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Music Creativity

Bring music into your SEL sessions or fun group activities with these easy and creative DIY instruments. Each craft uses simple household or classroom materials and encourages creativity, sensory engagement, and rhythm exploration.

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01

Easter Egg Maracas

Materials:

  • Plastic Easter egg

  • Dry rice or beans

  • 2 plastic spoons

  • Tape (duct or masking)

Instructions:

  1. Fill the Easter egg with a small amount of rice.

  2. Place the egg between two plastic spoons.

  3. Wrap tape securely around the spoons and egg to hold everything in place.

02

Paper Plate Tambourines

Materials:

  • 2 paper plates

  • Stapler

  • Hole punch

  • String or yarn

  • Small bells

  • Crayons, markers, or stickers for decorating

Instructions:

  1. Staple the two paper plates together (face-to-face).

  2. Punch five evenly spaced holes around the edge.

  3. Tie a bell through each hole using string or yarn.

  4. Decorate your tambourine for a personal touch.

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03

Plastic Straw Pan Flute

Materials:

  • 10 plastic drinking straws

  • Tape

  • 2 popsicle sticks

  • Rubber bands

  • Scissors

Instructions:

  1. Cut the straws to different lengths to create varying pitches.

  2. Arrange the straws in height order.

  3. Tape the straws together side by side.

  4. Place the taped straws between two popsicle sticks and secure them with rubber bands.

04

Cardboard Pin Wheel Drum

Note: Pre-cut materials ahead of time for younger children.

Materials:

  • Cardboard (from boxes)

  • Jar lid (to trace circles)

  • Hole punch

  • Wooden skewers

  • String

  • Beads (6 total)

  • Tape

  • Markers

Instructions:

  1. Trace and cut out cardboard circles using the jar lid as a guide.

  2. Punch one hole on each side of the circle (directly opposite each other).

  3. Insert a wooden skewer (using the sharp side) through the center of the circle as a handle.

  4. Thread a string through each hole and attach three beads to each end.

  5. Secure the beads in place by taping the string just above them.

  6. Color each side of the pinwheel with markers! Then, spin the drum between your palms to make rhythmic sounds.

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05

Cardboard Castanet

Note: Pre-cut materials ahead of time for younger children.

Materials:

  • Cardboard (from boxes)

  • Metal Bottle Caps

  • Construction Paper

  • Tape

  • Glue Stick

  • Markers

  • Googly Stick on Eyes

  • Markers

Instructions:

  1. Cut out cardboard strips and fold them in half

  2. Tape the bottle caps to the inside edges of the cardboard, where they are aligned

  3. Trace the cardboard onto the construction paper, then cut a piece out

  4. Glue the construction paper to the outside of the carboard

  5. Glue the googly eyes to the construction paper and decorate the rest of your castanet with the markers

  6. Close the castanet in your hand to start drumming the beat!

06

Popsicle Stick Harmonicas

Note: Pre-cut materials ahead of time for younger children.

Materials:

  • Large Popsicle Sticks (2)

  • Rubber Bands (Long and short)

  • Thick Paper

Instructions:

  1. Stretch the long rubber band around 1 Popsicle Stick

  2. Fold 4 pieces of paper and put two on each side of the popsicle stick

  3. Place the other popsicle stick on top

  4. Tie two rubber bands on the ends

  5. Blow into the harmonica and make some funky noises!!

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