Shakers

My tots LOVE shakers - musical shakers.

When the tunes go on, they love to shake it to the beat. The problem is the shakers belong to our music teacher, who only comes once a week for 1/2 hour, and they don't always get to use the shakers. So I decided to make some of my own, for use any time we feel the urge! The shakers I am talking about are egg shaped and small enough for the tots to hold comfortably in their hand.

When I saw these eggs in the dollar store for Easter time - I knew they had to be our new shakers. They don't look like the typical Easter eggs that are sweet and flowery. I thought they would make music time more fun!

I simply filled them with a bit of rice and glued them shut

with a thick tacky glue! Ready for shaking!



Wooden Mallets

DIY - Wooden Mallets

I don't know if you have ever priced wooden mallets for your musical instrument collection - but they can run anywhere from $20 to $30 for a small set - which can be used on things like xylophones - cymbals or small drums.
Well I am a very frugal teacher and most of my instruments have come from garage sales and thrift stores - the mallets usually missing. So on my time off this week I have been getting caught up on making and preparing resources for my classroom. Mallets have been on my to do list for a very long time. They got made today!

Dollar store dowels and garage sale find beads - $1.25

Beads hot glued onto the dowels.

Stop the dowel just before they come out the other side of the bead.

I varnished the dowels after - just because I was painting another DIY project.

A pringles tin = new mallet holder - covered in scrap booking paper.

When I find some ribbon it will go around the top. :)

Ready to use!

Karaoke Tots

Today we sang some karaoke - how fun is that!

It was awesome to hear the voices of our very quiet students - come to life!

Some were a bit timid to sing but managed to share a ditty!

We had to remember this was not to be eaten! :)

Some of us were DIVAS!

Deep into song!

What a great way to encourage language - song and participation in group activities.

Not to mention bring out our wild side! LOL

Steel Drum

Continuing our Music and Drama month!

Today we made a steel drum! It was very loud in our school as we hammered the tin to a concave shape! It was fun though! :)

I must note that I ended up putting a towel over the tin so it would not be so loud hammering it!

We used a wooden spoon to strike it!

It sounded OK and everyone wanted a turn to play it!

It may not look quite like a real steel drum but the concept was there and we had fun!

Tin Drums

Today we made tin drums!

We used large pasta tins and huge balloons!

We cut the top off the balloon and stretched the balloon over the

opening of the large tin and tapped it down with masking tape.

Then decorated with paper and ribbons!

Not bad!

The best part - playing them!

The smaller one was made with the top of the balloon we cut off!

Why not use the shaker we made as a drum too!

All together now!

Drummin' and a Little Wind!

On the second day of our music and drama month it was all about drums - with a little wind in there as well!

First we tried out the African drum.

Great beats!

Then on to bongos!

Then we added in the African hand drum.

Jammin'!

Then we needed a wind instrument!

Time for the straw whistles - HERE is a good tutorial.

 Fun to play!

Now for finger drums!

Use any small container - a balloon - masking tape - scissors - paint and brush optional!

Cut the end off the balloon - stretch the balloon over the container - tape around edges a couple of times.Note the little bump - it's OK - it's the bottom part of the balloon. You will want this to play the drum - details below.

Paint if you wish.

Wait let's use those balloon bits!

Add more wind!

Make straw the same as the whistles.

Now use those extra balloon pieces and tape them on the uncut end.

These make a different whistle sound.

It's a funny sound - fun to play!

Back to our drum.

You don't tap the drum - you pluck it!

This is where that bump comes in - it makes it easier to grab hold and pluck.

Our finger drum quartet!

Who wants to Jam?

Thanks pal!

IT WAS A FUN DAY!

Oh yeah.....

.....we also played the shakers we made yesterday.....

...and belted out a tune!

Canadian idols!

Music and Drama Month

We have started a music and drama month in our classroom - which may actually turn into 2 months because we have so much to do!
Yesterday we started off playing didgeridoos and making our own instruments - which we will make many of over the month.

The didgeridoo is very difficult to play - but my little buddy here was the first to get a good sound from this fun instrument.

The teachers had to try as well!

Then we made some shaker instruments with our recyclables - coloured rice and some stickers to decorate!

We used Valentines stickers because it's that time of year! :)

They were pretty as well - and fun to put on.

Shaking ....

... even drumming!

Lots of fun!