Eco Jam

Ideas for making instruments:

• Maracas: Fill empty plastic bottles with rice, beans, or dried pasta and secure the lids with strong tape. Decorate the outside of the bottles with paint, markers, or stickers.
• Tambourine: Cut out two circles from cardboard and sandwich some metal bottle caps or jingle bells between them. Use a hole punch to make holes around the edge of the circles, and then tie pieces of ribbon or string through the holes to make the tambourine's frame.
• Shakers: Use empty toilet paper rolls or plastic eggs to make shakers. Fill them with small beads, seeds, or beans, and then decorate them with paint, markers, or stickers.
• Guitar: Cut a hole in the top of an empty shoe box and then wrap it with rubber bands to make the guitar strings. You can also use a cardboard tube as the neck and a plastic container lid as the pickguard.
• Drum: Use a large empty coffee can or oatmeal container as the drum body. Cut a circle of cardboard to fit the top and bottom of the can, and then glue or tape it in place. Cover the drum with fabric, paper, or paint, and add some drumsticks made from wooden dowels or chopsticks.

• Challenge the children to create instruments that produce specific sounds or tones.
• Encourage them to work in teams to create a band or orchestra with their homemade instruments.
• Ask the children to create their own songs or lyrics to go along with their musical creation.
• Provide simple rhythm exercises or music games for children to play.
• Invite a guest musician to visit and lead a music workshop or performance.