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Music Makes Me Happy

Ages: Toddlers and preschoolers

Materials: Toilet paper or paper towel tubes, masking tape, dried beans, paper plates, markers, stickers, examples of sheet music 

Creating simple instruments is a fun way to teach your little one about the joys of music.

Instructions:

1. Read a book about music from our booklist. Talk about different types of music, such as classical, country, or hip-hop.  

2. Share an example of a piece of sheet music with your child. Tell her that the notes on the page are a special type of written language that allows musicians to know what notes to play.

3. Lay out everything you'll be using to make your musical instruments. Invite your child to decorate the tubes and paper plates (only the bottom side will show). Help her write her name and other music-related words like 'notes', 'tune', and 'lyrics.'

4. After your child has finished decorating, place masking tape over one end of the tube and add a handful of beans. Next, tape off the other end of the tube to make a shaker. If you are using paper plates, place beans on plate. Top the first plate with another inverted plate and tape together.

5. Put on some music and shake, shake, shake!