How to Make Drums for Kids

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: January 8, 2023 Tested

Playing a drum is a fun activity for kids to be introduced to music and learn how to keep a beat. You can easily make a drum from household objects for your kids to play and learn on. They’ll have fun helping to make their own musical instrument and be proud of themselves as they learn to drum a beat.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making a Drum from a Balloon

1
Find a pot to use. Find an old pot to use as the body of the drum. A pot with a diameter of less than 12 inches works best.
2
Get the right size balloon. The balloon is going to be the head of the drum so it needs to be tight but large enough to fit around the top of the pot. If the balloon is too small, it might be too tight and break when you drum.^{[1]
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- A 24 inch balloon works best for pots 10 to 12 inches in diameter.
- A 16 inch balloon works best for pots under 10 inches in diameter.
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3
Cut off the mouthpiece of the balloon. Use scissors to cut the mouthpiece off of the balloon. Make sure you only cut the mouth piece and not the body of the balloon.^{[2]
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4
Stretch the balloon on the pot and secure it. Secure the pot in between your knees or ask a friend to hold it securely. Put the balloon over one side of the pot and carefully stretch it over the entire top of the pot. Secure the balloon on the pot by stretching several rubber bands onto the pot sitting on top of the balloon.
5
Play your drum. Use lightweight wooden sticks to play your balloon drum. Chopsticks, small wooden dowels, or pencils work great for drumming on a balloon drum.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using a Coffee Tin

1
Glue construction paper around the coffee tin. Start by removing the lid and label from the coffee tin. Use the label as a guide to cut a piece of construction paper to fit the can. Glue the construction paper onto the coffee tin using craft glue.
- If you can't use the label as a guide, use a ruler to measure the width of label area on the tin. Draw a rectangle on the construction paper that is the same width and as long as the piece of paper is. You can cut off any overlap.
2
Attach fabric to the top of the coffee tin. Use a hot glue gun to glue a square of fabric to the top of the coffee tin. Trim the excess fabric leaving about one to two inches of extra fabric past the glue.
- The square of fabric should be about double the size of the top of the tin. For example, if the lid of the tin is about 3x3 inches, the fabric square should be 6x6 inches.
3
Replace the lid. Put the lid to the coffee tin back on to secure the fabric in place and create a solid surface for the child to drum on. You can hide the edge of the lid by gluing on a ribbon over it.
4
Decorate the drum. Use markers, stickers, feathers, or other decorative material to decorate the drum. You can draw designs on the paper around the drum or hang feathers down from the lid to the coffee tin. Use your imagination and have the child make the drum unique.
5
Find sticks to drum with. Find lightweight wooden sticks to use as drumsticks. Use wooden dowels, chopsticks, or unsharpened pencils to drum on your new drum.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Crafting a Dumbek (African Drum)

1
Get a cardboard carpet tube and plastic flower pot. This drum is made from a cardboard carpet tube with a plastic flower pot stacked on top. You can get a cardboard carpet tube free from any carpet store.
- The carpet tube should be three to four inches in diameter.
- The bottom of the flower pot should be four inches in diameter.
2
Find a beach ball to use. You need thick, pliable plastic material to make the head of this drum. A beach ball works perfect, but any thick and flexible plastic material will work.
- A balloon is too thin.
3
Cut the carpet tube. Use scissors or a small hand saw to cut the carpet tube to be 12 inches long. Make sure you cut the tube straight and not at an angle so it will attach flat to the flower pot.
4
Cut a square from the beach ball. Start by using scissors to cut the plastic blow tube off of the beach ball, and then cut the ball open so it can lay out flat. Cut a square out of the beach ball that is as wide as the beach ball is. This will give you enough to cover the top of the flower pot and have extra around the sides.
5
Put the plastic square in an embroidery hoop. Get an embroidery hoop the size of the top of the flower pot. Take apart the embroidery hoop and stretch the beach ball square onto the bottom of the embroidery hoop, stretching as you go. Put the top of the embroidery hoop back on the bottom, and make sure the beach ball is very tight in the hoop.
- This is the drum head
6
Attach the drum head to the flower pot. Put the drum head on the top of the flower pot and secure it using packing tape. Use enough tape to securely fasten the drum head to the flower pot.
7
Attach the flower pot to the carpet tube. Set the flower pot onto the top of the cardboard tube. Use packing tape to secure the flower pot onto the cardboard tube.
8
Decorate the drum. Use decorative material to embellish your new African drum. You can use yarn or twine to wrap around the packing tape to hide it. Attach feathers and beads for a unique, traditional look.

Community Q&A

Question

Does the balloon drum sound good?

Community Answer

Yes, the balloon drum does sound good. It is actually my favorite of them all.
Question

Do the coffee tin drums sound good?

Stefania

Community Answer

Yes, if you make them correctly and use the right drum stick.
Question

What can I use other than the beach ball?

Kim G

Top Answerer

You can use an inner tube, canvas, or any kind of material that you can stretch across the top of a drum shell. Make sure it is strong enough to last while playing.