Homemade Equipment Ideas

Equipment Name: Rhythm Band

Materials Needed:

Empty plastic 'pill bottle' containers. (larger ones - 'vitamin size' - work best! - to use as maraccas.
Dry navy beans to fill pill bottles.
Duct Tape, to seal all bottles and containers.
Large, Empty, Sturdy plastic laundry detergent bottles - to use as drums.
Thicker wooden dowel sticks, cut into 10 inch pieces to use as drum sticks and lummi sticks.
Wooden blocks to use as knocking blocks.
Large Christmas Jingle Bells strung up on sturdy ribbon.

Estimated Cost: $.50

Rationale: Rhythm is an important basic physical skill used in music, dance and sports. Children love rhythmic activities and rhythmic activities help children to develop a strong sense of rhythm that will help them excel in music, dance, and sports. Also, rhythm band activities are great for hand/eye coordination development. Rhythm development activities can be introduced to children at a very young age (even soon after birth!). Once the instruments are completed, children should experiment with each instrument to get the best possible sound.

Children can form a Marching Rhythm Band, or can play along with all kinds of music, (everything from classical, to swing, to pop-rock, to Broadway show tunes!) to feel the various rhythms, express the rhythms, and gain an appreciation for all types of music.

Another fun activity is creating various rhythm patterns for children to copy - such as Slow (pause), Slow (pause), Quick, Quick, Quick). The counts for that rhythm would be:

1, hold 2, 3, hold 4, 5,6, 7, hold 8.

Children will begin to learn music and dance rhythm notation by doing this exercise.

Directions For Making:

Empty plastic 'pill bottle' containers. (larger ones - 'vitamin size' - work best!) - fill with dried beans to use as maraccas and seal cap with duct tape.

Large, Empty, Sturdy plastic laundry detergent bottles - to use as drums. Rinse, dry, and seal cap with duct tape.

Thicker wooden dowel sticks, cut into 10 inch pieces, to use as drum sticks and lummi sticks. Wrap some duct tape around each end of stick to 'soften' it and make it safer. Wooden blocks can be used as 'knocking blocks'. Large Christmas Jingle Bells can be strung up on sturdy ribbon or on large key rings for shaking.

Submitted by Karen Schmitz. Karen teaches at St. George Elementary School in Tinley Park, IL. Thanks for contributing to PE Central! Posted on PEC: 11-17-09.

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