OR - Make Your Own Instrument Family Page

Fold a piece of paper into 4 boxes. Students can write the titles “Woods,” “Metals,” “Drums,” or “Shakes/Scrapes” for each box. Draw pictures and/or write the name of the instrument examples in each box.

Find Things to Use for WOODS

Next, students find instruments in their house or make an instrument that fits into each instrument category. These instruments will be used in future lessons.

For Woods, you could use two wooden spoons, popsicle sticks, wooden dowels, pencils, or a wooden cutting board that you hit with a wooden spoon.

Find Things to Use for METALS

For Metals you could use two spoons that you can hit together, an old baking pan you can hit with a spoon or reusable straw, two stainless steel reusable straws, metal measuring cups.

Find Something to Use for a DRUM

For a drum, find anything that is safe to hit with your hands. You could use an upside down bowl, cardboard box, or plastic container.

Make some SHAKERS

Making shakers is a fun project. I had seven small containers with lids, so went hunting for seven different small objects that I could put inside them. I used rocks, gum, chocolate almonds, nickels, pennies, Lego, and small Canadian flag pins. I could have used puzzle pieces, croutons, rice, macaroni, or barley but I ran out of containers. Find filler and fill up as many shakers as you can. Shake them and listen to the sound they make.

Instrument Kit Box

Use a cardboard box you can decorate and label “Instrument Kit” to store your instruments. This will keep your kit handy for future use.

Mystery Box

The Mystery Box is an empty box that you hide instruments in (you could also use your music kit box). You play the instrument and your child guesses what it is. I put all my shakers in the box and the guesser had to try to guess what was inside. Since my containers were clear, it was easy to see if we were right or wrong.

PLAY AND STOP SONG

Try some of the instruments in your kit with the recording for this song. This is a great extension for Kindergarten and Grade One students.

Assessment Ideas

Assessment Suggestions:
- Send pictures of the instruments you found and sort them into 4 categories: Woods, Metals, Shakes/Scrapes and Drums.
- Send a picture of the completed worksheet pages.
- Send a video playing with the song “Play and Stop” or a rhythm creation from the “Rhythm Composition Tool.”

Music Education is Important!

Music Education is Important
- whether you are learning in a school or learning at home!