Music is an essential part of childhood development and a fun and engaging activity that will keep your students moving, laughing and learning. West Music carries an extensive line of instruments, books, recordings and movement props that will make your classroom a vibrant, multi-sensory environment that encourages creativity.
Body Percussion Activities
A great way to teach kids how to use their bodies to make sounds is to introduce them to body percussion activities. By playing these simple drums, rhythm sticks or rattles, children learn how to move their body to produce sound for each individual instrument – banging hard, moving their fingertips, blowing, plucking and shaking.
Jingle Bells
During circle time, hand bells are an excellent option for keeping the beat to a song. Young children will quickly become familiar with their unique rhythmic sounds and will have fun practicing them to keep the beat going!
Instruments and Storybooks
Using rhythm instruments with books can bring new life to reading and help students connect the story and the music. Adding instruments to a story can portray characters, emphasize an important or repetitive phrase in the book, reinforce rhythm, patterning and rhythmic skills and add a sense of drama to the tale.
Instruments are also an effective tool to teach students about different cultures. Show children recordings of real instruments from around the world, or show them pictures of these instruments and explain where they come from.
Songs for Counting
Counting is an integral part of preschool math and incorporating instruments into songs can make learning this skill more fun for your students! Songs like Johnny Works with One Hammer or Five Little Speckled Frogs are excellent examples of counting songs.
Songs such as these are also a good opportunity to teach your students about grouping and reverse counting. In addition to introducing instruments into these songs, you can also incorporate the idea of groups by having each student play their own wood block or tone block while singing. This will allow them to understand how to count in a group and how to play the same instrument at the same time.
Shakers, Maracas & String Instruments
To get the most out of this activity, consider using shakers, maracas and string instruments that are made from common household items. For example, seed containers with lids, plastic eggs, Kleenex boxes and film canisters work well for shakers, while empty coffee cans, oatmeal containers and baby formula cans work perfectly for jingle bells and tambourines.
DIY Musical Instruments for Preschoolers
Making your own musical instruments is a fun and creative activity that will engage your students. These instruments can be crafted from items found in your house such as cardboard, paper clips, toothpicks and rubber bands.
The ukulele is an ideal introductory instrument because it is easy to learn and requires little skill. Nylon strings and a low price point make the ukulele a perfect choice for kids.
There are a variety of other instruments that your students can choose from, including xylophones, flutes, guitars and recorders. Having your students learn to play these instruments will not only help them build their hand-eye coordination, it will also help them develop musical vocabulary and increase their self-esteem!
