Infant Stimulation
Homemade Instrument Ideas
Compiled by Lisa Neseth
- Pop Bottle Maraca: Rinse out a large plastic pop bottle, remove paper label from outside, and let it dry. Fill bottle with uncooked spaghetti. You may want to break some of the pieces and leave others long. Use 30-50 pieces of spaghetti total. Screw on bottle top and secure it with duct tape. For babies it is best to use a clear plastic bottle and black or white tape due to their perception of colors and contrasts. For older children you may want to use green pop bottles or to food color the spaghetti pieces. This instrument may be used in many ways. It can be played as a shaker for auditory stimulation and to encourage motor development. The swirling effect of the spaghetti when the instrument is shaken provides visual stimulation. Babies may prop up against the bottle, push it, or roll onto it. If two of these instruments are made, they may be hit together to produce tones and develop bilateral hand use. The instrument may be placed so that the plastic of the bottle touches the ear while fingers are tapped against the plastic. This produces interesting sounds.
- Strumming Board: Wrap a firm piece of cardboard with aluminum foil. Place large, thick rubber bands across the piece of cardboard. When these rubber bands are popped, they do not sting the fingers. This instrument may be played by strumming across the rubber bands, by popping the rubber bands, or by holding the cardboard and then plucking the rubber band to produce a pitch. This instrument may be used to encourage individual finger movements, to develop pincer grasp, to encourage finger flexion and extension, to encourage bilateral use of hands, and to improve fine motor coordination. This instrument also provides auditory and visual stimulation.
- Maracas (Shakers): Buy a box of multi-colored plastic pop-beads (approximately 1 3/8 inches in diameter). Place various edibles in each and plug with pieces of a dowel rod 3/8 inches wide in diameter. (You may buy a dowel rod at a hardware store and have it cut into 4-7 pieces, depending on the length you choose for the handles of your instruments. 3.5-6 inches in length is recommended). You may put red beans in one pop-bead, rice in another, and macaroni in another. Make at least one pair of maracas using the same amount of each type of edible that you have. These instruments may be used to work on auditory discrimination and matching skills by asking the person with whom you are working to find another shaker that sounds like the one you are playing. This maraca is the ideal size and weight to use to encourage a person to transfer an object from one hand to the other. Playing two of these together may be used to develop bilateral use of hands.
Use a hollow gourd, pill bottle, or empty soda can. Fill it with beans, seeds, or something else that is edible. Secure the hole used to insert the beans by wrapping it with tape. Paint over the can or decorate the gourd so that it is visually stimulating, being sure that it would be very difficult to break open the container.
Make a shaker by attaching two deep-sized paper or cardboard plates together by stapling them. Before stapling, put seeds, beans, or something edible in the bottom plate. Decorate the plates brightly. Your child may want to help by coloring, painting, or attaching yarn or colored papers to the plate. You may also add jingle bells to make a tambourine. - Egg Maracas: Buy multi-colored plastic eggs that open. Place a small handful of edibles in each egg and close it, securing it shut with brightly colored electrical tape. You may want to use macaroni, rice, red beans, or popcorn. Make at least one pair of maracas using the same amount of each type of edible that you have. These maracas may be used to develop auditory discrimination and matching skills by asking the person with whom you are working to find the other egg that sounds like the one you are playing. They are also an ideal size to use to work on grasping. You may want to use a wide-mouthed plastic jar with a screw-on lid as a container for eggs. Opening the jar, removing the eggs one at a time, exploring them and playing them, returning them to the jar one at a time, and then closing the jar may be structured into a game.
- Stimulation Box: Find a large cardboard box (for example, one used for even, file cabinet, half size refrigerator). The box should be large enough to place a person inside of it. Warehouses are usually glad to donate them. Line each side with a different type of material that is interesting to touch-for example, carpet squares that are soft and fluffy, material scraps from a furry coat, smooth-edged tiles. These items should be easily obtainable from outlet stores who are usually willing to donate them or sell them very cheaply. Place a smooth-edged mirror on one side of the box. Suspend jingle bells, noise makers, colored yarn, etc. from the top of the box. Cut a slit in the top of the box and place a colored light of a flashlight over the slit. Attach a string to the on/off switch of the light and suspend the string down through the slit and into the box, so that the light it turned off and on when the string is pulled.
- Musical Mobile: Cover a coat hanger with yarn. Suspend a few strings of yarn from the hanger and attach bells to the yarn. Jingle bells may be purchased in packages of 8-10. These bells have slits through them through which you may tie the yarn to attach the bell to the yarn.
- Drums: Cover a coffee can with a piece of chamois or use the plastic lid. Be sure to staple or secure the lid in some way to the coffee can you it cannot be pulled off. Wrap the can in colored paper or paint it so that it is attractive. Your may want to write the name of the child on the can. You may also use pots and pans with spoons hit against them for a drum.
- Claves: Make claves, or rhythm sticks, by cutting six-inch lengths from a broomstick. Be sure to smooth the edges.
- Jingle Bells: Buy packets of small bells and string the bells on to yarn, elastic band, heavy thread, or twine. Make the string of bells an appropriate size to fit around your child’s ankle or wrist. Tie bells to your child’s shoes.
- Guitar: Make a guitar by stretching rubber bands across an opened box or across a plastic container. If a plastic container is used, the rubber bands may be attached by making holes in the plastic and tying the rubber bands through the holes or by stapling the rubber bands into the plastic.
- Guitar/Noisemaker: Cover a piece of cardboard with aluminum foil. Wrap rubber bands around the cardboard. Your child may make popping sounds by pulling and releasing the rubber bands. The rubber bands may also be strummed as when playing a guitar.
- Wind Chimes: Use spoons, wrenches, or nails to make wind chimes.
- Sound Maker: Attach a string or piece of yarn to each side of an oven rack. Then wrap the ends of the strings around your fingers and stick those fingers in your ears. Have another person strike the rack with a fork and listen for the eerie sounds.
- Tone Glasses: Fill several glasses with different amounts of water and tune by ear to create desired pitches. The more water used, the higher the pitch will be. Strike glasses with a spoon to play familiar songs or create your own music.
- Pop Bottle Whistles: Fill pop bottles with different amounts of water and tune by ear to create desired pitches. The more water used, the higher the pitch will be. Blow across the bottles to produce tones. You may play pop bottles along with your favorite songs. (For example; Popeye the Sailor Man, pop bottle sounds are ideal for the “toot, toot”).
- Sand Blocks: Use two small blocks of wood. Fasten sand paper to each with thumbtacks, glue, or tape. Rub the two blocks together with a back and forth motion.
- Kazoo: Make a kazoo by taping wax paper over the edge of a comb or cardboard tube.
- Storage for Musical Instruments: Decorate a large box, basket, or can to use for storage of musical instruments and supplies.
*Note: Use paint and art supplies that are non-toxic when licked, touched, and/or explored by children.
These are just a few suggestions. Possibilities are endless-be creative!!!