Music Makers

© Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care (Jennifer Waddell photographer). All rights reserved.

Your toddler is discovering how many interesting and different noises can come out of her mouth. Show her what a music machine the mouth can be!

• Make all kinds of sounds for her, such as tongue clicking, lip vibrating, humming, whistling, making raspberries, and so on. Let her try too.
• Move on to include other body parts with clapping, slapping, stomping. See if you can make up a song or a pattern of sounds.

If you want to produce more and different sounds, make and play simple instruments such as a guitar made out of rubber bands stretched over an empty tissue box, drums made out of pots and pans, shakers made from containers (use stapled paper plates, plastic bottles, or oatmeal containers with lids) with dried beans or rice inside, or a horn from a cardboard paper towel roll.