How to Create Musical Play Instruments for Children from Items in Your Kitchen

• 1). Use two pot lids to make cymbals.
  
  
• 2). Make drums using the bottom of metal, wooden or plastic mixing bowls, the bottom of a sauce pan, or empty boxes and tin cans. Use wooden mixing spoons or large metal spoons for drum sticks.
  
  
• 3). Try a variety of utensils to beat against different surfaces: pots, bowls, cutting boards, cardboard food boxes.
  
  
• 4). Tell children to test out different sounds that result from rubbing things like potato mashers and a spoon together or a whisk beater whirled around the inside of a metal or plastic bowl or a sauce pan.
  
  
• 5). Blow through plastic straws and into empty raisin boxes or empty glass jars to make wind instruments.
  
  
• 6). Fill non-breakable drinking glasses with water and use utensils to make water sounds. Kids can slap a spoon on the surface of the water or stir the water around in circles in the glass. They can also blow into the water with a straw.
  
  
• 7). Put the timer on for a metronome or turn on music as background to the kids' musical kitchen instruments. Designate each one to take turns being the lead performer.
  
  
• 8). Make a pretend microphone out of an empty paper towel roll and have the kids take turns singing.