Sing with My Tambourine
Parent and child create a simple tambourine from recycled materials and sing favorite songs together. The agent coaches the parent to observe musical memory, instrument identification, and melodic recall — building early musical skills and joyful parent-child interaction.
Opens a guided voice session in TogetherTime.
What you'll need
Parent and child sitting together at a table or on the floor. Materials: two plastic plates, dried rice/beans, tape, optional crayons/stickers. Space should allow for shaking and singing without restrictions.
How it works
- 1~45s
Let's start by making the tambourine together. Show your child how to put a handful of rice or beans between the two plates, then help them tape the edges together. You can decorate it with crayons or stickers if you like. As you work, talk about what you're making — 'This is our tambourine! It will make shaking sounds.' Watch how your child engages with the process. Does they seem excited about creating an instrument? Tell me what you notice.
Watch for: Child shows understanding that they are creating a musical instrument and can name or describe it.
- 2~40s
Now that your tambourine is ready, let's sing! Start with a song your child knows well — maybe 'Twinkle Twinkle' or 'The Wheels on the Bus.' Shake the tambourine to the rhythm as you sing. After a line or two, pause and see if your child will fill in the next word. For example, you sing 'Twinkle, twinkle, little...' and wait. Watch for any attempt to sing along, even if it's just one word. What do you notice?
Watch for: Child recalls and sings a few words from a familiar song when prompted or during pauses.
- 3~50s
Let's play a little game. Shake the tambourine and say 'Listen to our tambourine!' Then ask your child, 'What other instruments make sounds?' You can suggest options — 'Does a drum go shake-shake or boom-boom?' Or 'Does a guitar go pluck-pluck or tap-tap?' See if your child can identify or imitate different instrument sounds. Watch how they responds — does they show recognition of different musical sounds?
Watch for: Child identifies or imitates sounds of different musical instruments, showing auditory discrimination and recall.