music

Paper Plate Ocean Drum

March 6, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Ocean drums are versatile musical instruments that imitate the soothing sound of gentle waves hitting the shore. Your early learner can help create a paper plate ocean drum to make water sounds and will be able to use it in many other ways. The drum can be personalized and will look awesome displayed.

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What To Collect

two 9-inch paper plates

9 x 12-inch white cardstock

transparency film or clear file folder

photo of a child, family, or a pet

small beads

cinnamon candy hearts

alphabet letter beads

adhesive gems

scissors

glue gun

glue stick or glue tape

Making The Paper Plate Ocean Drum

Steps to create a personalized paper plate ocean drum.

Cut out the middle part of one paper plate.

Print a favorite photo onto cardstock paper. Or use a picture from a vintage calendar or magazine. Trace a 15.5 cm / 6 1/8 inch circle around the part of the picture chosen for the drum. Cut the circle out and use glue tape or a glue stick to paste it on the center of the second plate.

Cut the same sized circle from a clear file folder or sheet of transparency film.

Use a glue gun to attach the clear circle to the cut plate.

Sprinkle cinnamon candy hearts, letter beads, and small round beads onto the photo-enhanced plate. Alphabet letter beads that spell love or the name of a child or pet would work well.

Glue the edges of the two plates together with a glue gun.

If desired, decorate the paper frame of the drum with adhesive gems.

This paper plate ocean drum can be personalized with a picture of a family member and/or pet.

Playing the Ocean Drum

The crafted drum can be played many different ways, creating a variety of sounds:

Tilt the drum in all directions by rolling your wrist slowly while holding the instrument by its frame. The encased beads and candies will roll over the bottom and mimic the relaxing sound of waves lapping the shore.

Stop and start playing the instrument suddenly to make the sound of crashing waves.

Hold the drum over your head and tilt it.

Move the drum around your body.

Tap the drum gently with a drumstick.

Scrape the drum.

Use the percussion instrument as a shaker.

Make loud, soft, fast, and slow sounds.

Tap or shake a pattern of sounds.

This paper plate ocean drum can be personalized with a picture of a favorite pet.

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Ice Drum Musical Instruments

February 26, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

These ice drum musical instruments can be played outside or indoors any time of the year. The musical activities are inspired by the Siberian percussion group Etnobit, who experimented with playing ice on Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake.

What To Collect

food containers (yoghurt, sour cream, margarine, etc.)

bowls

food coloring

drum sticks

large tub

spoons for stirring and drumming

Making the Ice Drum Musical Instruments

Freeze water colored with food coloring in different sized food containers and bowls.

When frozen, remove the ice shapes from their molds and place them in a tub. Sprinkle snow in the tub first if it is available. Add drumsticks and objects for striking the ice.

Ice drum musical instruments that can be played indoors or outside any time of the year.

Playing The Ice Drums

Invite your early learners to experiment with drumming sounds on the ice chunks.

They can tap:

fast sounds

slow sounds

loud sounds

soft sounds

one slow note/ two fast notes rhythm

one loud note/two soft notes rhythm

The little learners can also tap their own melodies on the ice drums.

Watch this video to see the percussion group Etnobit playing music on ice slabs.

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Valentine’s Day Musical Instruments

February 14, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Valentine's Day containers with loose parts added make drum and shaker musical instruments perfect for sound exploration.

Save those little containers that valentine treats and crafts come in! Empty chocolate boxes, plastic jars, heart-shaped bowls, and small containers make excellent sensory and art supplies. And when used with drumsticks and filled with loose parts, they can also be Valentine’s Day musical instruments.

Valentine’s Day Loose Parts To Collect

Here’s a supply of loose parts that early learners could choose from for music-making:

Loose parts to add to Valentine's Day containers to make shaker and drum musical instruments.

mini rubber balls

coins

erasers

heart necklaces

heart-shaped cookie cutters

red heart gems

pompoms

buttons

X and O game pieces

This compartment tray holds the above items and the ones below:

Loose parts to add to Valentine's Day containers to make shaker and drum musical instruments, and a variety of drumsticks.

pony beads

red and white round gems

large red beads

striped straws

wooden hearts

Making Valentine’s Day Musical Instruments

Collect Valentine’s Day-themed containers and set them out on a table with a tray of loose parts. Encourage little learners to fill containers with one kind of loose part and add lids. Have them use the filled containers as shakers.

A collection of Valentine's Day-themed containers with loose parts and drumsticks for music-making.

A heart-shaped bowl and small tin make excellent drums. Just add drumsticks!

An overturned plastic heart-shaped bowl and small tin make excellent drums.

When covered with a lid and tipped from side to side, this pony bead-filled tin becomes an ocean drum.

A heart-shaped tin with pony beads added makes an ocean drum.

Why not go big? This large chocolate box heart works wonderfully as an ocean drum too. A few beaded necklaces add the sound.

A heart-shaped empty chocolate box with necklaces or loose parts added makes an ocean drum.

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Hawaiian Party

March 3, 2019 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Here’s a Hawaiian Party that works for all ages. We did it with a group of seniors, preschool children and their parents. It was dreamed up because this school year our preschool classes were invited to visit a seniors home to socialize with the residents. February was a great month to show some kindness, so we planned our visit then.

Hawaiian Holiday Theme

Hawaiian Holiday was the theme of choice. Our city was in the middle of a cold-weather spell, so the thinking was “If we can’t be in Hawaii, (where we would ALL rather be), then let’s bring Hawaii to us.”

Our preschool brought food and activities for the visit.

As seniors, preschool children and preschool parents entered the social room at the home, music from the CD “Golden Hits Of Hawaii” wafted through the air. (This is a favorite CD of Hawaiian music, and we’ve played it at school on some of our coldest days. The music lifts our spirits every time.)

As everyone chose a spot to sit, they were invited to make a paper lei.

Paper Hawaiian lei party craft suitable for all ages.

Next, our school group performed some action songs for seniors and parents. Songs from Dr. Jean Sing Along Read Along books and CDs were our choice. (Dr. Jean has many singing and learning activities available on her website and her YouTube Channel.)

Hawaiian Party Food

Then refreshments were served. Hawaiian themed paper plates were passed out.

Little muffins with parasols for decoration were offered.

Muffins decorated with parasols for a Hawaiian party snack.

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