Shaker Making

Activity Overview

Combining sound and movement together creates a space for children to make sense of their world and their own place in it. As they learn the basics of percussion and rhythm, they also differentiate between multiple sounds and match those that are similar. This activity not only integrates those senses by using a product of your student’s creation, but also incorporates a lot of fine motor strength work through cutting, ripping, drawing, painting, and gluing. These shakers will be used in future activities so please keep them in a safe spot, and take care that they are sturdy!

What You Need

• Sound-making materials: Rice, stones, twigs, dry beans (one cup of each)

• Shaker-making materials: cardboard rolls (paper towel or toilet paper rolls), plastic water bottle, soda cans or bean cans (two of each)

• Masking and painter’s tape (If you have colorful tape, that works even better!)

• Construction paper

Steps

Note: We are making three shaker sets - one set with stones, one set with rice, and one set with beans. Please refer to our picture guide to help you move through the different shakers.

1. Shaker Set 1: Beans in a Bottle

• Fill each bottle with about ½ cup of beans.

• Break three twigs so that they will fit inside the bottle and slide them in. The twigs create a rain stick effect that will make the sound come out different than the other shakers.

• Cap the bottle.

• Wrap the bottle in tape until you can no longer see the bottle

2. Shaker Set 2: Rocks in a Can

• This will be the clunkiest sounding shaker. Take whatever cans you have decided to use, and fill them up about ¼ of the way with rocks.

• Depending on the can you are using, you can either use paper to cover the end, or tape, whichever works best for your student.

• Once the cap is added, wrap the cans in tape until you can no longer see the can.

3. Shaker Set 3: Rice in a Roll

• Begin to add rice to the paper towel or toilet paper roll until it is about ½ full.

• Once you are done, cut two circles of paper about five inches in diameter. Take your cardboard roll, place it in the middle of the circle and trace the smaller circle.

• Take your scissors, and cut from the outside edge towards the middle and stop when you touch the smaller circle.

• Continue this around the circle with flaps around a half inch wide.

• Once you have your cuts down, you can fold the flaps down and use these as the end caps for your shaker. Tape the flaps down along the body of the shaker.

• Wrap the rolls in tape until you can no longer see the rolls.

Guiding Questions

• How do you want this shaker to sound? How do they sound similar or different?

• How do you want your shakers to look?

• What different sounds can we make?

• How does the shaker feel? Heavy? Light? Clunky? Awkward? Smooth?

Extensions

• Can you make a shaker with any other materials?

• Bring your shakers to a dance party and see how they feel and sound!

• Mix up all your shakers and see if you can match the shakers that sound the same.