Ideas for junk and recycled instruments - and some suggested activities.
David WhewayPaper: Use assorted paper to tug, rip, scrunch, flap, brush, flick, blow, etc. Plastic bottles: Fill with different materials (pulses, clips, sweets? etc.). Screw cap on tightly. Idea: Blow across tops of smaller bottles (e.g. miniature pop bottles) to play in flute-like fashion.  Glass wine bottles. Make bottle organ. Fill bottles with different amounts of water to create a scale. Tap with plastic beaters. Ensure adult is present at all times.
Wooden Pallet. Saw slates to create different lengths. Might be screw fixed to wall in outside area.
Play like giant xylophone. Play with dowel or sawn-down broom handles.
Milk bottle guitar Cut piece from opposite side to handle – enough to get hand in easily. Make a small hole in the bottom of the bottle using a drill or bradawl. Thread some twine or nylon cord through the bottom and open top end of the bottle. Secure string with twig or dowel stop at bottom end. Wind round twig or dowel at pouring end – to allow release and tensioning as you play. Pluck string through cut hole – using cut piece as a plectrum if desired. Investigate what happens as string is made more taught. 
Bullroarer: Simply thread up to 1m twine through hole in handle end of wooden spatula. (Drill a hole if there isn’t one). Secure the twine just below handle leaving most of the twine trailing. Swing bullroarer in horizontal plane above head. It doesn’t need to go too fast to create a roar. 
Spatula can also be used – twanged against side of table – like wooden rulers)
Button Spinner: A toy from childhood – made from buttons or thick card (or wood).  Cut two circles of thick card (e.g. from cardboard wine box). The circles need to be about 4 inches diameter. Glue or tape together. Make two small holes close together in the centre – so it looks like a large button. Thread twine through and back (about 1 metre). Tie ends together. Spin the disk manually to twist the string as much as possible. Then pull on the string. The weight of the card should untwist – then twist the string the other way. Keep pulling and relaxing to make the disk spin back and forth. It should create a light whooshing sound. Tea chest Bass: Tea chests are hard to come by so I use either an old bucket or a plastic storage box. Make a hole in the bottom of the bucket/box. The hole needs to be wide enough to thread through the string/washing line/cord that you intend to use. The line needs to be <1.5m in length. Secure one end with a thick piece of twig or dowel – then thread through the hole from inside to outside the box. Now turn the box over so it is standing upside down. Thread the other end of the line through a hole in the top of the broom handle/dowel. Wrap the slack round the top of the handle – place a foot on the box to stop it lifting or moving – then place the bottom end of the broom handle against the edge of the bucket/box. A walking stick ferrule can be added for extra grip. Pull back on the top of the stick to create tension – then pluck the line. Washing line is good – but choose the synthetic filled rather than wire.   Tin rattle (much easier than yoghurt pots): Take two empty food tins – washed thoroughly. (I avoid meat tins) Place a small amount of filling (pulses-whatever) in one tin. Secure both tins at their open ends with insulating tape. Decorate if you fancy.  Rain pipe: Cut drainage down-pipe to different lengths and tap ends with slippers or flip-flops. Fix different lengths to an outside wall. Also good for singing/talking and listening through.  Hose-pipe trumpet: Cut length of hosepipe – approx 2m. Stick a trumpet mouthpiece in one end (plastic ‘Kelly’ mouthpieces good and can be left in sterilising solution). Add a funnel to the other end. Play as if blowing a raspberry. Tighten lips for higher sounds. Wrap hosepipe around outside structures for a permanent display.  Guica: Save cups and straws from fast food joints. Rub straw up and down in top x-slit. Adding some violin resin to the straw can make for a better sound.  Other Bubble wrap – good for popping. When twisted sounds like fireworks CD cases – filled and sealed for shakers Carrier bags – good for stimulating sounds (shake, scrunch, wave – usual health warning applies) Individual mini-cereal packets and dried foods. Use as shakers – then eat contents. Pringle tubes – whisky tubes. Empty contents then use as finger drums – or fill for shakers. Secure lids with insulating tape. Brushes for sweeping sounds and rhythms VO5 shampoo – lids make good castanets. Wooden spatulas and wooden rulers – good for twanging against table top Wind chimes. Ask parents to send in unwanted chimes – hang them high and play with feather dusters. Tissue boxes or similar. Wrap with rubber bands and twang bands over aperture.
Paper and comb kazoo Blowing bubbles through a straw (and humming) Plumbing plungers Corrugated card (try hanging it on a wall). SOME SUGGESTED ACTIVITIESConducting: (Small or large group activity) Start stop sounds following a puppet/soft toy. Child takes place of toy. Find different ways of playing when puppet dances. Two puppets – two groups. Try following blown bubbles – with different objectives.
Storying from Sound: (Small group – if extending to large group have 3 or 4 sets of the same instruments) Describe the sounds – what images come to mind? Find 3 or 4 different sounds. Make up a story – using the imagery created by the sounds.
Paper Music: Make sequences of paper sounds and/or use sounds to illustrate an event or made-up story. Investigate in music area. Join others for larger scale projects. Observe and model sounds. Shakers: Can children distinguish between different shakers? Hide and play. Sing ‘Round and Round the circle’ to tune ‘In and Out the Windows’: Round and Round the circle Round and Round the circle Round and Round the circle As we have done before Hush I think I hear a sound Hush I think I hear a sound Hush I think I hear a sound I wonder what it is. Divide children into different groups A and B – depending on type of sound Shakers/non-shakers Crisp sounding/more rounded Large/small etc. Use shakers alongside class instruments in performance/composition projects Bottle Organ: Create/play tunes. Find out what difference the amount of water makes. Chicken-EggMake cards with eggs on one side – chickens on the other. Create simple Chicken egg sequences – and say/clap/play the words to create different rhythmic sequences.   Egg Egg Chi-cken Egg
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