Bottle Cap Castanets

It takes two to tango—two sets of castanets, that is! These percussion instruments, used in traditional music from Spain, Latin America, and many Mediterranean countries, are perfect for younger kids who are just beginning to learn about rhythm. It certainly beats banging on pots and pans as a means of musical exploration!

What You Need:

• 4 metal bottle caps
• Hammer
• Cardboard
• Scissors
• White glue
• Tempera paint
• Paintbrushes

What You Do:

1. Help your child hammer the bottle caps flat.
2. Measure a piece of cardboard so that it fits comfortably in your child's hand when folded in half. Cut the cardboard down to size.
3. Using the scissors, score the cardboard in the center on the inside of the cardboard to help it fold in half.
4. Have your child glue the four flattened caps so that they align with the outer edge on the inside of the folded cardboard. They should be glued two on each side, so when the cardboard folds, they will touch one another.
5. Allow the glue to dry completely.
6. Use tempera paints to add lots of festive color in decorative patterns on the inside and outside of the cardboard. Patterns can include zig zags, polka dots, stripes and triangles in vivid colors of red, yellow, orange, green and blue, to resemble folk art. Allow the paint to completely dry.
7. Put on your dancing shoes and click-clack your new castanets!

Helpful Hints: Use a generous amount of thick white glue to glue down the bottle caps. Alternatively, a hot glue gun can be used, but only by a responsible adult!