Fun Family Music Night

Average User Rating:

| 3 Ratings

Ages 3 and Up

Duration: Over One Hour

Introduce your kids to music by creating fun and easy musical instruments like Bongo Drums, Castanets and Tambourines!

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WHAT YOU NEED

NESTLÉ NESQUIK Canister Bongo Drum (see directions below)
NESTLÉ NESQUIK Canister Bass/Guitar (see directions below)
NESTLÉ NESQUIK Lid Tambourine (see directions below)
NESTLÉ JUICY JUICE Cap Castanets (see directions below)

HOW TO DO IT

Have each child choose and make the instrument they would like to play.
Choose a name for your band and pick an evening for your recital.
Print out invitations from our template and deliver to the family members and friends you would like to attend.
If you have a family member who plays a real instrument, such as a guitar or piano, ask them to play along with the "family band".
Another option would be to choose some of the children's favorite music that you have on a tape or CD and play it as the "family band" plays.
Part of the recital might include singing some favorite songs along with the band.
Each child may pick his or her instrument for the evening, or let everyone take turns with the instruments by changing after each song.

NESTLÉ NESQUIK Canister Bongo Drum

WHAT YOU NEED

1 empty 67 oz. NESTLÉ NESQUIK canister (save the lid for a tambourine, see directions below)
2 sheets of different colored craft foam
Craft foam letters or shapes
1 yard of 1 1/2 inch wide decorative ribbon
Craft glue gun
Safety scissors

HOW TO DO IT

Cut a piece of craft foam 16 1/2 inches by 8 1/4 inches. This will go around the outside of the NESTLÉ NESQUIK canister.
The decorative ribbon will be used as the drum's neck strap. Glue opposite ends to each side of the closed end of the canister, approximately 1 inch down from the top edge.
Print out the border template and trace two borders onto different colors of craft foam.
Use a craft glue gun to secure the border around the top and bottom outside edges of the drum covering the neck strap ribbon.
Decorate the drum with pre-cut craft foam letters or shapes. You can spell out your child's name, the name of the instrument or just make fun designs.

NESTLÉ NESQUIK Bass/Guitar

WHAT YOU NEED

1 empty 67 oz. NESTLÉ NESQUIK canister
2 sheets of different colored craft foam
Craft foam letters and shapes
1 package of heavy-duty rubber bands
1 - 12 inch wooden dowel (1/4 inch in diameter)
Hammer
Nail (approximately 1/16 inch in diameter)
Heavy-duty staple gun (available at home or hardware stores)
Glue gun

HOW TO DO IT

Cut a piece of craft foam 16 1/2 inches by 8 1/4 inches. This will go around the outside of the NESTLÉ NESQUIK canister.
(PARENTS ONLY) The 12 inch wooden dowel is the handle for the Bass/Guitar. Position it 2 inches down from the closed end of the canister following the craft foam seam line. Use a liberal amount of hot glue to secure the handle to the covered canister.
Let the glue dry completely before continuing.
To further secure the handle, slip 6 of the heavy-duty rubber bands over the top edge of the canister and the wooden dowel. They should be about 1 inch from the top edge so that you can add some decorations above them.
Print out the border template and trace onto a different color of craft foam.
Glue the border around the open edge of the canister.
Glue pre-cut craft foam shapes around the closed end of the canister, above the rubber bands.
Decorate the middle of the Bass/Guitar with pre-cut craft foam letters or shapes. You can spell out your child's name, the name of the instrument, or just make fun designs.
(PARENTS ONLY) use a hammer to make 3 small nail holes in the closed end of the canister directly across from the wooden handle. (See diagram)
Cut three heavy-duty rubber bands to make the Bass/Guitar strings.
Tie a knot in one end of each rubber band and pull one through each nail hole in the end of the canister. The knots will be on the inside.
(PARENTS ONLY) Stretch each rubber band up over the top of the wooden dowel about 1 inch down the back of the dowel. Use a heavy-duty staple gun to secure each rubber band end to the dowel.
Your child can use this as a bass by holding the canister in an upright position and strumming the rubber band strings, or by holding it on its side and strumming the rubber band strings like a guitar.

NESTLÉ NESQUIK Lid Tambourine

WHAT YOU NEED

Plastic lid from 1 - 67 oz. NESTLÉ NESQUIK canister
8 gold or silver jingle bells (about 3/4 inch in diameter)
3 feet of thin gold braid
Permanent colored markers
Craft foam pre-cut letters or shapes
2 foot length of 1/4 inch wide decorative ribbon
Tacky craft glue
Staples
Safety scissors

HOW TO DO IT

Cut the thin gold braid into 8 - 4 inch pieces.
String each piece of braid through the jingle bells and tie the ends together to form a 2 inch loop.
Staple the braid loop to the inside rim of the lid at 3 inch intervals so that the jingle bells hang down about 1 1/2 inches.
Glue the 1/4 inch decorative ribbon around the outside edge of the lid to cover the staples.
Decorate the outside of the lid with fun foam pre-cut letters or shapes and permanent colored markers.

NESTLÉ JUICY JUICE Cap Castanets

WHAT YOU NEED

2 caps from 64 oz. NESTLÉ JUICY JUICE plastic bottles
2 small elastic hair bands (about 3/4 inch in diameter - just big enough for you child to slip his or her finger through)
Craft glue gun
Permanent colored markers

HOW TO DO IT

(PARENTS ONLY) Put a liberal amount of craft glue in the center of the inside of the cap.
Place one elastic hair band in the glue so that it "stands up".
Let the glue dry completely. If the tie is not secure when you tug on it, apply more glue and let dry again.
Decorate each castanet by coloring the ribbed sides and the top of each cap with contrasting permanent markers.
Slide the elastic band from one castanet over your child's thumb so that the castanet faces toward the first or second finger.
Slide the elastic band from the other castanet over your child's first or second finger so that it faces the other castanet.
Now click them together to the beat of the music!

FOLLOW UP FUN

Take the family to a music store and let them see real instruments. It may give them ideas for additional adaptations that they can make and add to the Family Band.
Attend a concert or performance of a live orchestra. Have your child close his or her eyes and try to guess which instruments are being played.

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