Texture Drum Tapping Exploration

A wooden cutting board or wooden spoon

A plastic container with lid

A couch cushion or pillow

A metal pot lid with smooth edges

Gather 3-4 safe household items with different surfaces and arrange them on the floor around you.

Sit with your baby in your lap on the floor, close to the items so they can reach them.

Take your baby's hand gently and help them tap the wooden surface. Say "Listen! Tap tap tap!" with excitement.

Move to the plastic container and tap together. Say "This one sounds different!" and tap again.

Let your baby tap the soft cushion and notice the quiet, muffled sound. "So soft and quiet!"

Try the metal pot lid for a louder, ringing tone. Watch your baby's reaction to the surprising new sound.

Let your baby explore freely, tapping whichever surface grabs their attention. Follow their lead.

Make sure all surfaces are smooth with no sharp edges. Run your hand over everything before baby touches it.

Babies around 6-9 months will start banging intentionally once they realize they're making the sound. This is wonderful cause-and-effect learning.

Narrate the sounds: "That one goes BONK! This one goes ting!" Pairing words with sounds builds vocabulary.

If your baby seems overwhelmed by the metal lid's louder sound, set it aside. Not every baby loves loud sounds right away.

You can rotate in new surfaces over time — a cardboard box, a rubber mat, a fabric book. Each one adds a new sound to their "library."