Music has some pretty awesome super powers. It can get your child to interact, play, smile, move, regulate emotions, and open gateways for communication.

The ability of music to generate these actions in children with autism or other disabilities is part of why it is so effective! While I would love the ability to live in with a few families so that I can help their children to communicate and regulate, it’s just not feasible (financially, and because I have a husband and cats to care for).

That’s why I am proud to present to you Building a Rhythm Band on a Budget.

I’m sure you are thinking “but I’m not a musician” or, “but I’m not a therapist” and my response is that I am not asking you to be either! While a family rhythm band cannot duplicate the effects of a trained music therapist, providing you with options to make music with your child at home can help to carry the benefits they reap in music therapy throughout the week. I do the hard work in session, you just play the rest of the time!

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The Basic Beat BB12B 12 Note Glockenspiel with Case is one of my personal favorites! Simply remove the B’s and F’s (Burgers and Fries) and you and your child can have a mistake free jam session! Put them back in and enjoy figuring out the tune to favorites like Old MacDonald and Twinkle Twinkle.

These Basic Beat Pair of 8″ Combination Rhythm Sticks are excellent for grasping skills, but also wonderful sensory stimulation when you drag the smooth stick along the ridged one. You can tap up high, down low, loud, soft, fast, and slow. Many of the kids I work with love the rhythm sticks!

It wouldn’t be a rhythm band without a Hand Drum! Drums of all shapes and sizes are so useful for a variety of things. Turn taking and following social cues can be practiced on the drums, emotions can be beat out on the drums, and sometimes it’s just fun to use the rainbow mallet and dance around the room!

What would a rhythm band be without some Basic Beat Egg Shakers? I recommend at least four, or as many as needed so each player can have two. These guys can puzzle your very young children by making them wonder what makes the sound. They’re also great to use for passing games, hand eye coordination, and shaking to the music.

Since this is Rhythm Band on a Budget, I went through and calculated the cost for you to purchase these items and have them shipped to Columbia, SC.

Not too bad for hours of play, growth, development, and communication for you and your child, huh?

You can always supplement your rhythm band with more instruments of different shapes, sizes, and timbres. Adding in other sensory items like scarves, leaves, cotton balls, etc can help diversify your rhythm band experience as well.

Interested in adding even more to your rhythm band? E-mail me for my recommendations on other instruments for you and your child to jam with!