How to Make Egyptian Instruments for Young Kids

You can create homemade versions of Egyptian percussion and string instruments.

Children are never too young to be exposed to music. Incorporating different musical genres and introducing a variety of musical instruments from many cultural backgrounds are just a few ways to get young people excited about music. If you have children who are interested in having their very own musical instruments, creating homemade versions of Egyptian percussion and string instruments is a wonderful place to start. A popular Egyptian instrument that was used to symbolize the gods is a child's rattle.

Things You'll Need

• Water bottle
• Colored tissue
• Dried beans
• Glue

Instructions

1. Empty and clean an 8 oz. water bottle. Peel away the outer label of the bottle by rinsing it under warm water.

2. Fill your bottle with beans. Measure approximately 1/2 cup of dried beans. Using too many beans will make the bottle too heavy, and not allow the beans to shake around.

3. Seal the bottle top. Place a thin layer of duct or masking tape around the bottle's cap to ensure that it will not fall off. Test your rattle by shaking it a few times to make sure you do not need to add any additional tape.

4. Decorate your rattle. Cut out small squares of tissue paper in different colors. Layer the tissue paper over the base of the water bottle with glue, and allow time to dry.

References

• Eternal Egypt: Musical Instruments
• Ancient Egyptian Music