Now that Easter is over, our thoughts begin to turn to other things. One of the things we can celebrate with our crafting is music. March is Music in Our Schools month and this leads to some fun crafting ideas.

How many of you have made a tambourine? This is a simple idea that uses two paper or Styrofoam plates. Let your child decorate the plates in any manner they choose. You can use crayons, markers, stickers, paint and/or foam shapes. Once the plates are decorated, simply put dried beans or rice into one of the plates and staple around the plate to close it off. Have some fun shaking and keeping time to the beat! You could also do something a bit different if you only want to use one plate. You could punch holes around the plate and use brightly colored ribbons to tie bells onto the plate.
Another idea for an instrument involves using oatmeal boxes. Cover the oatmeal box in plain paper, or whatever paper you choose, and decorate it. Glue the lid on, if you like and a drum has been created. Add this to a few tambourines and your band is underway!

Do you happen to have access to some paper towel size cardboard tubes? Once again, decorate the outside in a manner in which you like. Take some wax paper, or a paper that is equally strong and pliable, and cover the ends using glue or rubber bands. This becomes a rain stick. If you want to add just a bit of a challenge, you could fashion a type of framework to place into the tube to give it a different sound.

Need some stringed instruments? Use a cardboard box, securely fasten a cardboard tube to the top and add some strings. I’m not so sure how good this fiddle/guitar type instrument would sound, but you could have some fun creating it. You could simply not use the tube and place some different size rubber bands around a box that has one side open. Plucking these could produce some interesting sounds. One more improvised string instrument could be made by using a can in which a hole has been punched into the bottom. Tie a large knot into one end of heavy string and thread this through the hole in the can. Place a foot onto the can as you pull the string taut and you’ve got a makeshift “bass”.

To finish off your makeshift band, you could add some kazoos. I’m not sure if this qualifies for crafting, but I know I had some fun with them as a kid. Take a small plastic comb and wrap it in a tissue. If you place your lips against the comb’s teeth and hum, you not only end up with some “tickled lips”, but a cool kazoo sound as well.

I hope you have a really good time making music with your band!!