Free Musical Instruments for Children

Music helps children develop pre-math and language skills.

Music enriches the lives of children. It helps children develop pre-math skills through patterns. It can also help a child's language development. Kids seem to have a natural rhythm, and they often adore instruments. Children don't care if they have expensive or free instruments as long as they have instruments. Use some of these ideas to make instruments at home to begin exposing your children to music early in life.

Shaker Instruments

Plastic eggs make fantastic instruments.

Use objects such as empty water bottles or plastic Easter eggs to make shaker instruments similar to maracas. If you use plastic eggs, make sure to choose the appropriate size for the age of the child to prevent choking. Fill your container less than half way with small objects such as small coins, dried beans or rice. Adjust the amount of the filling to obtain the sound you want. After adding the filling, glue the egg parts or the top onto the water bottle. Then allow to dry and decorate the outside if you'd like.

Bell Bracelets

Bell bracelets make music from movement.

Bell bracelets make fun instruments and can last a long time. Measure a strip of elastic to fit your child's wrist or ankle. Then sew bells onto the elastic. Small sleigh bells tend to work best. Finish by sewing the two ends of the elastic together. This bracelet then slips on easily onto the wrist or ankle. Your child can then dance around to make her own music. This is free if you take the elastic from worn out clothes and get the bells from old holiday decorations.

Triangle

Metal hangers make interesting instruments.

Triangles make a fun addition to any musical line-up, and it helps that it take just a minute to make one. Using metal hangers, you can leave them as they are or cut off a piece of the hanger and make it into a smaller triangle to look more realistic. Then, tie a length of string to the top of the triangle. While playing the triangle make sure to suspend it or hold it away from the body by the string in order to obtain the right sound. You can use metal utensils, such as a spoon or butter knife, to play the triangle.

Rain Stick

Dried rice can make an interesting rain stick.

An empty potato chip can, dried rice or beans, and several plastic six-pack carriers will make a simple rain stick. Fold the plastic rings from the six-packs of sodas lengthwise and stuff them into an empty potato chip can. Then, add about a cup of dried rice or dried beans. Different amounts of beans or rice will create different sounds, so adjust to your liking. Once filled, glue the lid onto the can. You can then decorate the outside of the can with paint, construction paper, glitter and sequins.

References

• A Place of Our Own: The Importance of Music; 2007