DIY Instruments From Recycled Materials

Shoebox or small cardboard box for the guitar body

Rubber bands of different thicknesses (4-6 per guitar)

Paper towel tubes for rain sticks

Plastic bottles with caps for shakers

Dried beans, rice, or lentils for filler

Empty tin can with edges filed smooth for a drum

Balloons to stretch over the drum

Toothpicks for rain stick internals

Tape and scissors

Markers for decorating

**Box Guitar:** Stretch 4-6 rubber bands around an open shoebox. Arrange from thickest to thinnest. Pluck each one and notice the pitch difference.

**Shaker:** Fill a plastic bottle one-third full with dried beans. Seal and decorate. Try different fill amounts for different sounds.

**Rain Stick:** Poke toothpicks through a paper towel tube in a spiral. Fill with rice, seal both ends. Tilt slowly for the rain effect.

**Balloon Drum:** Stretch a balloon over a tin can opening, secure with a rubber band. Use a pencil eraser as a drumstick.

Tune the box guitar by sliding a pencil under the rubber bands to change pitch.

Clap a simple 4-beat rhythm together, then transfer it to instruments.

Layer parts: drums on the beat, shakers on accents, guitar on 1 and 3, rain stick on transitions.

Perform and record on a phone. Listen back and refine.

Discuss the science as you build. Why does a thicker rubber band make a lower sound? It vibrates more slowly. Every instrument is a mini physics lesson.

File tin can edges thoroughly or cover them with tape. Safety first, and kids can do this step themselves.

Let kids experiment freely before imposing structure. The 10 minutes of unstructured noise after building is where real discovery happens.

If the box guitar sounds dull, cut a sound hole in the lid. The hole lets air resonate inside, amplifying the sound dramatically.

Save instruments and add weekly. By month's end, you have a full recycled orchestra.