Music and Crafts

Probably is the most known way to create your first musical instrument for your child. But is also very easy and has a lot of fun

 

How to make Maracas

You will need the following:
- 2 empty plastic ice-cream cups (with their lids)
- 2 craft sticks
- Rice or Beans
- White acrylic paint
- Various colors
- Painting brush
- Cutter
- Hot glue (hot-melt adhesive or HMA)

Time for action!

Clean the ice cream cups well and then paint each cup and its lid only on the outside using white paint. Let them dry thoroughly.
Then paint the cups according to your taste with the colors and shapes you prefer. Here for example we have created stripes with bright colors on the cup and colored circles on the lid.
It is best to use colored craft sticks for your maracas but if you don't have any you can always paint the ones you have according to your taste and let them dry again thoroughly.
Fill up 1/3 of each cup with beans and rice
Make a slit in each lid with your cutter right in the center of the lid; the hole must be as big as the diameter of a craft stick.
Pass the sticks through each hole and fasten them with a little bit of hot melt.
Finally, put some more hot glue inside each lid (on the perimeter on the inner side); in this way you don't risk to see your maracas break open after the first shake.

Your maracas are ready! Enjoy the sound!

 

Some other ideas on Homemade Musical Instruments for Kids you can take from  http://www.thecraftycrow.net/2011/07/homemade-musical-instruments-for-kids.html.