Tag Archives: quijada

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rock Out! 10 Great Recycled Instruments to Make With Your Child!

josef and cajon

Turn a broomstick into Australian bilma for some really versatile rhythm sticks. Or a cardboard box into a Peruvian cajón – perfect to learn hand-drumming!  You’d be surprised how many wonderfully unique world music instruments can Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rock Out - Coverbe made from recycled or repurposed materials.  And sound good.  And inspire musical play in your home or classroom.

Best of all, many of these instruments mean thinking about things in a new way.  Working with these simple crafts, kids can see how many important items originally came from nature – such as Native American turtle shell rattles, rainsticks from chola cactus branches and bamboo reeds were fashioned into panpipes.  Or how things take on a special significance when they are made by hand or made with love and personal attention.  And how some of the most amazing instruments are the quietest – like a simple sistrum that dates back to ancient Egypt.  Or a drum that can do an zamponas front and backamazing impression of the sounds of surf.

While crafting with your kids, you can explore a variety of beautiful world cultures and use it as a way of connecting with your class, your family or your community.

Here’s a list of the recycled instruments found in the E-book.

Screen shot 2014-03-03 at 5.26.10 PMACTIVITY ONE

Australian blima clapsticks from broomsticks or tree branches

ACTIVITY TWO

Peruvian style cajón drum from a cardboard box of any size

horse gong imageACTIVITY THREE

Chinese-style gong from a recycled roasting pan or cookie sheet

ACTIVITY FOUR:

A South American “quijada” jawbone instrument made from egg cartons

ACTIVITY FIVE

An ocean drum made from a pizza box and recycled plastic folders

ACTIVITY SIX

A rainstick made from a used mailing tube

ACTIVITY SEVEN

An Egyptian sistrum from a forked tree branch or a coat hanger

tingsha on white 1ACTIVITY EIGHT

Tinghsa handbells made from repurposed “Snapple” tops

ACTIVITY NINE

Native American turtle shell rattle from take-out containers

josef playing straw zamponasACTIVITY TEN

Panpipes from clean, recycled drinking straws

So download the book, dig into the recycling bin and make a joyful noise today!

Free Download!

If you’re reading this post during April 2014, you can get a free download of this awesomely green musical craft book here: http://www.dariamusic.com/monthly_song.php

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rock Out! is also available from TeachersPayTeachers here:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Reduce-Reuse-Recycle-Rock-Out-E-Book-With-10-Musical-Activities-653502

 

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Simple Instruments For Toddlers – An Egg Carton Rattle

monster-rattles-the-whole-crewSometimes homemade fun is the best of all!

And, if you can find all the materials you need to make a new musical toy or rattle for your child around your kitchen or craft area – all the better!  In this simple instrument, you get to reuse an empty egg carton and create a funny musical face at the same time.

quijadaThis simple musical craft is based on one of my favorite rattles that come from Peru.  It’s called a quijada and it’s actually made from the jawbone of a donkey.  You hold it in one hand and tap with the other hand or fist and the teeth rattle around in the sockets.  Although the egg carton rattle has no real teeth, you can tap the side for a similar sound as well as shake it back and forth, up and down or let your child tap the top like a drum.

quijada suppliesWhat do you use to fill the rattle?  Practically anything that will fit in the space for the eggs. Look for 12 items that can fit into the carton just like teeth.  Jingle bells sound great – they jangle as you hit them. You can also use pebbles, marbles, macaroni or bottle caps.  Each one will sound a bit different when placed inside the rattle.

And, we’ve given you some fun designs to so each rattle can have a personality of it’s own.  Pick silly or scary, choose a full color monster or print out the black and white version and color it on your own. Or design your own face and send us a picture.  We’d love to see the wonderful things that you can do when you combine being creative, silly and musical at the same time!

Here’s the detailed instructions as a pdf, coloring pages for the faces and some other related activities and crafts:

Egg Carton Monster Rattle pdf from TeachersPayTeachers ($1.99)

(including funny faces coloring pages in black + white and color )

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/EGG-CARTON-QUIJADA-MUSICAL-RATTLE-1146672

18 free musical crafts and coloring pages:

http://www.dariamusic.com/crafts.php

See, Hear and Color eight different world music instruments here:

http://www.dariamusic.com/cajon.php