Musical Instrument Craft

My kids love to listen to music & make music. I make fun & easy homemade instruments for them to play with. I make maracas (shakers) by using a paper towel tube & filling it with uncooked rice or pasta (only fill about 1/4 of the way full)& then put duck tape or packing tape over the ends to secure the stuff inside. The more or less that you put inside makes a difference in the sound you get. You can paint or decorate them with stickers or something too. Also to make drums, you can use Quaker Oats containers & I even poke holes in the side near the top & string a a shoe lace or other string through it so they can wear it around their neck too while they play (be careful with younger ones to make sure they don't hurt themselves!). Wooden or plastic spoons make good drum sticks too. There are so many household items that can be used for musical instruments but, these are just a couple of ideas.