activity, book play, fine motor activity, music

How to Make Shakers from Plastic Bottles

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How to make shakers from plastic bottles? It’s easy!

If you’re prepping for Cinco de Mayo and wishing you had maracas, just reach for an empty water bottle and some small findings to let your kid shake, shake, shake to the beat! Cinco de Mayo?? Depending when you’re reading this, that might be on the way in or on the way out. Well, these shakers are good ANY time of year. So, whether these easy DIY shakers resulted from fiesta preparations after reading Chicks and Salsa (written by Aaron Reynolds and illustrated by Paulette Bogan), from a need to make your own band instruments for preschoolers, or just because you wanted to help your kiddo make some noise, any time of year is a good time to fill a bottle and give it a good shake.

Above you’ll find illustrated instructions for your child to lead this how to make musical shakers activity. Here’s a cheat sheet on the four steps illustrated above for the adults:

Find two plastic water bottles.
Wash the water bottles then dry till sparkling.
Fill each water bottle with small findings, like coffee beans or small pasta. Don’t have those? Look for spare buttons, paper clips, broken crayon bits — or head outside for sticks, pebbles, etc.
Put the caps on and shake!

If you’re so inclined, add some pizazz to your shakers! Color and cut up some paper and glue them on, add some stickers, tie some colorful ribbon…make these your own.

TALKING POINTS FOR CHICKS AND SALSA BOOK:

What was your favorite part of Chicks and Salsa?
Why did the rooster look to make a different food for the chicks?
Do you ever get tired of eating the same food? Which food?
Have you ever followed instructions to cook a recipe? Do you prefer to come up with your own improvised meal?
Where did the rooster get the idea for salsa?
There were many words that described the salsa. These words are called adjectives. Do you remember some of the adjectives? Savory is one example that comes to mind.
Do you like trying new foods?
Did you like the “ole?” Why does the rooster at one point say ooh la la?
Do you remember what fiesta means?
Is there anything that you didn’t understand in this book?
Is there anything specific about this Chicks and Salsa book you’d like to talk about?