11 Radio-Craft For Kids

The best way to get kids interested in music is to make it fun. One way to do this is by encouraging them to create their own musical instruments. It’s easy,

11 Radio Craft For Kids

fun and they’ll be able to express themselves musically in a way that they never thought possible. Here are 11 ideas for creating musical instruments using everyday household objects:

The Music Maker

Materials:

A paper towel roll or a straw.
A rubber band, which can be found on an elastic band bracelet or purchased at most dollar stores.
A piece of cardboard from a box or cereal box that is about half the length of the paper towel roll you have chosen (if using a cardboard tube).
A piece of paper (or any material you can cut up into thin strips). This can be anything from construction paper to newspaper to tissue paper to toilet paper!

Paper Plate Shaker

How to make a paper plate shaker: Use a small paper plate. Make holes in the plate using scissors or a sharp pencil. String a piece of yarn through the holes and tie it to the end of a pencil or pen that you can hold. Shake and enjoy!

Pipe Cleaner Spinners

Pipe cleaners are cylindrical in shape, but they can be bent and manipulated into just about any shape you can think of. You can even make your own custom pipe cleaners by cutting them with a wire cutter!

You’ll also need:

cotton balls (plump or fluffy)
tape (masking, duct or electrical)
yarn (thin string) – scissors

Paper Straw Whistle

Materials needed:

paper straws
ruler (optional)
pencil or pen (optional)

Making the whistle:

Cut out a strip of paper that is about three inches long, and slightly over an inch wide. If you are using a ruler, make sure that the line between your two hands is exactly one inch. The length of this strip should be at least two inches longer than the width of your straws. You may want to cut multiple strips with different lengths if you’re making more than one whistle or if you have multiple sized paper straws available for use in this project! After cutting out your pieces, place them on top of each other in order so that it forms one long strip instead of many small rectangles; then wrap it around itself into a spiral shape so that it resembles a coil spring without any coils yet – just flat sheets stacked together next to each other with no gaps between them whatsoever so far!

Styrofoam Cup Phone

Let’s get started!

Before you begin, make sure the cup is clean and dry. It would be a shame to ruin your radio with a dirty cup. Also, make sure it’s empty—you don’t want any water splashing into your radio while you’re talking on the phone.

If you’ve done all of these things correctly, then you should have a good-quality set of cups ready for use! Now comes the fun part: creating sound waves by speaking into them!

Colander Head Radio Hat

Make a colander head radio hat by:

Using a colander as a helmet, and tape to secure it to your favorite hat.
Using the same method, but with a different kind of hat that you find more comfortable or durable. (You could also use two colanders and make it into an antenna!)
Using any other type of bowl-shaped object that might wear well in the rain or shine when wet, and attaching it to your favorite hat using tape.

Balloon Guitar

Now for the final instrument. The balloon guitar is created by tying the string to a straw, which is then stretched from one end of the room to another and taped to the wall. The straw should be at least six feet long and can be any length up to thirty feet or more if you have enough balloons.

The next step is to attach a rubber band at either end of your “instrument.” One end should go around your neck like a guitar strap, while the other will go around one finger on each hand (or two if you’re right-handed). Now it’s time to slide two balloons onto each end of your straw!

When you play this new creation with your partner, they will hold all four ends while you strum away at them with both hands! It’s important that both people play properly so as not to disturb anyone else in earshot or look silly when playing alone because only one person makes sound when using two balloons instead of three:

Boomwhackers

Boomwhackers are a type of percussion instrument, made from plastic tubing. They come in a variety of sizes and pitches, and you can even make your own!

If you want to get some boomwhackers for your kids, the easiest way is to buy them online. There are lots of different places that sell them, but we recommend buying from the music store directly because they have high quality materials and sound best when played with other instruments (like tambourines).

Your next step is to learn how to play the instrument! The easiest way is by watching videos online or in person with an experienced player. After that, just try experimenting until you find something fun! We’ve found that making up songs using only boomwhackers works really well; it’s also great practice for reading sheet music if they’re interested in learning more about music theory later on down the road too!

Bottle Band

The number of bottle bands you can make is limited only by your imagination. You can use different size bottles, different types of bottles (for example, cans or jars), and different types of caps (glass jars are often easier to work with than plastic ones). You can also use string or rubber bands that have been soaked in water for a period of time. This will allow you to stretch out the rubber band over the top of your bottle so that when you pull it back through, it will create a nice sound when it hits against the outside wall of your container.
If you want more options to make noises with your bottle band, try using paper as well as markers!

Jingle Bells Necklaces

First, cut three pieces of string. Tie a jingle bell to the end of each one. Tie the strings together and tie them around your child’s neck or waist so they can easily reach them. Then you can start making music! You can find great instructions on how to use these simple instruments in this article: http://www.parents.com/parenting/creativity/promote-music-in-your-child/.

Tambourines And Maracas

Use a plastic bottle. Tambourines and maracas can be made from a variety of materials, but consider using a plastic bottle for your beginners. These are easy to find, you don’t need to worry about sharp edges cutting their hands, and they’re cheap enough that you can buy several so that each child has one. You’ll just need to cut the bottom off (or remove it with pliers) so that it’s open at the bottom. Then punch 2 holes in either side and tie them together with some ribbon or string (or even twist ties). Tape these two pieces of cloth around the outside edges of the bottle and you’re done! You’ve made yourself a tambourine or maranca!
Use an empty lid from food packaging as an instrument by punching holes through it with an awl or nail and tying some string around it in order to hold onto it better while playing!

Children can create musical instruments for a great time.

Children will learn about sound and music
Children will learn about sound waves

Children can learn about sound waves and sound quality.

Conclusion

We hope you’ve enjoyed these craft ideas and will now be inspired to create a new instrument for your child. The important thing is that they are having fun and learning about how music works. If you want to learn more about making instruments with kids, check out our full post on the topic here!