The Joy and Beauty of Music and Musical Instruments

This summer at camp we discovered how much joy older infants and toddlers experience when they can join the family sings with drums, maracas, rattles, bells, claves, etc. The smiles and grins on their faces were crazy wonderful as they banged away to "She'll Be Comin Round the Mountain When She Comes", and "Jimmy Crack Corn".  Most of these items frequently sit on the toy shelf unless other members of the family are involved in the music making.  The children seem to get a good deal of the pleasure of making music from the community spirit of the effort.  Break out in song and toddlers fly to the instruments to join in.


The Grandma's Treehouse children's corner now has a full complement of noisy wonderful instruments.  The best place I've found for buying beautiful instruments is 10,000 Villages.  10,000 Villages sells handmade items created by the artists and artisans of various world cultures and the profit goes to the indigenous people who actually create the products such as you see below.  When you visit the website, you can read about the artists and artisans.  10,000 Villages sells much much more than musical instruments.  I think you'll enjoy the visit. And, what a delightful and appropriately concrete way to begin teaching children about other cultures! 


                          

Thunder Tube

Make a thunderous noise by whirling this bright Thunder Tube. Fun for all ages - hand-painted instrument mimics the sound of thunder. Made from cardboard tube with one end covered by leather. Wire coil pokes through the leather. A Ten Thousand Villages exclusive.

• Cardboard, leather, metal
• 3Dx11.5H inches
• Made in Indonesia

Weight: 2.25 lbs. Product Code: #6901830

Currently $14.00
                         

Frog Percussion Instrument

Hollow wooden frog has bumps running down its back. Slide the stick up and down them to produce a frog’s mating or distress call. The stick can be placed through holes in the frog’s cheeks for storage. Made from local jempinis wood, harvested sustainably.

• Painted jempinis wood
• 3Wx4Lx3H inches
• Made in Indonesia

Weight: 0.54 lbs. Product Code: #6911330

Currently $12.00

Geckos Rainstick

Add the rattle of the rain to your percussion repertoire. Natural rainstick features three painted geckos. Chilean artisans clean the bark and interior from a section of cactus, then insert crisscross cactus spines and lava pebbles that produce the rain sound as they fall from end to end.

· Cactus section, cactus spines, lava pebbles
· 1.5Dx12L inches
· Made in Chile

Weight: 0.23 lbs. Product Code: #8700400

Currently $18.00

Rhythm of Life Drum

Tradition, beauty and rhythm. Make African rhythm a part of your life with this cone-shaped Kenyan drum, traditionally called a bongo. Natural goat skin drum head and sides on a metal frame. In Kenya this drum is used for special ceremonies, weddings and ritual dances.

• Goat skin drum head and sides
• Metal frame
• Looped handle
• 17H inches
• Made in Kenya

Weight: 3.81 lbs. Product Code: #4101070

Currently $64.00

When you go visit the 10,000 Village Website, type "musical instruments" into the search feature to find even more wonderful choices.