After completing bongo/shaker/güiro project this morning, Miss G and I quickly put together a drum (using a leftover Christmas tin and the same process as we did for our 3-in-1 instrument, minus the lentils/rice), and collected some of the instruments we had around the house to create this music-themed toddler tray.
Besides the homemade instruments, her xylophone, jingle bells, train whistle, rhythm sticks, egg shakers, and a couple of spoons were included.
With a playlist of her favourite songs playing from the iPod dock in her bedroom, we had a little jam session and gave each of the instruments a shot.
While this wasn’t a sensory station she stayed engaged in for long periods of time, we left it out all day, music on, and she came back to it again and again, shaking or tapping her heart out for a couple of minutes at a time.
It’ll definitely be something we leave out for the next little while too. I’m looking forward to more musical moments in the days to come… (Hopefully all of which are as passionate as the one in the last photo. ☺)
Now, if you know me well, you know I’m not crazy about toys. I’m not saying that I dislike all toys, but the more modern toys that you most often see lining the shelves of big name toy stores? They’re not my favourite. The flashing, blinking, noise making, spinning, beeping, moving, battery operated plastic contraptions of today just seem like such an assault on the senses to me. That, and I guess I just don’t feel like they inspire creative, open-ended imaginative play.
Toys I do love are the more classic ones… The things we grew up with as kids and the things I love filling the shelves of my Kindergarten classes with… Building blocks, felt puppets, wooden puzzles, dress-up clothes, and art supplies. Besides those, I don’t think a child can ever have a library of books too vast or a collection of instruments too large.
On the topic of musical instruments, I’ve bumped into this gorgeous blog several times before, but only had time to properly sift through the posts late last night {from midnight to one a.m. while I should have been sleeping, of course}. The author has beautifully presented ideas that are simple, eco-friendly, and often music-based. Before calling it a night, I pinned several of her ideas on my Toddler Activities board, one of which was this idea for making a balloon bongo, rice shaker, and güiro all in one.
Already having everything on hand, Gracen and I whipped up a couple this morning.
Here’s our collection of supplies… A couple of tin cans from the recycling bin, thick elastic bands, balloons, some wool, a pair of scissors, chopsticks, and a couple of little bowls filled with pantry goodies (Grae chose red lentils and sushi rice).
First of all, make sure your tins cans have been opened with can opener that leaves the edges smooth rather than sharp. Then, put your lentils/rice/beans/couscous/pasta inside.
You can fill your cans as much as you like, but we filled ours about 1/6 of the way.
Next, snip the ends off of your balloons.
Then stretch the balloons over the tops of your cans. Be sure to make them tight.
Although the balloons stay on quite nicely on their own, secure them with a thick elastic just to be sure. No one wants a lentil explosion all over their floor.
If desired, cover the elastics with some wool, baker’s twine, jute, or embroidery floss.
Now make some music! You can shake them…
Pat them…
Or tap them. The chop sticks can also be used to rub along the ridged sides of the can, producing a ratchet-like sound.
Miss G has been a Karmin fan for a long while now and I don’t blame her – they’re pretty awesome. Though her original favourite was Brokenhearted, these two songs have been on repeat so much during the last month that I’ve had to start putting limits on how often we can listen to them. Inevitably, after the ration is up, I hear “Mor Boom Boom Baby, pleasch, Mama?” or “Mor Money Money Money, pleasch, Mama?” in the sweetest little voice possible. Tough to resist, I tell ya.
This song has been on repeat in our house for the last two weeks. G loooooooooooves it. You should see her little body start to move the second it comes on. The girl’s got moves, I tell ya.
Besides the homemade instruments, her xylophone, jingle bells, train whistle, rhythm sticks, egg shakers, and a couple of spoons were included.
While this wasn’t a sensory station she stayed engaged in for long periods of time, we left it out all day, music on, and she came back to it again and again, shaking or tapping her heart out for a couple of minutes at a time. 
