Toot-el-y toot! The New Year is here! You can start a Happy New Year Band and play all your favorite songs.

 

Here are three new musical instruments for your band. Ladybug likes the Shaky Shaker. Thud loves to make funny noises with his Can-You-Kazoo. Muddle can’t stop listening to the mysterious, swishy sounds of the Cloudy Day Rainstick. Which one will you try?

• Paper plate
• Paint, glitter, crayons, tissue paper, streamers, or other pretty things to decorate your shaker
• Glue
• Scissors
• Dried beans, beads, or popcorn kernels

 

Fold the paper plate in half and make a crease in the middle. Unfold it.

 

If you want to, cut streamers or tissue paper into thin strips about as long as your hand, and glue them to the rim of the plate, leaving most of each strip hanging out. (When you fold the plate back up again, the glued ends should be on the inside.)

 

Put a handful of dried beans, beads, or popcorn kernels inside the plate and fold it again. Glue the plate closed. Make sure there aren’t any big holes, or the beans, beads, and kernels will fall out!

 

Decorate the outside of the plate with paints or crayons. You can also glue on glitter or other pretty things.

 

• Empty toilet paper roll or paper towel roll
• Wax paper
• Hole punch
• Rubber band
• Markers, stickers, crayons, or other art supplies to decorate your kazoo

Punch a hole in the paper tube, about an inch from its end.

 

Fold a piece of wax paper over the tube’s opening, on the same end as the hole. Use the rubber band to hold the wax paper in place. Make sure the paper is on tight!

 

Use the markers, stickers, or crayons to decorate the tube however you would like.

 

• Empty aluminum foil or plastic wrap tube
• Glue
• Cardboard or sturdy paper
• Dried lentils or uncooked rice
• Paint, crayons, glitter, sequins, or other decorations

If you want to, glue sequins, glitter, or other pretty things to the tube. You can also decorate it with paint and crayons. Let the glue and paint dry.

 

Cut two circles out of cardboard or sturdy paper. They should be a little bigger than the ends of the tube. Glue a circle tightly over one end. Let the glue dry, then put a handful of rice or lentils in the tube. Glue the other circle over the open end.

 

When the glue is dry, tip the rainstick from side to side and listen to the sounds it makes.