Making musical instruments with your homeschooler is a fun way to incorporate music and art together! Even older homeschooled students will enjoy creating a drum from scratch. Here are directions to make a few musical instruments with your homeschooler:

Coffee Can Drums

Materials Needed: Coffee cans, rubber bands, masking tape, rubber bands, glue and heavy cloth pieces that are cut one or two inches wider then the coffee can.

Directions:

1. An adult should prep the can by removing both ends and smoothing out the rough edges. Tape can be used to cover any stubborn areas.
2. Stretch the cotton cloth across an end of the can and secure it with rubber bands. Your preschooler can choose the material and even help put it on securely.
3. Seal the edge of the material with plastic or duct tape.
4. Have your homeschooler paint the material on top of the drum with with a
layer of glue. This will help make the sound louder. Let the glue dry thoroughly before using the drum.


Yogurt Maracas

Materials Needed: Yogurt containers of any size with lids (plastic is preferred), dried rice or beans, tape and/or glue.

Directions:

1. Wash and thoroughly dry the yogurt containers.
2. Fill each container one-third full of the dried rice, beans, or both.
3. Snap the covers on and shake. Your child can help decide the amount of dried beans or rice in each cup for varied sounds.

African Savanna Drum

Items Needed:
Empty Coffee Can
Tacky Glue
Vinyl Tape
Animals from the Savanna, either stickers or foamies
Construction Paper
Colored Vinyl Tape
Scissors

Directions:
After thoroughly cleaning a coffee can and drying it completely gather your items for this fun and simple craft. Cut a piece of yellow construction paper to fit the coffee can. Next, decorate the can by using colored vinyl tape to tape the paper into and around the can. You can buy vinyl tape in various colors to match the color of the construction paper. Now you are ready to have your child decorate their drum with Savanna animal stickers, such as the elephant or zebra. You can also use foamie craft stick ons.

*A few notes for the maracas- your child can help with all of these steps, with supervision, of course. Before filling them you may want to let your child paint the containers or decorate them with stickers, scrapbook paper and tape, etc. Also, an empty and clean oatmeal container can be used for a drum, following the same directions as for the coffee can.

Here are the animal foamies and stickers for decorations: