Keep your kids out of treble with these 6 DIY homemade instruments

If you’re tired of your kids banging on your pots and pans, it’s time to channel their love of music and creativity by making an easy homemade instrument. These easy yet engaging DIY musical instruments are not only fun, but will have your kids playing around with math, their creativity and even physics. Bonus: these nearly fool-proof DIY musical instrument projects can easily be made with items found in most homes. 

Related: Why music education is one of the most important lessons you can give your child

6 DIY musical instruments

1. Water glass xylophone

A favorite family-friendly activity for many is coloring eggs for Easter. Similarly for this project, we fill glasses with colored water to make a beautiful and functional water xylophone.   

Instructions: 

1. If you want an octave, collect 8 glasses. You can use most household glasses, but they should be the same. However, it’s your activity, so see what happens when you use different glasses! 
2. Fill each one with water to different levels and play with what different volumes of water sound like. The lower the level of water, the higher the pitch is. Tuning the “xylophone” to a scale can be tricky, but have patience, it is so fun when you can sing with your instrument! 
3. You will tap your glasses with a metal spoon and for this, you don’t need to hit it hard, so please stand by your child as they explore! Feel free to play music in the background! 

2. Homemade rain stick

Using a small to medium-sized mail tube (found at the post office, an office supply store, or if you order a poster online), carefully hammer two dozen nails into the tube. Then, fill up the tube with about two cups of dried beans before hot gluing the bottom of the mail tube on. 

After the adult portion of the craft, let your child decorate the rain stick with paint, yarn, or even glitter, if you’re feeling brave.

3. Popsicle stick harmonica

Channel your kids’ inner Stevie Wonder or Bob Dylan with these popsicle stick harmonicas. After they’ve cleaned off the sugary residue from the popsicle stick, gather your supplies (this makes one harmonica): two jumbo craft sticks or popsicle sticks, a wide rubber band, two smaller rubber bands, a straw and scissors.  

Instructions:

1. Cut the straw into two pieces that are 1–1 .5 inches long. 
2. Stretch the thick rubber band length-wise around one of the craft sticks. 
3. Place one straw on each side under the rubber band. 
4. Place the other stick on top like a sandwich and attach them together on each end with a small rubber band. It will need to be wrapped around the end a few times. 
5. Then, you’re ready to play by blowing into the middle of the “harmonica.” Adjust the pitch by sliding the straws closer together or further apart. When the straws are closer together, the section of vibrating rubber band is shorter, making a higher sound. Slide the straws all the way to the edges to get the lowest possible sound, though it’s still relatively high-pitched.

4. At-home pan flute

If your family has been watching “Peter Pan” and the pan flute has struck a chord (pun intended), then a homemade pan flute might be a less breakable and more affordable alternative to the real wooden deal. Fun fact: This is one of the easiest instruments to make. You’ll need nine straws, a ruler, scissors and clear tape. 

Instructions:

1. Line up the nine straws and starting with the second one to the left, cut off two centimeters. 
2. Cut each remaining straw by two additional centimeters to create descending heights of straws. 
3. Gently tape the straws as they are in the row at the top and the bottom of the straws. 
4. Then, start blowing into the straws on the side where they line up and be transported to Never Never Land.

5. Homemade maracas

If Disney’s “Encanto” has got your kids dancing and moving, it’s time to make maracas. You can create simple hand-held maracas with:

• Empty soda can or empty canned food item and can opener
• Weighted fillers like dried rice, beans, pasta, beads or pretty much anything that fits and makes a sound
• Saran wrap
• Rubber band 
• Extras would be yarn, paper, tissue paper, markers and crayons to decorate! Again, this works with any age but the “littles” will love this!

Instructions: 

1. This first part is for adults: Use a can opener to remove the top of the soda can, take a screwdriver or butter knife to press down any sharp edges. 
2. After rinsing and drying out the can, have kids fill the can with fillers to the desired sound. Keep shaking with your hand over the top to see what sounds you like.
3. Once you’ve found your ideal weight, take saran wrap and place it over the top. 
4. Take two rubber bands and secure them over the top. We recommend using a double band to make sure the contents do not fall out. 

You now have an instant “maraca”! For an easier route, you can also utilize plastic containers with lids, Pringles tubs or plastic Easter eggs.  Use yarn, markers, tissue papers, etc. to make the homemade maracas your own. Once decorated, shake away!

6. Paper plate tambourine 

If your kids want to lean into the tambourine stylings of Stevie Nicks, the paper plate tambourine could be a good place to start. 

Instructions:

1. Using two heavy-duty paper plates held face to face, punch holes every two inches around the circumferences of the plates. 
2. Double knot a piece of yarn, weave the yarn around the plates, then tie another knot to secure the plates together. 
3. With a second string of yarn, string a jingle bell through your yarn and continue weaving your plate. 
4. Alternate your jingle bells every other hole or more, depending on how loud you want it to be. When you get back to the hole in which you started, tie off your yarn again.

Like with the maracas and rain stick, allow your children to unleash their creativity and decorate their new prized possession. 

Related: 10 ways you can use music to boost your child’s development

Create a band with your new instruments

After making these instruments and learning about the sounds of each, get friends, family and neighbors involved to compose a concert with your DIY instruments.

Benefits of DIY musical instruments 

Creating instruments engages the sight, aural and kinesthetic and listening to music and finding pitch can help children pinpoint specific sounds, which can help a child practice mindfulness and attentiveness. Like your little learners will learn, music changes us, comforts us, soothes us, and helps us find release and creativity.
And, of course, when you get sick of your own imperfect creations, you can always visit Middle C and buy the professionally-made version.