Making toys, making noise!
We made some tambourines at our session last week.
They were so easy and fun to make, and the faces of our little friends, shaking them about and discovering the noise they made, were priceless.
We know kids love to make things, and we know kids love to make noise. So here are some easy instructions to a couple of cute noise-makers that you can create with your kids at home, using only simple everyday and recycled materials that you probably already have.
Paper plate tambourines
a paper plate
some drawing materials
a stapler
sticky tape
a few teaspoons of dried pulses or grains
Decorate the underside of a paper plate to make it bright and colourful. Crayons, pastels, textas or stickers are all just fine for this.
Fold the plate inwards and in half. Use a stapler to seal the rounded edge, adding a staple every couple of centimetres. Leave a 5cm opening at one end.
Use a teaspoon to tip a small amount of a pulse or grain into the opening - lentils, dried peas, or rice will do.
Staple the gap closed, then cover all the staples along the edge with tape so that they’re not exposed. Any tape is fine for this, but washi tape adds colour. Make sure the sealed edge is secure to ensure that none of the pulses come out while shaking.
Tape on a couple of bits of streamer, ribbon or paper strips to make a colourful tail.
All done - time to shake, shake, shake your tambourine!
Oil pastels are great for adding vibrant colours. It is easier to decorate the plate flat, before folding.
Washi tape is great for fine motor skills. Pre-cut tape into lengths of about 5 cms, and lay them around a bowl or along the edge of the table so that little fingers can easily pick up and use it without getting into a sticky tangle.
Toilet roll Kazoos
A kazoo is a musical instrument that adds a "buzzing" quality to a player's voice. A kazoo player hums, rather than blows, into their instrument. Grab a toilet roll from your recycling box to whip up this simple and fun version.
a toilet roll
oil pastels or paint
kitchen paper (waxed or grease-proof)
scissors
a rubber band
Decorate the toilet roll to make it colourful. Paint, pasting or oil pastels are good for this, as if the roll is brown cardboard it can be hard to brighten with pencils or textas.
Poke a small hole into the side of the roll using a skewer or the end of the scissors (this part is definitely a grown-up’s job).
Trace a circle onto the kitchen paper using a saucer or bowl, then cut out the paper circle.
Attach the paper circle to one end of the roll by fastening it with the rubber band. Adjust paper so that it’s held reasonably smooth and taut.
Done! Put the open end of the roll to your lips. Practice making a blowing, humming sound into the open end until your kazoo becomes a fabulous musical instrument.
Let the music making begin!
Oil pastels are perfect for making bright marks on dull brown cardboard.
Use a bowl to trace a circle of kitchen paper, and cut it out.
A rubber band holds the paper taut across one end of the roll. This gives the kazoo its vibration.
