How to Make Easy Musical Instruments for Kids

Empty a coffee can to start making a drum.

Pots and pans struck with wooden spoons can make music, but if you'd like to take your homemade music instruments to another level and give your kids something creative to work with, there are several better options.

Things You'll Need

• Drum:
• Coffee can
• Pencil
• Construction paper or decorative wrapping paper
• Crayons or markers
• Duct tape
• Horn:
• Paper towel holder
• Wax paper
• Rubber band
• Crayons or markers
• Guitar:
• Empty shoebox
• 4 or more rubber bands (different widths)
• Crayons, markers or paints
• Ruler

Instructions

Drum

1. Tape the lid of the coffee can down with duct tape.

2. Let your children decorate the construction paper with the markers or crayons. They can place items such as stickers, gems, wood cutouts and yarn on it, or just draw or paint on it.

3. Tape the paper around the can.

4. Give the kids some sticks or spoons to use to hit the drum.

Horn

1. Cover one end of the paper towel holder with the wax paper and keep it in place with the rubber band.

2. Let the kids decorate their tube any way they wish.

3. Poke a few holes along one side of the tube.

4. Have the kids blow on the open end, putting their fingers in different positions on the holes to change the sound.

Guitar

1. Cut a hole in the top of the shoebox.

2. Stretch the rubber bands around the box. Different widths of rubber band will create different pitches. The thinner and tighter bands make higher-pitched sounds.

3. Let your children decorate the box as they wish.

4. Place a ruler out of the top to look more like a guitar, and let the kids strum away.

References

• Enchanted Learning: Box Guitar
• Kaboose: Craft: Cardboard Tube Horn