Wednesday, January 13, 2010

The Top Ten Creative Ways Kids Use Instruments!

I am teaching a new class about using drumming in therapy. Our first task as a class was to explore and become familiar with all the different kinds of percussion instruments common in drum circles and therapy work. I introduced a large ocean drum and made mention of the fact that if you give an ocean drum to a young child without any instructions, it usually does not end up sounding like the ocean! It never fails that the kids want to see just how fast and furious all those beads can get tossed around!

Here are my top ten (in no particular order) funny and sometimes crazy things kids think make sense to do with my musical instruments:


1. Ocean drum - a machine gun sound or VERY stormy ocean.
2. Tambourine - always makes a good frisbee!

3. Thundertube - a helicopter of course!

4. Boom whackers - "friend" whackers.

5. Mini maracas - these often become little "peoples" for kids with autism.
6. Drum mallet - a microphone. Better than a karaoke machine!

7. Gathering drum - a boat.

8. Shaker eggs - unidentified flying objects. They are just the right size and weight to throw!

9. Cabasa - an arm massager.

10. Shaker banana - a telephone.

Maybe you have other stories about the funny things kids do? Feel free to share!

4 comments:

  1. LOL!!! Once I led an evening relaxation group with adults diagnosed with IDs. I handed out ocean drums to my five clients and encouraged them to slowly move the drum 'to make the sound of waves on the ocean'. Instead of hearing the ocean, I we were in the middle of a tsunami! hahahaha, what a learning experience!
    Michelle E.

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  2. Now we know where to go if we ever need to simulate a hurricane! Thanks for sharing! I am always reminded of that television show, "Kids Say the Darndest Things!"

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  3. Yes! Drum as a boat! :) Thanks for sharing all of your ideas! Egg shakers become intentions for the New Year for my older adults. Also, my gathering drum becomes the sounds of the animals in the jungle for my kids... See Dave Holland's book Drumagination! It's great :)

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  4. Thanks for the tip about the book, "Drumagination!" I looked it up and am very interested. I think I will get it and report back. It looks like a great find!

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