Which musical instrument will you make first? 

It’s the middle of the summer and it’s always a lot of fun to add a different element to your free playtime! Why not add musical opportunities for fun!

Turn up the music for a little afternoon dance party. Pull out some instruments or even make your own and learn to play one!

DIY Musical Instruments for Music with Kids

• Water Play with Music by Childs Play Music
• Teaching Kids How Sound is Made by Kids Activity Blog
• Incorporating Music into Your Daily Life by Mama Smiles
• Exploring Acoustic Sounds with Science from Science Sparks
• Outdoor Learning Station from My Nearest and Dearest
• Create a Simple Outdoor Music Play Area from Play Dr. Mom
• How to Make a Music Wall from Pre K and K Sharing

Did you know that March is celebrated as Music In Our Schools Month®? This DIY Musical Instrument ideas are a fun way to extend learning at home with your child.

Spin Hand Drums by Alice and Lois

DIY Instruments

• DIY Craft Stick Harmonica
• DIY Rainstick from I Can Teach My Child
• DIY Xylophone  from Relentlessly Fun Deceptively Educational
• DIY Hand Drum by Alice and Lois
• DIY Stick Piano
• DIY Palm Pipes
• DIY Bongo Drums
• DIY Straw Flute
• DIY Guitar
• Music Measure of Math Printables
• Mini Lid Banjos by The Craft Train

Mini Lid Banjos by The Craft Train

For two summers my daughter had the opportunity to attend a Music Summer Camp and our Kindermusik Teacher. It was fun to see them learn to play bells one year and the xylophone the other year.

For even more fun here are some tips for How to Teach Piano to a 5-Year old.

What Music Goal could you set for your child this summer?

Music Activities for Kids

Here’s a few posts on The Educators’ Spin On I that we’ve shared with our readers of how to incorporate music at home.

• Making your Own Instruments from Recycled Containers
• Action Songs for Kids
• Parenting Tips for Making Music Everyday
• Outdoor Music Station
• Songs for Teaching Kindness
• Exploring the Northern Lights with Art and Music
• Growing music: Growing Instruments
• Music with Children Pinterest Board

And then this is one of those times when it’s super hot outside or raining and lightning that you can play a movement video game. The Just Dance Kids video games are super fun to do with just one child or quite a few!

So what are you waiting for, get up a DANCE, SIGN and MAKE MUSIC!

What Instrument will you make first with your child?

You may also find these activities fun for your child…

We encourage you to weave songs about sharing, helping others, using kind words, and being a friend throughout your daily activities.

Here are 7 songs for Teaching Kindness

What I Am, A Sesame Street Song by Will.i.am

What I am is HELPFUL!!!”

Children’s Song for Developing Manners and Character by Tiny Grads

Being honest and polite is important!

Kindness is a Muscle

Together they show us how to flex our kindness muscles and remind us that kindness counts!

FILL YOUR BUCKET SONG by The Learning Station

When we are kind, we fill a bucket.

You are My Bestest Friend in the Whole Wide World by Koo Koo Kanga Roo

You make me feel like a million dollars.

Best Friends Forever – Silly Song by Veggies Tales

“I think you are swell!”

BEING KIND: The Music Video that Circle the World

Spread kindness to every living soul

A very sweet music video for kids of all ages to inspire kindness.

BONUS Song: Sesame Street: Try a Little Kindness (with Tori Kelly)

K is for kindness! It’s a simple word, it’s true, but it’s amazing what a word can do! Sing along with Tori Kelly and the rest of the Sesame Street gang as they sing a song all about kindness. How will you be kind today?

More Kindness Theme Preschool Activities for Kids

• Writing Activities: Kindness Postcards by Growing Book by Book
• Writing Kind Notes with Alphabet Stampsby Mom Inspired Life
• How many kind hands am I tall? – measuring with hands by Rainy Day Mum
• Teaching Kids Kindness by Making Cards for Sick Children by Capri + 3
• Virtual Kindness Notes from Kids by Still Playing School
• Kindness Activities Preschool Chart by Fun-A-Day
• Teaching Preschoolers Kindness with Bob and Larry by Life Over C’s

• Gratitude Prompts for Kids with Printable Journal
• Kindness Elves Ideas for Busy Parents
• Kindness Elves Free Printables
• 40 Acts of Kindness by Kids for Mom
• Raising a Kind Hearted Kids
• Creating a Kindness Package with a Book
• Random Acts of Kindness for Fall
• Random Acts of Kindness Calendar

Kindness Themed Books for Preschoolers

Here are a few stories that can go along with these kindness songs. They are linked to Amazon with our referral link for easy shopping.

• The Kindness Book by Todd Parr
• We’re All Wonders
• Superbuns!: Kindness Is Her Superpower by Diane Kredensor
• We All Sing With the Same Voice by J. Philip Miller
• The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
• Tomorrow I’ll Be Kind by Jessica Hische
• Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller
• Kindness is my Superpower by Alicia Ortego
• I Am Love: A Book of Compassion by Susan Verde

Here’s the complete collection of Books About Kindness for Kids.

Do you have a favorite song for teaching kindness? Share with us in the comments below!

Here are our favorite action songs for babies that your baby will fall in love with for hours of fun and developmental growth.

Let’s explore how to add these baby action songs into your baby’s routine at home.

Baby Songs

There are so many fun songs for babies out there but I bet it’s been years since you’ve sung them.

As a new parent, these baby songs listed below are some of my favorites.

Part of what makes them my favorite is that they are also moving parts of their bodies as you sing with them. Combining both auditory skills and movement skills with your baby songs involves different parts of their brain.

A big win in my books is when I can stimulate growth in various parts of my baby’s development.

Disclosure: This post has affiliate links to Amazon for you to shop with.  

Clap Clap Clap Your Hands!

My daughter learned to clap recently and now she’s clapping at everything she does. She even claps when she successfully falls down from standing, too funny.  It made me stop and think about how much we’ve been modeling for her how to clap and what fun it can be to celebrate the little things.

Of course, the teacher in me was spinning ideas of all the benefits she’s learning from learning songs with Mommy. Plus now we can add instruments like these baby instruments on Amazon to our music fun too.

Most importantly singing with your children creates such a special bond between you and your little one.

Skills to Develop during Music Time for Babies

• Builds language development
• Allows for self-expression
• Learning about body parts
• Increases listening skills and opportunities to follow directions
• Builds social awareness
• Increases attention span
• Teaches order and sequence
• Builds dexterity and muscle control

I hope that you’ll take time each day to sing with your baby! 
Music is such a gift in the life of a child.

For more baby songs Try Amazon Music Unlimited Free Trial

Tips on Setting up Toy Stations for your Baby including a Music Station 

Action Songs for Babies

Here are some fun ACTION songs we’ve been singing for our baby songs.

Clap Clap Clap Your Hands

Clap clap clap your hands
Clap your hands together
Clap clap clap your hands
Clap your hands together.

TIP: You can easily substitute clap into any action word like stomp, jump tap wiggle and change hands to a different body part.

We like to sing this version as I lift her up in the air too.

Jump jump jump up high
Jump way up in the sky
Jump jump jump up high
Jump way up in the sky

LISTEN TO THE SONG

If You’re Happy and You Know It

If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know it then your face will surely show it.
If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands!

TIP: You can change clap to any action word too!  (Shake, wave, snap, reach up high etc.)

LISTEN TO THE SONG

The Merry Goes ‘Round by Jewel 

The Baby Hokey Pokey

You put your arms up
You put your arms down
You put your arms up
And you wave them all around
You tickle, tickle, tickle
And you wiggle, wiggle, wiggle

The baby hokey pokey is fun!

You put your legs up
You put your legs down
You put your legs up
And you wave them all around
You tickle, tickle, tickle
And you wiggle, wiggle, wiggle

The baby hokey pokey is fun!

You put your baby up
You put your baby down
You put your baby up
And you wave her all around
You tickle, tickle, tickle
And you wiggle, wiggle, wiggle

The baby hokey pokey is fun!

TIP: This song teaching about all body parts with your baby, get creative!

LISTEN TO THIS SONG

The Singable Songs Collection 

What are your favorite Action Songs you sing with your Baby?

Try Amazon Music Unlimited Free Trial for baby songs

Music Ideas for Baby Songs

Looking for more ways to have fun with music with your baby?  Here are some instruments ideas to go along with your music time for babies.

• Exploring Music with Kids
• Parenting Tips for Making Music Every Day! 
• Create your Own Musical Instruments
• Growing Your Own Instruments 
• Tips on How to Play with your 2 Month Old Baby

You can check out more Baby Time ideas on our site!

Hope you enjoy these adorable baby songs with movements with your littlest one!

You may also enjoy these activities with your baby…

Make your Own Instruments for Babies & Toddlers

It’s so important for babies and toddlers to have music in their everyday lives. With some of your child’s favorite action songs you can have some fun with making your own instruments for shakers.

We found all sorts of containers over the past month to save for our musical instruments.  Baby snack containers, soda bottles, oatmeal containers, popcorn treats, chocolate milk you name it I saved it from our holiday parties. 

You need to use caution and make sure it’s a container that will stand up to a little one exploring it.

Grab your containers and let’s get started!

I used beans and rice from our cupboard to fill the inside to make the shakers.  If you are doing several containers use a variety of materials inside. It’s great practice in auditory discrimination to listen and try to see what’s inside the various containers. Some other ideas for materials are beads, bells, or pebbles. 

Just a reminder to make sure you seal the container with hot glue or tape to avoid any spills or choking hazards and have adult supervision at all times with any homemade toy.

(Avoid using kidney beans as they can be dangerous if consumed uncooked.) 

I used some wrapping paper to decorate our Musical drums and shakers. I cut the paper to fit and then covered the entire container with packing tape, contact paper would work too. Just to make it more durable and kid-friendly.   

I love how bright they turned out with very little effort. A great spot I find fun paper at is the Dollar Spot at Target! 

If I was having my Toddler, Preschooler, or school-aged child make it, I would let them decorate it with stamps, stickers, and coloring or painting them before I covered them with contact paper or packaging tape.

Here are some ideas for DIY Instruments for School Ages!

Fun Activities for Homemade Musical Instruments

• Shake It Varying the speed and also how you shake it
• Roll It Roll the containers between your hands or on the floor for a different sound
• Drum Fun  Using their hands or an object like a wooden spoon or drumstick practice hitting it
• Match my Sound  Fast or slow have your little one copy you with the sounds you do or copy them
• Stack it  Using the containers have fun arranging them in various ways
• Dance Time  Hold the shakers and dance to music

My daughter was so excited when she woke up from her nap to play with these today.  She took lots of her time shaking them and hitting them but she also stacked them up and arranged them all over the room.  So much FUN! 

Since we used containers they also become stacking toys, great for gross and fine motor skills and visual discrimination by learning about sizes.

The best part is that we made these for almost no Money, they were all things I had lying around the house.

I can’t wait until big sister comes home from school so that we can play our instruments with her during Family Jam Time!  This musical instrument activity with the containers is great for any age, especially when you’re looking for something for Sibling Playtime .  

If you’re looking for more ways to use Reused Materials, check out how we used the Lids from veggie & fruit pouches!  Don’t forget to RECYCLE your containers when you are all done playing.

Hope you have fun with your little ones!  Musical Fun should be a part of EVERY DAY!

Check out more of our Baby Time Activities here!

Today we have the talented writer and musician, Daria sharing ideas for growing your own musical instrument. My 4 year old and 7 year old adore spending time on her site researching and listening to the variety of instrument recordings available.

I strongly encourage you to check it out Daria World Music Website.

Grow a Musical Instrument – Gardening With Gourds!

Sure, a garden has delicious veggies and lovely flowers, but did you know that you can also grow a musical instrument? All around the world, people have used dried gourds as the basis for some really amazing musical creations – and so can you!

Grow Some Gourds

Gourds are easy-to-grow vines that can fit in almost any garden. If you have limited space, you can plant in a pot and encourage the vine to grow up a trellis, fence or a similar structure. In Africa and South America, some “bushel gourds” are so large they can be used for cooking pots or the water drum that is pictured here.

In the USA, “birdhouse gourds” and “snake gourds” are a bit easier to grow and will definitely make a fun plant to watch, harvest and dry for crafting purposes.

But just remember, unlike squash and similar vines, these gourds are ornamental, so don’t plan on eating them!

Gourds as Shekeres

Shekeres are played in Africa and all around the world.  They are a dried gourd with a special netting; called a skirt, of seeds or beads around the outside.

This gourd was made by a master craftswoman from Africa named Sara ‘Fabunmi, but we’ve created a tutorial where you can make your own simpler versions. Here is a homemade examples of shekere craft gourds (see below).

What does a shekere sound like when it’s played?  You can hear one here or purchase step-by-step instructions on how to make one from Daria’s TPT store.

Snake Gourds as Guiros

You’ve probably already guessed how a snake gourd got its name.  Its long thin snake-like shape makes it perfect for creating a Latin American-style guiro – an instrument played by rubbing or scratching the ridges with a stick or a rasp.

To hear a guiro, click here.

Recycled “Gourd” Instruments

If these musical instruments sound like fun but you don’t want to wait until your gourds are harvested and dried, here are some fun versions of the same instruments using recycled materials:

Make a sticker shekere

Make a guiro from a recycled water bottle

How did people discover these gourds could become musical instruments?  They grew them in their garden and let their imagination and creativity take over.  If you decide to plant gourds this year, you can have a lot of fun with them while they grow and chances are good that you will end up with some equally crafty and wonderful creations!

About DARIA

World Music children’s performer DARIA (Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou) has spent the last two decades performing in the USA and around the world, creating music to inspire all the world’s children.  Along with numerous national awards for her culturally diverse music, Daria’s website (www.dariamusic.com) was given a Parent’s Choice Award and offers many great resources for teachers, parents and kids of all abilities.

We hope to inspire you to garden with your child this year!!!

Here are some articles to get your minds spinning about gardening!

• Herb Painting by Mama Miss
• Painting with Flowers by Nicolette Roux
• Garden Photography with Kids by Kim Vij

Music is a powerful learning tool for parents to use every day.

As I was belting out the song, “When the Saints Go Marching In,” while marching around the room, banging a drum with my four year old today, I was also thinking of 3 things.  

1. I am NOT a good singer – but oh well – making music with my child has language benefits.
2. I am NOT a talented musician – but, oh well – letting him feel the beat with his marching feet and hear my steady drum beat lets him begin to grasp the rhythm of words.
3. This music stuff is really good, I should share it with our readers.  Wait, I am NOT the one to be sharing parenting tips for making music with your child every day – time to bring in the experts.

And then he stopped marching.

I focused on him and only him.

“What did the words mean?” he quizzed me.

“I don’t understand what you are asking.” I answered.

“Who are the saints? Why are they marching? When was this song written…”

And the importance of music rained down on me in the form of a preschooler’s questions. Often as parents, we forget how the simplest things can be of such high learning value. MUSIC is a powerful learning tool and one that we at The Educators’ Spin On It feel strongly about.

So without further adieu, I asked an expert in the field of musical education if she would share some parenting tips to help us “Make Music Every Day!”

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Making Music Every Day

By Lacey Cupp

Like most parents, my life is busy. Very busy. And I only have one child! I’m a full-time working mom of a 2-year-old with a daily routine of getting myself and our daughter out the door, putting in a long day teaching middle school, cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, grocery shopping, snuggling, and much more.

With a busy life, it’s easy to overlook great opportunities to enrich your child’s world with culture, art, music, and more. But, my experiences over the years as a music teacher of varying age groups make incorporating music into my toddler’s day a natural occurrence.

I’ll highlight some of the music-making moments we share on a regular basis. Maybe you will find these same ideas can be worked into your busy life, too.

First, some helpful hints and tips:

• You don’t have to be a musical prodigy to make music with your child. Sing, dance, and play instruments in your own way regardless of your ability level or confidence level. Let your hair down and have fun!
• Remember that children’s voices are naturally pitched higher than most adult voices. When singing with your child or modeling for them, sing in a higher range than you might normally use. Your child will be more likely to sing on pitch with you.
• Follow your child’s lead! Children love to have their musical ideas acknowledged and mimicked. If your child claps to the beat, copy and encourage.
• Don’t expect your child to maintain a steady beat or match pitch from the very beginning. These are difficult skills that take lots of experience to develop. Remember, too, that small children have a faster heart rate than adults. Therefore, their natural tendency is to keep a faster beat than you and I, until their musical skills become more advanced.

There are a million and one ways to make music with your child throughout the day.

Here are just a few ideas to add singing, dancing, and playing to your daily life:

• Start the day with a song! Whether a “good morning” song or something you and your child enjoy, greet her with a happy tune.
• Make up rhymes or songs for difficult activities. Getting a toddler dressed or changing a wiggly one’s diaper can sometimes be a struggle. Make the unpleasant parts of your child’s routine enjoyable by using a familiar tune and changing the words to suit the moment.
• Incorporate made-up songs into playtime, too. For example, while rolling a ball across the room, sing “Roll, roll, roll the ball, roll it on the floor…” to the tune of “Row, row, row your boat”. You may surprise yourself with your creative rhymes.
• Have a dance party! After a long, difficult day, come home from work and crank up the tunes. Your child will get a kick out of dancing around the house and seeing her parents act silly. It lifts everyone’s spirit and even gets in a little exercise for the day!
• Turn found objects around the house into instruments. There are the traditional pots and pans, but don’t overlook other opportunities. Empty plastic containers and wooden spoons make great drums. A box of elbow macaroni makes a nice shaker. (Be sure it’s tightly sealed!) A plastic utensil rubbed along the teeth of a comb makes a cool scraper. The possibilities are endless!
• Listen to more than just “kid” music. Of course, listening to and teaching traditional children’s music is very important, but children need exposure to a variety of styles to develop good musical ears. You may be surprised that your child finds some of your musical selections enjoyable.
• Enroll your child in a music class. In many areas, there are a lot of options for group music making. Be sure the class is age-appropriate and taught by a trained, experienced teacher. Music classes for young children should be semi-structured with many opportunities for spontaneity and creativity. Classroom settings should be spacious, but not so large your child can roam away. The room should be well-organized and safe for little ones. These classes will not only give you and your child a special music time together, but will help to develop social, emotional, physical, verbal, and musical skills!

I hope you find yourself looking for every possibility to make music with your child. You don’t have to be raising the next Mozart to make music an important part of your everyday life. Children are naturally drawn to the joy and creativity of singing, dancing, and playing. Make music a priority to nurture this natural tendency everyday!

Lacey Cupp is a music teacher with a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Missouri State University and a Master of Music Education degree from the University of Florida. Her teaching experience includes seven years in the elementary music classroom teaching Pre-K thru 5^thgrade and three years teaching middle school choir. Lacey also operated a Kindermusik studio for three years, teaching children ages 0-7 and their families in a group setting.

THANK YOU Lacey for sharing these helpful parenting tips with us.

For even more music every day ideas here at The Educators’ Spin On It, stop by these great posts:

• A Collection of Music Ideas
• Making Music in the Outdoor Garden
• Action Songs for Baby
• Make your Own Drum and Shaker
• Growing a Musical Instrument
• 7 Songs for Teaching Kindness

I don’t remember where I first read about creating a natural playscape and using music, but I do remember from the first moment I read about it, that I wanted to have a place for my children to make music outside.

How to Make a Bell Bush

Materials Needed to Make a Bell Bush

• Bells
• Ribbon
• Scissors

Direction for how to Make a Bell Bush

1. Cut several pieces of ribbon.
2. Sting the ribbon through the bells
3. Hang at kid-height on a low bush or tree branch.

For the price of a bag of bells and some yarn, we now have a bell bush, that my 5 year old has named “The Fairy Bush.”  We have had the Fairy Bush in our yard for almost a year now and I am surprised at how often it is rung! 

My 22 month old is now a big fan and makes a point of shaking the branches and pulling the bells every morning.  Even our dog joins in the fun and shakes it.

Here is a quick mini-tour of this natural playscape area if you want to see more!

You may also enjoy these activities with your child…