Cute Apple Shaker Musical Instrument Craft for Kids

Kids can make their own adorable apple shaker musical instruments from just a few simple materials! This easy apple craft is perfect for toddler storytime or preschool music time!

One of my favorite fall crafts, this easy paper plate apple craft is a fantastic idea for sensory play for little hands. Not only are they a fun and simple craft perfect for toddlers and preschoolers, they can also be used to teach a number of skills, including counting, hand-eye coordination, music beats, and following directions. And the best part: they require very little prep work from you!

The apple design makes these perfect for your fall themes during apple season. And kids love making these — they have so many options to make apple fun in their own way. They can change the paint color to make green apples or red apples, or even purple or orange. They can change the beads or beans inside to make their apple project theirs!

How to Make Paper Plate Apple Shakers

Materials

washable paint
paintbrush
paper plates
scotch tape
sandwich bags
beads
glue or staples
brown and green construction paper
scissors

Instructions

Step 1 | Paint the Plates

Start by painting the bottom of 2 paper plates using red paint, green paint, or yellow paint. Alternately, if you have really young kids and want to avoid the mess of painting, you could simply buy plates that are already apple colored!

Step 2 | Make the Window

To make the window, trace and cut a circle in the center of one of your plates.

If your sandwich bags have a zipper, cut it off. Place the bag over the circular hole in the center of the plates and use the tape to tape all the way around the bag. This will provide the see-though window that lets younger kids watch the beads go by!

Step 3 | Glue and Add Beads

Next, place the unpainted sides of the plates together, and either glue or staple around. I recommend hot glue if you’re going to use glue, with adult supervision, of course. Leave an opening at the top.

Place beads, beans, or other small and hard items that will make a shaking noise inside the shaker. I used pony beads in apple colors for mine. I actually wish I’d done black beads, so that they would look like seeds and it would look like a window into an apple core. Put as much or as little of the beads/beans/shaker items as you’d like!

Finish by glueing or stapling the opening closed.

Step 4 | Leaves and Stem

Cut a stem from brown paper and 2 leaves from green paper and glue them to the top to finish off your adorable paper plate apple craft! You can use a glue stick for this.

Step 5 | Shake, Shake, Shake!

Now your simple apple craft is finished and you are ready to shake them to your (or at least your kids’) heart’s desire!

Apple Shaker Musical Instrument for Kids

Ideas for Using Your Apple Shakers

This cute little paper plate apples can be used in tons of ways at home, at daycare, or at preschool! Here are a few different ways you can use these to teach a variety of skills with an apple theme:

Apple-Themed Songs: You can sing these apple songs to familiar tunes while shaking your apples to the beat!
Apple Picking Directions Game: Play this simple game to help students listen to and follow directions. Tell the kids to pretend they’re in an apple orchard. Pretend there are apples high in the apple tree. When you say “let’s pick apples,” they should stretch up high and shake their shakers. When you say “Put them in the basket,” the kids should put their shakers on the ground. As the kids get it, go faster and faster — it’s so much fun!
How Many Apples? Counting Game: Give the kids a number of apples you have. They then shake their shakers one time for each apple while counting. This is a fun way to practice counting!
Hot and Cold: Apple Shaker Version: Hot and cold is a classic among kids activities, and for a good reason. For this version, have a student leave the room. Hide real apples somewhere in the room. When the student returns, have them look for the apple. The other students can shake their apples louder the closer the student gets to where you’ve hidden the apple.
Guided Listening: Read the Johnny Appleseed story (this version is great for young children). Every time the students hear the word “apple,” they should shake their shakers.

Beyond the Mess: Benefits of Crafting with Little Ones

If you’ve read any of my other posts, you’ll know I wasn’t always so ready to craft with my very little kids. Letting them go with paint (even washable paint!) was way outside my comfort zone. Here’s a few things I’ve learned about how good crafting is for kid’s development since I decided to let go:

Crafting Makes Kids Feel Important: This the most important. Crafting opens doors for kids to make choices and create. They feel powerful and accomplished, no matter how awful the final product actually looks!
It Builds Attention and Focus Skills: Ever seen a kid place something carefully, their tongue sticking out as they concentrate everything they’ve got on getting that bead in the right place? With the epidemic of shortened attention spans, craft activities with your kids can be an great way to combat that loss.
Crafting Helps with Problem-Solving Skills: Crafting is full of small challenges and problems — the paint pooled up, the glue won’t stick, etc. Kids are pushed to use their critical thinking skills as they work through the issues that arise in a highly motivating environment (who wants to be the only kids with a cool apple shaker?).
It’s a Sensory Experience: Kids love exploring textures and sounds. The wetness of the paint, the hardness of the beads, and the sound the shakers make when they’re finished are all helpful ways for kids to check out their world.
Crafting Builds Fine Motor Skills: If you want your kid to tie their shoes and button up buttons, let them craft! The precision they need to place beads, cut out shapes, and glue in the right spot all translates to better skill at moving those fingers!

In short, if you want kids to learn in a fun way, crafting is an excellent choice. So pull out that washable paint, and let them go to town!