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Home › Articles › Development › A Little Rhythm Goes a Long Way

A Little Rhythm Goes a Long Way

An Excerpt From 101 Rhythm Instrument Activities for Young Children

By Abigail Flesch Connors

Pages:  1  2  3  

Introduce this activity by asking children how they think shakers make a sound. Tell them that they're going to explore how different things can make different sounds when shaken in containers.

Use a clean, empty, plastic peanut butter jar with a top for the container. Bring out various items to fill the jar, and encourage children to try shaking them in the container. (Pass each new "invention" around the circle for everyone to try.) Some ideas for materials to use include:

  • Dried beans
  • Rice
  • Dry cereal such as oat rings
  • Cottonballs
  • Jingle bells
  • Pennies
  • Small plastic building bricks

Ask children to describe the sounds they hear. Which are loudest? Softest? Nicest? Most interesting?

They may want to vote on their favorite sound. Also, they may have ideas for other materials to use. This could turn into an ongoing project!

Safety note: If children are still putting things into their mouths, supervise this activity very closely.

Animal Footsteps
This activity explores the variety of sounds you can get from a drum when you vary the rhythm, the speed and the force with which you play it.

Children should be sitting in a circle. Pass the drum around so that each child has a turn to make "animal footsteps" on the drum. Each child can choose a different animal. Here are some ideas:

  • Elephant – pound drum with fist
  • Mouse – "scurry" fingertips on the drum
  • Rabbit – make fingers "hop" on the drum
  • Horse – pat a galloping rhythm on the drum
  • Snake – glide one finger around on the drum
  • Cat – use soft, slow taps
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