Home-made Instruments

Shakers

These can be made two ways:

1) Place small beads into pill bottles bought from a pharmacy (approximately 10 cents each).  This method allows the children to see what is making the noise.  If you fill the bottles with different items, the children will be able to see what things make the different sounds.

2) Use lemon and lime juice containers attached to pieces of doweling.  These are more like rattles or maracas.  Again the type of material you put in the container will change the sound they produce. 

All of the above could be made for a class of twenty children for less than $100.00 

** IF YOU  ARE CAREFUL WITH THE SANDING,  NOT PAINTING THE WOOD, AND MAKING SURE THE WIRES ARE WELL HIDDEN,  THESE INSTRUMENTS WILL LAST LONGER AND BE SAFER THAN MANY STORE-BOUGHT INSTRUMENTS.

Article:

Shaker Oats: Fortifying Musicality by Laurie R. SemmesMusic Educators Journal June 2010

https://www.jstor.org/stable/40666427?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

 Some other ideas for instruments

Wind Chimes

Attach old keys (they make a better sound then new keys) to a plastic children's clothes hanger.

Drums

Use plastic 2 litre ice cream containers - place upside down and tap with the palms of your hands.  These have a softer sound than store-bought drums, therefore they're easier on the ears.  Plastic containers can also be easily washed.

Sono Drums

Cut a sono tube (found at any lumber store) or carpet roll (ask for one at a carpet store) and cut into various lengths.   Cut out a sound hole or two at one end and cover the other end with packing tape.  Paint with safe paint, or cover with wallpaper or tic tac paper.  For a drum stick, wrap a 6 in. piece of doweling with thick elastic bands.

Bell Sticks

These can also be made from ½ in. doweling cut into 6 in. lengths.  Drill two holes into the top of the stick, sand smooth, and thread four bells (1/2 size are usually the best size) onto the stick using craft wire (sold at Lewis Craft Gage #24).   Make sure that the wire is tucked back into the bell or hole in the stick.  This will protect fingers and sometimes mouths from getting hurt.    Again, do not paint the wood.

Jingle Spoons

These are made in a similar fashion to the bell sticks.  Drill two holes into the bowl of a wooden stirring spoon.  Using craft wire, attach one bell to the inside of the spoon, making sure the wire is tucked safely away from little fingers.  Wooden spoons are often sold in packages of three, each a different length.  It helps to cut them all one length and to sand them.