There are lots of ways that kids around the world play — including playing MUSIC! A lot of kids in poverty make their own instruments out of things around their homes. Pick an instrument below to make, and play your favorite song. And if you're feeling adventurous, write a song of your own!
Den Den Drums
Popular in Asia, these hand-held drums are fun instruments to make on your own!
What you need:
- Empty ribbon spool (3¼ inches)
- Paper straw
- Ribbon or twine
- Card stock
- Decorative washi tape or markers and crayons
- Wood beads
- Hot glue gun or craft glue
Instructions:
- Adult help needed. Make a hole on the bottom of the cardboard spool where the straw handle will go. Then, make a smaller hole on both sides of the spool where the beads will be attached.
- Slide the straw into the bottom opening.
- Cut 2 6-inch-long pieces of ribbon or twine. Tie a knot on 1 end of ribbon and glue the ribbon to 1 of the side holes on the spool. Repeat for the other side.
- Measure and cut 3¼-inch circles from card stock.
- Decorate the card stock circles with washi tape or markers and crayons. Glue the decorated circles onto the ribbon spools.
- Pick 2 beads and thread them through the ribbon and tie a knot. Secure the bead in place with glue.
- Make some music!
Maracas
These fun noisemakers are popular all across the Caribbean and Latin America! Most of the time they’re played in pairs, so make sure you make enough of them!
What you need:
- Plastic Easter eggs
- Dry ingredients like uncooked rice, beans, split peas, etc.
- Plastic spoons
- Washi tape
Instructions:
- Fill your plastic eggs with the dry ingredients.
- Put 2 spoons together with the curved parts of the spoons facing each other. Take your washi tape and begin wrapping it tightly around the handles of the spoons.
- Gently pull apart the heads of the spoons and set your egg inside them.
- Wrap your egg with washi tape, beginning by going over the seam of the egg to make sure it stays closed.
- Wrap the head of the maraca with more washi tape.
- Shake your maracas and dance to your favorite song!
Bongo, Rice Shaker and Güiro
This instrument is a 3 in 1! You can hit it like a bongo, shake it or play the ridged sides of your can like a güiro, a Latin American percussion instrument.
What you need:
- Empty, clean tin cans (make sure a grown-up helps you get cans without sharp edges)
- Dry rice or lentils
- Balloons
- Elastic bands
- Chopsticks/sticks
Instructions:
- Adult help needed. Begin by putting a handful of rice or lentils into an empty tin can. Make sure the tin can has smooth edges.
- Cut the end off the balloon and stretch it over the open end of the can.
- Secure the balloon with an elastic band.
- Choose how you want to play it! You can tap the balloon end with your hands like a bongo drum. You can gently shake it like a rice shaker (don’t shake it too hard). Or you can run the chopsticks along the ridges on the side like a güiro!
Musical Anklet
These anklets jingle with every step and are popular in both Africa and Asia, especially at special ceremonies.
What you need:
- Colorful felts
- Jingle bells
- Sequins
- Thin string or yarn
- Needle
Instructions:
- Adult help needed. Cut a 3-inch-wide strip of felt. Wrap the felt around your ankle to measure how long you will need it to be. Cut the felt to that length.
- Lay the strip in front of you. Measure 1 inch down from the top and draw a light pencil line all the way across. Make your fringe by cutting from the bottom up to your pencil line, about ¼-inch apart.
- Thread your needle and start to sew on the jingle bells. Continue adding the bells, evenly spacing them out until you reach the end. Tie a knot at the first and last hole with the string to keep it from pulling through.
- Glue sequins onto the front of the band between the bells. Let dry.
- Tie the anklet around your ankle and trim any extra string.
- Dance!