Music is such an important part of life in general. It can change a mood, encourage learning, and be a learning tool in itself. If you are one that has instruments in your home, be grateful for the benefits that they provide. If you don’t, or even if you do, making homemade musical instruments for kids can be super easy and really fun for kids. This week we made a Paper Plate Tambourine and it was so much fun to make a diy musical instruments for kids. This instrument craft for kids is fun for toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, and first grade students.
Paper Plate Tambourine
This paper plate tambourine craft is super easy to set up to introduce music for kids of all ages. This musical instrument craft only requires a few supplies and beyond that creativity can take over. The inside of the instrument is the important part, but the outside can be decorated however your kids would like to decorate. It can also use craft supplies that you already have at home.

Musical Instrument Craft
All you need to make this cute tambourine music craft all you need are a few simple materials you probably already have at home:
Supplies Needed:
- Paper Plate
- Dry Beans
- Hot Glue Gun
- Decorations – we used stick foam
DIY musical instruments for kids
We cut pieces of sticky foam to decorate the outside. We chose rainbow like colors, because those are bright and fun. We decorated the outside of the paper plate first, before turning it into the tambourine. I folded the paper plate in half so that my daughter would know where not to put the sticky foam. We cut squares of sticky foam. I had her peel the back off, because this is a fabulous fine motor skill strengthening activity. She placed the sticky foam wherever she chose.
You could also decorate this tambourine with things like this:
- Color on designs
- Cut pieces of construction paper & glue on
- Stickers
- Glue on pom poms
- Decorate with glitter glue pens
Homemade musical instruments for kids
When the paper plate was completely decorated, we folded it as it should be. Place beans in the bottom of the folded plate. Using a hot glue gun, connect the two sides together.
Once the glue is dry, shake the newly created tambourine. This musical instrument will hold up against even the most aggressive shaker!
Music for Kids
Looking for more fun and free printables and resources to teach kids music? Try these:
- FREE Music Theory Worksheets for kids to learn all about MUSIC
- Printable piano flashcards
- Paper Plate Tambourine Musical Instrument Craft
- Super cute Piano practice sheets
- Musical Instruments Worksheets for kids to learn math and literacy skills while learning about instruments for kids
- Free Printable Music Flash cards
- Introduction to Music Theory for Kids printable book to read, color, and learn
- Free Music Notes Chart
- FUN Homemade Musical Instruments for kids
- Nature Noisemaker Music Activities for Preschoolers
- Create Music Instruments for Kids with these printable playdough mats!