Ideas to Try

Before you start…
Think about how to use the different equipment safely. One of these activities requires you to use a craft knife. Only do this when there's an adult around and use a cutting mat so you don't damage the table.

Remember – aerosol paints like the ones in the video contain poisonous chemicals. In the UK, many shops will not sell aerosol paints to children. None of the activities in this section require aerosol paints.

Make a Paper Cup Shaker
You will need: two paper cups, dried peas, beans, rice (or even small nails, tacks and pins), white paper and coloured paper (such as tissue paper or wrapping paper), masking tape, PVA glue and glue brush.

1. Experiment with the sounds you get from shaking different things inside a paper cup. Choose the filler you want for your shaker and half-fill one of the cups with it. Don't put too much filler inside, otherwise your shaker will sound dull and quiet.

2. Turn the second cup upside down to make a lid for the first one. Tape the two cups together firmly.

3. Tear your white paper into small pieces.

4. Brush PVA glue over the shaker and then cover the whole thing with a layer of white paper scraps.

5. Let the shaker dry while you tear up the coloured paper into small pieces.

6. Now put on another layer of glue and cover it with coloured paper.

7. Add more layers of colour if you need to – and finish off by coating the shaker all over with yet another layer of glue. When this dries, it will give the instrument a hard, shiny surface.

8. When everything's dry, you're ready to get shaking!

Make a Guiro
A guiro is played by scraping a stick over ridges on the instrument.

You will need: a plastic bottle, thin wire (such as garden wire), PVA glue, masking tape, pencil, craft knife and cutting mat. White paper and coloured paper to decorate.

1. Lay the bottle on its side on the cutting mat.

2. With the craft knife, carefully cut a slot about 5cm by 2cm wide in the side of the bottle, about 5 cm from the bottom. This helps the sound to come out.

3. Wind wire around the bottle, taping the ends firmly into place. You need to make a section of wire rings about 10cms wide across the middle of the bottle, above the slot.

4. Cover the rest of the bottle with layers of glue and coloured paper to decorate it, in the same way as the paper cup shaker.

5. When it's dry, hold the bottle by the neck and run a pencil up and down the wire section. Try out some different rhythms.

Other Instruments
Use PVA glue and coloured paper to cover all kinds of old containers to make drums. Check that your containers are clean before you use them and that there are no sharp edges where you might cut yourself.

Music making
How do you get a whole load of percussion instruments to play together without sounding like an awful racket? The idea is that everyone plays their own rhythm, but fits in with everyone else. Try some of these activities with your mates to get the hang of it…

• 'Follow the leader'. The leader plays a rhythm on one instrument. Everybody plays the same rhythm in reply. Then there's a new leader…
• 'Together beat'. A leader repeats a rhythm over and over. Everyone else joins in only on every third or fifth beat.
• 'Question and answer' in pairs. One person plays a rhythm (the 'question') and their partner plays a different rhythm (the 'answer') in reply.
• 'Conductor'. One person acts as conductor and signals players to join in/drop out/get louder/get quieter/slower/faster…
• Join in with the soundtrack of the video and play along with AfroLata.
• Watch the dance steps on the video and try to copy the moves with your friends.