A whimsical washboard – for creative musical fun

What can be used to make music? Practically anything! The musical washboard is proof that people have found creative ways to make music from all kinds of interesting objects. You can see, hear, color or find complete directions on making a kid’s size washboard from easy classroom materials at the links below.

Once you’ve made your own washboards, you can play along to any music, but they sound particularly good with old-timey music and classic songs like “Grand Old Flag”, “You Are My Sunshine” or “This Little Light of Mine”. And you can make some best-loved songs new. You can sing “Oh Susannah” with the names of your students instead (singing a different version each day or each time with a new student’s name so no one is left out).

Do you have a folksong or popular kid’s song that you want to teach your class? This is a great way that the kids can sing and play along with a favorite song at the same time.

SEE, HEAR OR COLOR A WASHBOARD: 
www.dariamusic.com/washboard.php

MAKE A WASHBOARD INSTRUCTIONS: 
www.dariamusic.com/make_Washboard.php

AN ALBUM OF FAVORITE SONGS FOR KIDS – GRANDCHILDREN’S DELIGHT
www.dariamusic.com/cd_grandchildren.php

If you like making instruments with your children, check how to also make a “quiet” rattle and a Latin-American “guiro”!

Although March is Music In Our Schools Month, there are no limits to how this powerful and powerfully fun tool can be used in the classroom at any time of year. Feel free to inspire your students through song and chances are good that you will all benefit from a happy and harmonious classroom!

Find Out More About MUSIC IN OUR SCHOOLS MONTH: 
www.menc.org/events/view/music-in-our-schools-month

Award-winning children’s performer, DARIA (Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou) has five cd’s that have won national honors. She has the most awesome job of traveling the world to sing for kids and peace. Her website; located at dariamusic.com, was given a 2009 Parents Choice Award for its musical and cultural content. Read more about Daria. Images used here with permission from Daria.