Guilford County Schools ACES Program
Weekly Theme: Dance and Music – More Activities
Dancing Rings
Collect lids from large plastic containers. Cut out the center of each lid, leaving a one
inch rim all the way around. Give a rim to each of your children. Set out lengths of crepe
paper in a variety of colors. Help your children tape the ends of the crepe paper to their
plastic rims to make Dancing Rings.
Draw the Music
What You Need:
 Paper
 Paint/Crayons/Markers
 Various Other Art Supplies of Your Choice
What You Do:
 Play your children some upbeat intense music and then challenge them to draw
the music.
Jingle Bell Painting
Place a piece of white construction paper in the lid of a box (copy paper boxes are
great). Have your children drop jingle bells into cups of different colored paint and then
scoop then out with a spoon and drop them onto their paper. Shake the box around to
hear jingle bells and create a beautiful bright painting.
Drum Craft
Materials Needed:
Empty container of oatmeal, instant potatoes, or other tin food can.
1 1/2 pieces of construction paper
crayons, markers, or whatever else to decorate the drum
Tape the lid closed. Tape the pieces of construction paper onto the container. Wrap it
around the container. Tape. Decorate the construction paper. Play some music and play
the drums or just let the child play with it.
To hang it around your neck (especially if you are in a marching band), punch holes in
the bottom of the container, and put a long piece of yarn, string, etc. through both holes.
Juice Can Shaker
Clean and dry a frozen juice can and lid. Fill with some rice and/or beans. Place the lid
back onto the juice container. Secure with masking tape. Cover both ends with a piece
of round construction paper. Tape. Cover the rest with construction paper. Tape.
Decorate. Make music.
Egg Shaker
Place rice, beans, etc. inside a plastic egg. (Seal with tape or a hot glue gun.) Decorate
with paint, markers, etc. or they can be plain.
Plastic Cup Shaker
Place some rice, beans, etc. into a clear plastic cup. Decorate a round piece of paper.
Tape it on the top (use wide clear packaging tape).
July 2009
1
Activity ideas obtained from ACES staff and public domain materials
Guilford County Schools ACES Program
Tambourine
Decorate a paper plate the way you would like it to look. You can tape strips of
construction paper or crepe to it. Fold the paper plate in half and fill it with beans or rice.
Have an adult staple it closed. Shake and tap your tambourine.
Find the Sound
1. Choose a student to sit in the chair and blindfold him/her.
2. Choose an instrument and go to certain place in the classroom.
3. Begin to play the instrument with a continuous rhythmic pattern.
4. Ask the blindfolded student to stand up and walk toward the sound. (make sure that
their hands are outstretched as to assist them finding the sound)
5. Once they've found you, have them name the instrument being played. If they name
correctly, then they get to choose an instrument to play and they choose a student to be
the "blindfolded one".
Musical Four Corners
Materials: Four signs, each with the name of one instrument family printed on it:
Percussion, Strings, Brass and Woodwinds. Place one sign in each corner of the
classroom.
Start by calling out the name of an instrument (i.e. "Tuba"). Students move to the corner
displaying the family that instrument belongs to. Students in the wrong corners sit down.
Students in the correct corner continue to play another round, where a new instrument
is called out. Hopefully, you will get down to one winner, although often, students begin
to follow each other to the corners.
Simple Rain Stick
Supplies needed:
 empty potato chip cans with lids
 several plastic 6 pack can holders (using these save the environment)
 contact paper/construction paper
 popcorn or dried beans
 masking tape or colored tape
 decorative materials; boot laces, raffia, commercially purchased feather, beads, etc
Instructions:
1. Fold plastic 6 pack holders lengthwise and insert several into each can.
2. Pour in a handful of popcorn or dried beans; adjust amounts till you find the sounds
you like.
3. Seal lid to can.
4. Decorate with wood grain or jungle printed contact paper or with decorated
construction paper.
5. Tie cords, leather bootlace, yard, raffia, etc around top.
6. Attach feather and/or beads or other decorations.
July 2009
2
Activity ideas obtained from ACES staff and public domain materials
Guilford County Schools ACES Program
Bottle Shaker
Give each child some dried beans or popcorn. Have the children put them inside a
clean, empty plastic drink bottle. When the bottle is a third to a half full, place glue onto
the inside of the lid and place the lid onto the bottle. When the glue is dry, the children
have a musical shaker bottle. Students can also decorate the outside of the bottle.
Dramatizing
Add a cassette recorder and a small microphone to the dramatic play area. The children
may enjoy using it for singing and recording their voices.
Disc Jockey
In the music area, provide a cd player and cd for the children to play. One person can
be the Disc Jockey and take requests for favorite songs.
July 2009
3
Activity ideas obtained from ACES staff and public domain materials