The Von Trapp family singers better watch out because your child's band could be the next big thing!
By Lisa M. Cope
Lisa M. Cope is a freelance writer who focuses on parenting and child development issues, among many others. She is the mother of two boys, ages five and two.
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