Instruments

Materials:

  • Empty toilet paper tubes: enough for one/child.
  • Muffin papers or contact paper
  • Markers, crayons, and/or paint, stickers
  • Wax paper
  • Dried beans or rice

Directions: Shakers

If you are using muffin paper, cover one of the open ends of the toilet paper roll. Wrap tape around it to seal tightly.

If you are using contact paper, trace the open end of the roll on the contact paper. Increase the diameter by about 2 inches so there will be overhang. Cut out the circle of contact paper. Secure the contact paper around one end of the toilet paper roll.

  • Fill the tube with something that will rattle, like dried beans or rice.
  • Seal the other end of the tube the same way you sealed the first.

If you have older children, they can prep the tubes for the younger children. Keep very young children away from an activity with something as small as beans; they could stick the beans in their nose and that could lead to a breathing problem, or irritation and infection.

After the tubes are sealed, the children can decorate. Gluing on heavy objects probably isn’t a good idea because it will take too long to dry and they won’t be able to shake the shakers until the glue sets.

Directions: Kazoos

  • Color the paper roll and decorate with stickers if you want.
  • Trace the end of the toilet paper roll on the wax paper. Increase the diameter of the shape by 2-3 inches so there will be an overhang.
  • Cut the shape.
  • Use a rubber band to secure the wax paper onto one end of the roll.
  • Using a pencil, poke 4 to 6 holes in the wax paper

You can now hum through the wax paper hole to make a sound like a kazoo.
Expand this activity by putting on some rhythmic music and adding your own sounds!