Handmade Musical Instrument

Materials You Need: What you have at hand that can serve as a container, for example, an empty and washed bottle or packaging - box, together with what you can use as filling to make sounds: dry pasta, rice, cereals, old buttons, pebbles, some things from your bag or pockets, clips, etc. This toy contains many small parts, always close the container tightly and take care of the child's safety. 

What You Can Do Together: Take the container and wash and dry it well. If you have a transparent alternative, pick that one, so that your baby can observe the contents that you put inside. Then, fill it with items and fasten it tightly so that the contents can move and produce sound. Your handmade toy is ready!

Offer it to the baby and encourage him to explore all its characteristics - to observe what is inside, how it moves when you move or shake it, touch it, press it, or hear all the sounds it can make. Every time your baby does something with the toy, name his intention, result or feeling - for example: "Oh, there are pebbles!" or "Whoa, what have we got here? Little grains of rice!" "Oh, how it sounds when you hit!" or “You like how it crackles?”
 
You can use this activity during your free time, at home indoors and in the garden, in other appropriate outdoor areas, keeping health and safety in mind.  

What Your Child is Learning: This activity helps your child explore different sounds and characteristics of toys by shaking, banging, throwing them and paying attention to details. Your child actively uses gross and motor skills.