Lovely childcare

Handmade Instruments for Preschoolers | Instruments You Can Make Together with Your Child

9 years of experience as a nursery school teacherShibata Risa
I am an active nursery school teacher with 9 years of experience. After graduating from university, I worked at a daycare center. The time I spent happily with children—playing piano, singing songs, and doing finger-play—are priceless memories to me. Currently, while raising three children of my own, I work at an after-school day service, engaging with children and providing individualized developmental support. Drawing on my diverse experiences as a childcare worker and as a mother, I hope to express and convey my thoughts through writing.

When children make their own instruments to play rhythm games or perform to music, it fosters their sense of rhythm and pitch, as well as their imagination and expressive abilities, bringing very positive effects to their development.

So this time, we’re introducing handmade instrument ideas you can use in daycare, kindergarten, or at home.

From simple projects you can make with recycled materials or items from the dollar store to more advanced creations based on the principles of real instruments, we’ve gathered a wide range of DIY instrument ideas!

Find projects that match your child’s age and developmental stage, and try making them together.

We hope you’ll enjoy a fun time exploring the unique sounds that these handmade instruments can produce!

Handmade Musical Instruments for Nursery School Children | Instruments You Can Make Together as a Parent and Child (31–40)

A guitar that changes its sound

[Upcycled Craft] The sound changes! Guitar (rubber bands, paper plate, paper towel tube, straw) [Handmade instrument / playable toy] Upcycled play • For lower elementary grades

A guitar that changes its sound

This is a handmade guitar toy you can play by plucking rubber band strings, where the sound changes.

First, make the guitar neck using a kitchen paper tube.

Cut slits in the tube and attach rubber bands, then hook the bendable part of a straw onto the strings.

Next, attach the rim of a paper cup between the straws, and press down on the rim’s surface to lower its position.

Apply glue to the bottom of the paper cup and attach it to the tube, then stick a paper plate on the opposite side to finish! Try making this fun toy where the sound changes depending on where you press the strings.

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balloon tambourine

Make an easy drum using balloons♪

balloon tambourine

You can adapt a balloon drum into a tambourine! What you need: a roll core from packing tape, a balloon, scissors, vinyl tape, masking tape, tissue paper, one disposable chopstick, and two plastic bottle caps.

The balloon drum shown in the video is really appealing, isn’t it? Making instruments from materials familiar to children will likely make them feel more attached to them.

If you attach bells around the balloon drum, you can probably turn it into a tambourine, too.

Give it a try!

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In conclusion

This time, we featured DIY instruments for preschoolers. Although they’re easy to make, many of them still involve everyday tools like scissors with blades. Before you start crafting instruments based on this article, be sure to clearly explain the dangers of sharp tools to your child. We hope you can work on the project safely and have fun. Once your instrument is finished, try playing it along with your favorite music. In addition to this article, Rug Music also features other pieces on games and music you can enjoy with your children. Be sure to check those out as well!