I have this vivid memory from my childhood of watching my dad whittle drumsticks with his pocket knife to go with my newly acquired “drum” (a used powdered lemonade container). I remember watching him as I sat on the hot sidewalk under a bright blue sky and summer sun, and just being so excited as I saw the sticks start to take shape. When he was finally done with them, I thought I was so cool because I had “real drumsticks.” I cherish that memory because it was just one of many small but special moments with my dad that have stuck with me over the years.
While no whittling was involved in the homemade drums my daughter and I made, I do hope that maybe she’ll remember some of these moments creating things together the way that I remember certain moments with my dad. And even if she doesn’t remember the crafts themselves, I hope that at least she’ll remember there were many times that her mom said, “YES! MAKE A MESS! STICK YOUR HAND IN THAT PAINT!”
Materials
- recycled containers (i.e. coffee can, oatmeal container, etc.)
- paper
- things to decorate with (i.e. markers, paint, tape)
- scissors
- glue
The Easiest Directions Ever
STEP 1: Measure and cut out the paper to cover the sides of the container.
STEP 2: Decorate the paper with anything! Stickers, crayons, glitter, what have you. We used markers and paint. Instead of paintbrushes, we used cotton swabs this time around (to both experiment with and for easier clean-up!).
My daughter also decided that she wanted cutouts from other some other hastily drawn crayon doodles I made for her earlier (a princess and a flower). I went for the “90’s stamper marker look” (anyone remember those from their childhood?!).
STEP 3: Glue or tape the paper onto the container.
STEP 4: Use your new drums to play along with this brand new Crayons and Melodies original!
One of the main reasons I wrote this song was because while posts on homemade instruments for kids are a dime a dozen out here on the World Wide Web (who even calls it that anymore?!), it’s not as easy to find as many drumming activities for younger kids. This song can help children work on coordination, listening, and improvisation. I hope that you and your kiddos have fun with this!
And as always, thanks for taking the time to swing by and see what’s happening in this tiny corner of the internet. I hope that in same way, shape, or form, I’ve been able to share the joy of creating with you and the kids in your life 🙂
Happy crafting and music-making!
– Hannah