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.

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.

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.