In the lessons you regularly come across hand-crafted items. Many of them (or a simple variation) are easy to make at home. Make sure that it is safe for the little ones! Most self-made material is for the toddlers or only under supervision.

harmonica:

I do not use this in class for hygienic reasons (difficult to clean). But at home it is of course one big party to experiment on this. The nicer harmonicas are available at the music store and still only cost a few euros.

rattles:

For example, take a Pringles canister and clean it. Fill with rice. Seal the can, tape it shut with sturdy and child-friendly tape. Possibly nice to stick with adhesive plastic or a homemade work of art… and rattle!

If you use different filling, you will also get different sound. That's especially nice if you make more. For example sugar, a chestnut or uncooked lentils.

Rhythm Sticks:

You buy round wood at the hardware store. Saw it into pieces of 20 to 25 cm. Sand this around carefully. If necessary, paint with child-friendly paint (or just an edge). The thicker the stick, the lower the sound.

Shoe boxes:

Always nice to put something in and take it out again. If he is not so beautiful, you can cover it with adhesive plastic or your child will of course decorate it himself. Once closed it is also a nice drum.

Milk powder / coffee powder cans:

These tins are nice drums, The lids are made of soft plastic and the bottom is hard tin. If you put a toy in it, it is a rattle. For toddlers, just putting it in and taking it out is fantastic. For a nice view, you can neatly cover the tin with adhesive plastic (available at the hardware store or craft store).

WC / kitchen rolls:

 Do not throw them away, but give them a new life. You can cover them yourself with adhesive plastic or your child will decorate them yourself. What can you do with it? Leave that to your toddler…. Well then: a viewer, a megaphone, a wheel, a doll, ... .. Put some baking paper with an elastic on one side and sing on the open side: now you have a kazoo to sing in! You can also get a nice sound from kitchen rolls by hitting them on the floor.

boxes:

Like pots and pans, boxes are fantastic drums and give the opportunity to play peekaboo and much more. Just leave large boxes in your house and don't clean them up. You will see what happens! With a few markers, your child will also decorate it beautifully 😉

patches:

Organza is a beautiful fabric. Do you have any leftovers? Hem it up against the threads and you're done. Because it is transparent, it is less scary when playing peekaboo and because it is so soft, it is a wonderful feeling against your skin. You can swing and swing to music nicely and when you blow against it, the piece slowly falls down: beautiful to see! And if it is dirty, simply put it in the washing machine.

Sewing cuddly toys:

Grab an (old) towel and make a hug from some parts. Fill the light up with pieces of the towel, embroider with a few small stitches of eyes, etc. and ready: a hug that can be washed in the washing machine at 60 degrees and, above all, feels very nice.

This is how I made mice for the lessons: sew 2 equal parts (drop shape, tip = nose) together. 2 ears sew tightly and at the end when you have turned and stuffed it a small tail very firmly attached. Please note that for small children the tail should only be a few centimeters long, so that it cannot get into their throat.

You can also make a nipples: 1. Cut square rag. 2. Zigzag all edges to prevent fraying. 3. make a “head” from the center -> fill with pieces of towel 4. Sew or tie with a tape.

butterflies:

Fold a sturdy A4 in half (in width). Cut out a half butterfly with head and tail.

Paint thick on one side with paint and fold it in half immediately, rub it firmly and unfold quickly. Let this dry. Then repeat at the back if necessary.

Make two small holes in the body. Put a woolen iron thread through it as a handle.

socks:

You can easily make a doll out of a fun (adult) sock: simply make a face on it (stick felt on it or embroider it with a thread) and you're done. The snakes I use in class are also simple: sew a red felt tongue firmly into it, embroider two eyelets and you're done. And sometimes even that is not necessary, the sock at the foot of your child is already a hose with some imagination. For the real craft die-hards, check out Craftbits.com