Musical Instrument Parade Around House

Assorted noisemakers — shakers, bells, pots and spoons, whistles, anything musical

Any homemade instruments your child has made from previous projects

Gather every noisemaker you can find in the house. Raid the kitchen, the toy bin, your stash of homemade instruments.

Lay them all out on the floor and let your child choose their favorite. The act of choosing matters — it's their instrument.

You pick an instrument too — you're both in this band together.

Start singing a marching song. "When the Saints Go Marching In" or "The Ants Go Marching" work perfectly.

March through the living room playing your instruments together, then on into the kitchen, the hallway, anywhere safe.

Stop in each room for a short "concert" — play your loudest, take a dramatic bow, then march on to the next room.

End with a grand finale in the original room, playing as loud and joyfully as possible. Stomp your feet. Bang that drum.

Invite everyone in the house to join. Siblings, the other parent, even the dog gets a spot in the parade (though they may not cooperate).

If you have a real musical instrument in the house, bring it out. Even a ukulele strummed open works beautifully in a toddler parade.

Each room can have a theme: "This is the quiet room" (tiptoe and whisper instruments), "This is the LOUD room!" (go wild).

Let your child switch instruments partway through. Exploring different sounds during the parade adds variety.

This is a wonderful rainy day activity. It burns energy, fills the house with music, and creates a memory your child will want to recreate again and again.