Ice Drum Musical Instruments

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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.

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Supplies To Collect

food containers (yogurt, sour cream, margarine, etc.)
bowls
food coloring
drum sticks
large tub
spoons for stirring and drumming

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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.

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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

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

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

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Frozen Water Glass Xylophone

Another frozen water musical activity is to fill clear drinking glasses with varying amounts of colored water. Freeze them overnight and then set them on a table in a row. Have your little charges tap the water glasses with drumsticks to make higher and lower notes and experiment with melody making.