Looking for ideas free things to do with the kids that won’t cost anything? How about a forming a family orchestra or band?! And if you don’t have real instruments then gather together a few items from around the house and have fun with your children making these homemade musical instruments for kids, perfect for playing some music together!

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Practising a few simple tunes together can end up being a whole lot of fun. Why not record The Band’s first performance so everyone can enjoy watching it afterwards!

If you don’t have actual instruments in the house (but even a toy keyboard can be pressed into action here!) then here are some easy simple instruments you can make with things you’ll find around your home.

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Homemade Musical Instruments for Kids

#1. Paper Towel Trumpet

You Will Need:

• 1 paper towel tube
• Waxed paper or baking parchment
• A rubber band
• A pen

What to Do:

1. Cover one end of the paper towel tube with waxed or parchment paper, secure it with a rubber band.
2. Punch a row of holes along one side of the tube with the tip of the pen.
3. To play, sing a tune into the open end of the horn.

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#2. Pot Cover Cymbals

You Will Need:

• 2 pot covers (if you can get matching sizes that’s ideal but don’t worry if you can’t)
• Ribbon (or string or yarn)

What to Do:

1. Tie each end of a length of ribbon (string/yarn) around the handles of the two pot covers.
2. Strike them together to “play your cymbals”.

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#3. Glass Jar Xylophone

You Will Need:

• 5-8 jars
• Water
• A spoon

What to Do:

1. 1. Fill the jars with different levels of water. Lower sounds will come from jars with more water in them, higher sounds from jars with less water in them.
   2. To play, gently strike the jars with your spoon. (Take care not to hit too hard!)

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#4. Coffee Tin Drum

You Will Need:

• Empty coffee (or other) tin with plastic lid
• 2 pencils

What to Do:

1. Wash and dry out your empty tin.
2. Beat the pencils on the lid of your tin to “play your drum”.

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#5. Buzzing Comb

You Will Need:

• A comb
• Some tissue paper

What to Do:

1. Fold a piece of tissue paper over the tooth edge of the comb.
2. Then hum through the tissue paper.

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#6. Shoebox Guitar

You Will Need:

• 1 empty shoe box
• Rubber bands
• Ruler or stick

What to Do:

1. Take off the box lid and stretch the rubber bands around the box.
2. Attach the ruler/stick to the back of the box at one end for the guitar arm.
3. Strum or pluck the rubber bands to “play your guitar”.

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