Strike Up the Band

What you need: 

• empty cans 
• rubber bands 
• toilet paper tube 
• wax paper 
• tape 
• tissue or cereal box 
• beads, sand, pebbles 

What to do:

1.  Encourage the children to make these simple instruments:

• Shakers: Fill a can with beads, pebbles (beads and pebbles are choking hazards — not for kids under 4), or sand. Cover the open end with wax paper and then seal it with tape.
• Kazoo: Punch a hole toward the end of a small cardboard tube, then seal the end nearest the hole with wax paper and a rubber band.
• Stringed instrument: Stretch rubber bands over a cardboard tissue or cereal box.

2.  Invite each child to use his instrument. Talk about the sound each one makes.
3.  Encourage the kids to play together. What do all the instruments sound like when they are played at the same time?

Learning benefits: 

• listening skills 
• small-motor skills 
• collaborative teamwork