We know that creativity is very important for the construction and development of individual identity in young children. Making and experimenting with homemade instruments is a great way for young ones to get creative and express themselves.

Among other things, a child who has the reflex of using his creativity will find it easier to resolve conflicts, to find solutions or to express himself and will be constantly exploring and finding new ideas.

We invite you to make your own mini banjo, which you can put to good use during the next musical awareness sessions with Mr. Coco!

Step 1 : Preparation

You will need recycled materials to create your little banjo. So the next time you use a jar of sauce, remember to keep it!

You will need : 

  • 1 mason jar lid; 
  • 3-4 little elastics; 
  • 1 paint mixing stick or a Popsicle stick ; 
  • Decorations; 
  • Adhesive tape or strong glue. 

Step 2 : Assembly

Place the 3 or 4 elastics around the cover. These are the strings of your mini banjo! On the back of the cover, add a piece of adhesive tape or strong glue to keep the elastic bands in place.

You can now add ”the neck” of your banjo. Take your paint stick or Popsicle stick and attach it to the back of the lid with tape or strong glue.

Step 3 : Decoration

It is now time to decorate your mini banjo! You can use decorative tape, paint, glitter, whatever you want! You can also decorate the inside and outside of the lid by sticking a piece of decorative paper cut to the size of your lid.

And voilà, the mini banjo is ready to be played!

Diary

We invite you to document today’s activity in your journal. For example, a drawing of your banjo or the decorations you could add to your banjo. The possibilities are limitless!

If your child is documenting alone, you are invited to ask him or her questions to feed and improve the journal entry. Here are some questions you can ask:

  • What is your favorite musical instrument? 
  • Would you like to try and invent a song? What style would you chose? Jazz, folk, pop etc. 
  • What other musical instrument would you like to build? 

Did you know… 

  • …  Music can modulate heart rate, blood pressure and respiration to reflect the movements of a song.
  • … Americans throw 2.5 million plastic bottles an hour. Each takes 500 years to decompose. Recycling is very important and should be a part of everyone’s weekly routine.
  • … In some African states, the banjo is considered a sacred instrument and used exclusively by high priests or leaders.

To learn more fun facts about music, click here !

Activity by Van Bam Bam.