Musical Instruments Kids Can Make from Everyday Materials

Kids love to create and kids love to make music. So, what better way to learn about sound, rhythm, and music than to help your kids use everyday materials to create some fun musical instruments. Check out these idea for your younger and older kids and get the whole family making music together with a DIY band.

Musical Instruments Younger Kids Can Make

Your younger kids may need a bit more help assembling these musical instruments, but they’ll love the finished product! Here are some ideas so try.

This tambourine just uses paper plates and bells to create a fun rhythmic experience. Of course, your kids can get super crafty with this one too, decorating their tambourine with stickers and markers. They will need your help to punch holes around the paper plate, but other than that, most kids can make their own in as little as 30 minutes.

Another simple musical instrument kids can make are finger cymbals. And these use recycled materials, so that’s even better! Using cardboard and bottlecaps as the main materials, your kids can decorate and paint the pieces before you help them assemble the instrument. Turn on some music and let your kids tap away to the beat with their homemade finger cymbals.

All you need are some plastic straws, tape, and scissors to help your kids make a Straw Flute! You really can’t mess this up, and it will be fun to experiment with different lengths of straws to see which ones produce higher or lower sounds. Add this one to your box of musical instruments kids can make.

Your little ones will love to play with Duct Tape Drums – and you can make this DIY musical instrument set with recycled cans and containers! Once you help them add duct tape sheets to the top of the containers, they can play along with music (or without) to their heart’s content.

The Cardboard Tube Kazoo is so easy to make and so fun to play! The main materials include a cardboard tube, wax paper, and a rubber band.

You can take a recycled yogurt cup, pipe cleaners, and jingle bells and create a Homemade Bell with your younger kids. They’ll need a little help assembling this musical instrument, but it’s a lot of fun to play.

DIY Instruments Older Kids Can Make

Your older kids can tackle some more complicated musical instrument projects. Here are some fun ones to try with your 8+ year olds.

Kids love guitars, and believe it or not, they’re a pretty simple musical instrument that even your kids can make. Using an empty cardboard box, paper tube, and rubber bands, you can help your kids put together this DIY Guitar. Try using different sizes of rubber bands for different sounds.

These Easter Egg Maracas look like paper mache, but without all the mess! Using plastic eggs, plastic spoons, washi tape, and rice or beans, your older kids can create these fun maracas.

Did you know you can whistle with just a straw and a cup of water? Your older kids will love creating a Water Whistle and experimenting with it. Get some straws in various sizes to see how that changes the sound they make

More Musical Activities To Try

If you’re looking for resources to help you add more music activities into your homeschool, then these links will help!

• Budget-Friendly Ways to Do Art and Music
• The Carnival of the Animals Homeschool Music Lesson for K-2
• Make Coffee Can Drums
• Salt Shaker Noise Maker
• Toilet Paper Roll Kazoo
• FREE Resources about Musical Instruments
• Musical Instruments Around the World Guided Drawing