Category Archives: Hispanic Music

Making Music For Hispanic Heritage Month Plus the Big HHM Give-Away!

Hispanic Heritage Month – September 15th to October 15th every year – is a great time to explore the many diverse and beautiful cultures with Hispanic roots. Making and playing simple musical instruments from these cultures is a great way to discover more about countries like Mexico, Chile, Cuba, Spain, Argentina, Peru, Puerto Rico, Honduras or Ecuador. And it’s a great way to enjoy time with your children, by learning simple songs or playing music together.

Over the last decade, we’ve assembled our favorite musical crafts that delight young kids, so feel free to use these a starting point for giving your little global citizens the whirlwind tour of Latino music and culture. Here are some of our reader’s favorite, plus links below to freebie coloring and instrument information pages available through the TeachersPayTeachers site.

Sharing Bongos With Babies

Bongo drums are a wonderfully simple drum to make and play. With Afro-Cuban roots, they consist of two small hand drums with differing sounds, so tapping back and forth creates many marvelous rhythmic possibilities. Make two sets for parent and child and try your hand at becoming a skilled “bongocero”.

Here’s what you need for this MYO bongo project. Two cylindrical (oatmeal, coffee cans, etc.) containers, decorative materials and some sturdy tape. Plus a desire to bang on a drum all day! Read the full post here: http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/uncategorized/bongos-for-babies-and-big-kids-too/

Create Some Castanets

Got buttons? This simple craft creates a convincing castanet that almost anyone can play between their thumb and first finger. Supplies needed for this craft are matched sets of buttons, glue and some sturdy paper, like a manila folder or colorful poster board.

To get all the directions you need to click and clack away, visit: http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/early-learning-with-music/easy-and-funbutton-castanets/

The Zampoñas – A Wonderful Wind Instrument

Panpipes can be heard throughout South American folk music. Their unique breathy sound comes from blowing over the top of open reeds that are cut to various lengths. You can make your own version from wide straws and decorate them like real zamponãs. With a bit of practice, you’ll get the hang of blowing over the edges of the straws (as opposed to into them) and be creating simple tunes that you recognize or even melodies from the Andes!

Get your step-by-step instructions and tips here: http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/early-learning-with-music/make-your-own-simple-panpipes/

Get a Guiro!

You’ll recognize the sound of a guiro right away, and if you don’t – you can hear one here: http://www.dariamusic.com/guiro.php. This project is so easy to make and play, then scrape away at rhythms all day long. Use your new guiro to play along with music from Puerto Rico, Cuba or Mexico. Or sing your favorite song in Spanish and use the guiro to keep the beat!

Read the full post here: http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/uncategorized/easiest-instruments-for-young-children-the-guiro/

Free Coloring And Hispanic Instrument Pages from DARIA’s TPT Store

Mariachi Guitar Coloring Page
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mariachi-Guitar-Coloring-Page-2511636

Color the Zampoñas – Panpipes From The Andes
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Color-the-Zamponas-Panpipes-From-The-Andes-650601

Color A Bombo – A Drum From The Andes
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Color-A-Bombo-A-Drum-From-The-Andes-650642

Color The Chapchas – A Rattle From The Andes
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Color-The-Chapchas-An-Instrument-from-The-Andes-650050

The Cajón – Make And Play Your Own “Box Drum”
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/What-is-a-Quijada-Jawbone-Instrument-1406336

What is a Quijada (Jawbone Instrument) https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/What-is-a-Quijada-Jawbone-Instrument-1406336

Wishing everyone a marvelous month celebrating the beauty and diversity of Hispanic cultures throughout the world!

Multicultural Kid Blogs HHM Give-Away!

We are so excited for our FIFTH annual Hispanic Heritage Month series and giveaway! Through the month (September 15 – October 15), you’ll find great resources to share Hispanic Heritage with kids, plus you can enter to win in our great giveaway and link up your own posts on Hispanic Heritage!

September 14
Hanna Cheda on Multicultural Kid Blogs: How to Pass on Hispanic Heritage as an Expat

September 15
Spanish Mama: Los Pollitos Dicen Printable Puppets

September 16
Hispanic Mama: Children’s Shows that Kids in Latin America Grew Up With

September 19
Spanish Playground: Authentic Hispanic Heritage Month Games Everyone Can Play

September 20
Tiny Tapping Toes

September 21
Kid World Citizen on Multicultural Kid Blogs

September 22
Spanish Mama

September 23
All Done Monkey

September 26
Crafty Moms Share

September 27
Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes

September 28
La Clase de Sra. DuFault

September 29
Embracing Diversity

September 30
Mama Tortuga

October 3
Hispanic Mama on Multicultural Kid Blogs

October 4
La Clase de Sra. DuFault

October 5
Pura Vida Moms

October 7
Spanglish House

October 10
Mundo Lanugo

October 11
Kid World Citizen

October 12
MommyMaestra

October 13
inspired by familia

October 14
El Mundo de Pepita on Multicultural Kid Blogs

Don’t miss all of the great posts from previous years as well: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015

Hispanic Heritage Month Giveaway!

Giveaway begins September 14 and goes through October 14, 2016.

Enter below for a chance to win one of these amazing prize packages! Some prizes have shipping restrictions. In the event that a winner lives outside the designated shipping area, that prize will then become part of the following prize package. For more information, read our full giveaway rules.

Grand Prize

-Month of free access to online Spanish home learning program from Calico Spanish
-If You Were Me and Lived in… series, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, and Portugal books from Carole P. Roman US Shipping Only
-Spark important conversations about diversity, inclusivity and acceptance with award-winning Barefoot Books! Collection includes Barefoot Books World Atlas, The Barefoot Book of Children, Children of the World Memory Game, The Great Race, Mama Panya’s Pancakes, Off We Go to Mexico, Up and Down the Andes, We all Went on Safari, We’re Sailing Down the Nile, We’re Sailing to Galapagos US & Canada Shipping Only
-Aquí Allá CD from Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band US Shipping Only
-Animales CD from 123 Andrés US Shipping Only
-Best of the Bowl CD from Hot Peas ‘N Butter US Shipping Only
-Juana and Lucas by Juana Medina (hard cover), El fútbol me hace feliz by Maribeth Boelts and illustrated by Lauren Castillo (paperback), Blankie/Mantita by Leslie Patricelli (board book) from Candlewick Press US & Canada Shipping Only
-A Child’s Life in the Andes e-book plus music CD from Daria Music
-Hola Hello CD with lyrics in digital format from Mariana Iranzi
-T-shirt of choice (or equal value $18) from Ellie Elote US Shipping Only
-Scarves, coin purse and painted wood bracelets from Nicaragua, and a map puzzle of Central America from Spanish Playground US Shipping Only
-Latin GRAMMY-winning album Los Animales from Mister G US Shipping Only

First Prize

-If You Were Me and Lived in… series, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, and Portugal books from Carole P. Roman US Shipping Only
-Aquí Allá CD from Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band US Shipping Only
-Animales CD from 123 Andrés US Shipping Only
-Best of the Bowl CD from Hot Peas ‘N Butter US Shipping Only
-Juana and Lucas by Juana Medina (hard cover), El fútbol me hace feliz by Maribeth Boelts and illustrated by Lauren Castillo (paperback), Blankie/Mantita by Leslie Patricelli (board book) from Candlewick Press US & Canada Shipping Only
-Hola Hello CD with lyrics in digital format from Mariana Iranzi
-T-shirt of choice (or equal value $18) from Ellie Elote US Shipping Only
-Scarves, coin purse and painted wood bracelets from Nicaragua, and a map puzzle of Central America from Spanish Playground US Shipping Only
-Olinguito, from A to Z! (bilingual) by Lulu Delacre, Rafi and Rosi by Lulu Delacre, Mamá the Alien (bilingual) y René Colato Laínez and illustrated by Laura Lacámara, Marisol MacDonald and the Monster (bilingual) by Monica Brown from Lee & Low Books US Shipping Only
-Ecuador Themed International Cooking Box from Global Gastronauts US Shipping Only
-Ora de Despertar Ladino Children’s Music CD from Sarah Aroeste Hard copy if US winner; digital if international winner
-T-shirt of choice from Mundo Lanugo US Shipping Only
-Latin GRAMMY-winning album Los Animales from Mister G US Shipping Only

Second Prize

-If You Were Me and Lived in… series, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, and Portugal books from Carole P. Roman US Shipping Only
-Aquí Allá CD from Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band US Shipping Only
-Animales CD from 123 Andrés US Shipping Only
-Best of the Bowl CD from Hot Peas ‘N Butter US Shipping Only
-Juana and Lucas by Juana Medina (hard cover), El fútbol me hace feliz by Maribeth Boelts and illustrated by Lauren Castillo (paperback), Blankie/Mantita by Leslie Patricelli (board book) from Candlewick Press US & Canada Shipping Only
-Hola Hello CD with lyrics in digital format from Mariana Iranzi
-T-shirt of choice (or equal value $18) from Ellie Elote US Shipping Only
-Scarves, coin purse and painted wood bracelets from Nicaragua, and a map puzzle of Central America from Spanish Playground US Shipping Only
-Culture Chest with the theme “Dancing in September” for Hispanic Heritage Month. Includes bilingual books Tito Puente, Mambo King and Me llamo Celia Cruz, both by Monica Brown and Rafael Lopez US Shipping Only
-Spanish Alphabet Print (US Shipping Only) and single-use promo code for Spanish for kids language app from Gus on the Go
-Latin GRAMMY-winning album Los Animales from Mister G US Shipping Only

Bonus Prize

Piñata from Piñatas de Laly Europe Shipping Only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An InLinkz Link-up

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Posted in Classroom Music, Early Learning With Music, Family Fun, First Instruments, Hispanic Music, Multicultural Music, Musical Crafts, Simple Instruments

Tagged Argentina crafts, childrens music projects, Chile crafts, Cuba crafts, Daria, Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou, DIY crafts, Ecuador crafts, HHM crafts, HHM music, Hispanic Heritage kids crafts, Hispanic Heritage kids music, Hispanic Heritage Month, Hispanic Heritage month crafts, Hispanic Heritage Month music, Honduras crafts, Mexico crafts, MYO crafts, Peru crafts, Puerto Rico crafts, Spain crafts, unusual percussion, world music with daria, young children and music

5 Musical Activities With Directions In Spanish

Are you part of a bilingual school, preschool or cultural center? Would directions to some exciting musical projects in Spanish make a fun addition to your classroom or enrichment activities?

Although we don’t have all our activities and posts in Spanish, here are some of our reader’s favorites, especially for making and playing with young children.

Make a Roly-Poly Thing! - Construye Una Cosita Musical Que Rueda https://creciendoconmusicblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/08/construye-una-cosita-musical-que-rueda/

Make Your Own Gong! - ¡Haz tu propio gong! https://creciendoconmusicblog.wordpress.com/2013/09/13/haz-tu-propio-gong/

Make Your Own Recycled Shaker Eggs – Haz tus propios huevos sonajeros reciclados https://creciendoconmusicblog.wordpress.com/2013/08/13/haz-tus-propios-huevos-sonajeros-reciclados/

Making Rattles With Recycled Materials – Haciendo Sonajeros De Materiales Recicladas https://creciendoconmusicblog.wordpress.com/2012/04/06/haciendo-sonajeros-de-materiales-recicladas/

Make Some Marvelous Maracas – ¡Preparemos unas maravillosas maracas! https://creciendoconmusicblog.wordpress.com/2012/02/06/preparemos-unas-maravillosas-maracas/

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Posted in Classroom Music, Early Learning With Music, First Instruments, Hispanic Music, Homeschool Musical Fun, Musical Crafts, Simple Instruments

Tagged childrens music., Daria, Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou, Easiest Instruments For Children, Haciendo Sonajeros, kids musical crafts, kindergarten music activities, music crafts, Music for children, Musical Activities in Spanish, pre-k music activities, recycled crafts, Recycled crafts Spanish, sonajeros reciclados, Spanish language craft instructions, Spanish music craft instructions, world music with daria, young children and music

Sing A Song For Earth Day In Spanish

Music is such a wonderful way to promote learning languages and bilingualism. If you’re celebrating Earth Day, here’s a fun way of combining caring for our planet with expanding your language skills in Spanish.

The song is based on “We’ve Got The Whole World In Our Hands”, an Earth Day anthem heard all over the world. But if you haven’t heard it yet, make sure you get your free mp3 download at the links below or cruise over to the videos and hear it yourself.

Spanish Language Cheat Sheet

Thanks to the translation skills of a wonderful bilingual mom – Cecelia Fencer – here’s the Earth Day song in Spanish.

If you’re unfamiliar with Spanish, here’s some of the recurring words with their English translations.

Tenemos – We Have

Todo El Mundo – The Whole World

Manos – Hands

Reciclar – Recycle

Tierra – Earth

Plantas – Plants

Animales – Animals

Hermanos – Brothers

Sueños – Dreams

Tenemos Todo El Mundo En Nuestras Manos

New version of lyrics in English/c 1994 Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou
c 2104 Spanish translation Cecelia Fencer

Tenemos todo el mundo en nuestras manos.
Tenemos todo el mundo en nuestras manos.
Tenemos todo el mundo en nuestras manos.
Tenemos todo el mundo en nuestras manos.

Debemos reciclar, ahora que podemos.
Reducir, reusar y reciclar
Reducir y reciclar ahora que podemos.
Tenemos al mundo en nuestras manos.

Tenemos plantas y animales en nuestra tierra,
plantas y animales en nuestra tierra.
Tenemos plantas y animales en nuestra tierra.
Tenemos al mundo en nuestras manos.

Tenemos todo el mundo en nuestras manos.
Tenemos todo el mundo en nuestras manos.
Tenemos todo el mundo en nuestras manos.
Tenemos todo el mundo en nuestras manos.

Tomemonos de las manos, como hermanos.
Tomemonos de las manos como hermanos.
Tomemonos de las manos como hermanos,
tenemos al mundo en nuestras manos

Encuentra tus sueños y haz lo que puedas,
ten tus anhelos y lucha por ellos.
Encuentra tus sueños y haz lo que puedas,
tenemos al mundo en nuestras manos.

Tenemos todo el mundo en nuestras manos.
Tenemos todo el mundo en nuestras manos.
Tenemos todo el mundo en nuestras manos.
Tenemos todo el mundo en nuestras manos.

Links and Resources

Lyric Sheet – We’ve Got The Whole World In Our Hands (English) http://www.dariamusic.com/wholeworld.php

Write Your Own Earth Day Song http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/classroom-music/sing-your-own-earth-day-song/

Earth Day CD and CD Plus 10 Recycled Activities: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/EARTH-DAY-CD-PLUS-E-BOOK-OF-10-RECYCLED-MUSICAL-ACTIVITIES-658096

DARIA’s free resources for Earth Day http://www.dariamusic.com/earthday.php

Official Earth Day Site: http://www.earthday.org/

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Posted in Classroom Music, Early Learning With Music, Ecology/Nature, Family Fun, Favorite Songs, Hispanic Music, Holiday Songs, Homeschool Musical Fun

Tagged children and music, childrens music., Daria, Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou, Earth Day activities, earth day anthem, Earth Day music, Earth day song, Earth day song Spanish, Green music, green songs, homeschool music, in our hands, kids activities earth day, multicultural music, musica infantil, Spanish language Earth day song, we’ve got the whole world, Whole World In Our Hands, world music with daria, write an Earth day song, young children and music

A Family-Friendly Version of La Cucaracha!

Check out DARIA’s version of this adorable song in both Spanish and English at the Spotify, Apple Music and Pandora links below to listen free!

I recently received an e-mail from Sweden asking about the Mexican folksong, “La Cucaracha”. The writer wondered how this song could be so familiar so far away from it’s Latin American roots. The answer is simple, some songs are just that catchy, simple and have a certain magic about them. “La Cucarcha” seems to be one of those songs.

So, what is this popular little globe-trotting song all about?

Let’s start with the basics. The Spanish word “cucaracha” means cockroach and there are multiple verses to the song, many of which are silly or nonsensical. Although most frequently associated with Mexican culture, the song actually dates back to a Spanish “corrido” song. And, no one really knows how old “La Cucaracha” is but at least one version appears in a songbook that dates back to 1492!

Is there a standard set of lyrics? No! If you check out the wikipedia page below you’ll see lots of verses including many with historical or cultural references. And, naturally, there are the clever or silly ones, as well:

(Spanish) Cuando uno quiere a una
y esta una no lo quiere,
es lo mismo que si un calvo
en la calle encuentra un peine

(English) When a man loves a woman
but she doesn’t love him back
it’s like a bald man
finding a comb in the street.

A Kid-Friendly Version

Although this is a great little song, I never sang it in public because one of the verses referred to marijuana. It just didn’t fit my definition of a family-friendly tune. However, while performing a concert for a group of nuns in South American, one Sister sang me her own version of the song. It was cute and sweet and left out the “offending” verse.

Her version totally inspired me to not only sing the song, but to add some silly English lyrics, preserving the “everyone adds their own touch” approach to adapting folksongs. In my bilingual version, the little cockroach likes to play traditional Mexican instruments. And with 6 legs, wouldn’t any cockroach make a fine percussionist?

Below is a free lyric sheet to this bilingual version, plus the popular Youtube video. And if a little cockroach who plays both guiros and maracas inspires you, you can make your own version of these instruments to play in class or at home. Just check out the links below for the DIY instructions.

Here’s hoping this song makes you laugh and smile, learn a bit of Spanish and share a song with someone you love!

Links and Resources

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/57s2qPe2YT69GoenDQD1Kf
Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-have-a-dream/id49532398
Pandora: www.pandora.com/artist/daria-childrens/i-have-a-dream/la-cucaracha-spanish-english/TRlz4b72vkflZ4w

Free Lyric Sheet from TPT: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/La-Cucaracha-Lyric-Sheet-Bilingual-Version-2863996

Wikipedia’s Full History of La Cucaracha
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Cucaracha

MYO Guiro from TeachersPayTeachers
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Make-Your-Own-Latin-American-Guiro-1230266

MYO Maracas from TeachersPayTeachers
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Make-Your-Own-Maracas-1428029

La Cucaracha from Amazon mp3
http://amzn.com/B0013PIZ9O

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Posted in Annoying Songs, Early Learning With Music, Favorite Songs, Hispanic Music, Multicultural Music, Silly Songs

Tagged bilingual La Cucaracha. History La Cucaracha., bilingual songs, childrens music., cockroach song, Daria, Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou, kids music, kids songs, La Cucaracha, La Cucaracha song, little cockroach song, multicultural music, music for toddlers, musica infantil, songs in Spanish, world music with daria, young children and music

Image

Color The Instruments from Hispanic Heritage!

Who doesn’t love to color?

And did you know that the guitar traces it’s roots to Spain? And in South American, there’s an instrument made from the actual shell of an armadillo? Coloring pages can be a great way to get creative as well as dive into any study or exploration of music. Since September 15 – October 15^th is Hispanic Heritage month, we wanted to share a few of our reader’s favorite coloring freebies featuring instruments that come from the diversity of Hispanic cultures.

And if coloring isn’t enough, check out the free E-book listed below where you can make crafty versions of 10 different instruments that also come from the Hispanic world. Castanets, cajitas or box drums, anyone?

Guitar

Color A Guitar – ONLINE http://www.dariamusic.com/color_Guitar.php

Free Printable From TeachersPayTeachers http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Guitar-Coloring-Page-649967

Charango (Small Stringed Instrument Made From An Armadillo Shell)

Free Printable From DARIA’s website

http://www.dariamusic.com/docs/CharangoColoringPage.pdf

Cajón (A Box Drum From Afro-Peruvian Culture)

Color A Cajon – ONLINE

http://www.dariamusic.com/color_Cajon.php

Chapchas (A Rattle Made From Goat’s Toenails)

Free Printable From TeachersPayTeachers http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Color-The-Chapchas-An-Instrument-from-The-Andes-650050

Bombo ( A Large South American Drum)

Free Printable From TeachersPayTeachers http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Color-A-Bombo-A-Drum-From-The-Andes-650642

Guiro

Color A Guiro – ONLINE http://www.dariamusic.com/color_Guiro.php

Zampoñas (Panpipes From The Andes)

Free Printable From TeachersPayTeachers http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Color-the-Zamponas-Panpipes-From-The-Andes-65060

Resources And Links

10 Musical Crafts To Celebrate Hispanic Heritage -Free Until October 31^st on DARIA’s website:

http://www.dariamusic.com/monthly_song.php

Available Anytime From TeachersPayTeachers ($8.99)

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Celebrate-Hispanic-Heritage-Musical-Craft-And-Coloring-E-Book-1427919

Additional Coloring Pages With Musical Instruments From All Over the World http://www.dariamusic.com/crafts.php

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Posted on September 27, 2014 by Daria in Classroom Music, Early Learning With Music, Hispanic Music, Homeschool Musical Fun, Multicultural Music

Tagged Bombo, cajon, Charango, Coloring Pages, coloring pages musical instruments, free coloring pages, free music resources, Guiro, Hispanic Heritage Month, Hispanic Heritage month activities, music coloring pages, musical coloring pages, zampoñas

We’re Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month – With Music and More!

We’re excited to be part of the MKB network’s awesome blog hop that shares all aspects of Hispanic culture. Our contribution is a free and fun E-book that shares 10 Musical Crafts you can make to explore these exciting and meaningful cultural traditions.

Find that free E-book here: http://www.dariamusic.com/monthly_song.php

And please, read on. There are contests, give-aways and lots of other great activities and information from some really awesome bloggers that I hope you get a chance to meet through this wonderful blog Hop. And don’t forget to scroll through the prizes to find and enter the Rafflecopter below!

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!

Welcome to the Third Annual Hispanic Heritage Month Blog Hop, hosted this year by Multicultural Kid Blogs and 17 of our member blogs! Don’t miss our amazing giveaway, and share your own posts at our linky!

Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15 every year, “celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America” (from HispanicHeritageMonth.gov)

Be sure to visit all of the participating blogs (listed below) and follow our related Pinterest boards:

Don’t miss our Twitter party “Celebrating Hispanic Heritage with Kids,” Tuesday, September 23, from 9 – 10 pm ET! Follow #mkbhhm to participate!

MKB Hispanic Heritage Month Blog Hop: Participating Blogs

Multicultural Kid Blogs

Entre Compras y El Hogar

Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes

Spanglish House

Crafty Moms Share

Toddling in the Fast Lane

Mama Tortuga

Frogs, Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

Our Whole Village

A Life With Subtitles

Spanish Mama

Pragmatic Mom

Daria’s Music

My Favorite Multicultural Books

Hispanic Heritage Month GIVEAWAY!

This year to celebrate we are giving away fabulous prizes! Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post for a chance to win!

Please note that there are shipping restrictions on some prizes. In the event that the winner lives outside of the shipping area, that portion of the prize will be added to the following prize package.

Grand Prize Package

Smart Play - Hispanic Heritage Month Blog Hop Smart Play Pad (SRP $ 24.99): Interactive tablet like electronic toy makes early learning fun and exciting for little ones. More than 30 touch sensitive keys teach language and pronunciation skills to help prepare children for school. Bilingual feature helps kids learn in English & Spanish. Lightweight and truly portable for on-the-go learning. Ships to US and Canada only.

A basket of fun from Escuela Falcón in Guanajuato, Gto., Mexico. This prize includes educational games, ceramic Day of the Dead skulls, a hand-painted ceramic box, wooden toys, and a certificate for 5 hours of Skype Spanish lessons with Escuela Falcón.

A basket from Lanugo with the book “Lula la Consentida,” a limited-edition “Latino de Corazón” infant onsie, and Seventh Generation’s baby product essentials. US shipping only.

A Spanish edition of the award-winning game Bananagrams.

DVD of Spanish music videos from Rockalingua.

A Movie in my Pillow and Poems to Dream Together – Books of poetry in English and Spanish from Lee and Low.

First Prize Package

A child’s sweater and bag from Peru courtesy of Kid World Citizen. The handmade, wool sweater is typical from the Andes and might fit a child ages 2-4. The little backpack is also handmade with gorgeous details typical of the region.

A Spanish edition of the award-winning game Bananagrams.

Chocolalala – CD of songs in English and Spanish from Mister G.

Hola Hello – A CD of children’s songs in English and Spanish from Mariana Iranzi.

Mis primeros poemas – A book of poems and audio CD for Spanish learners from All Bilingual Press.

Digital download of Spanish Colors Activities Pack with printable minibooks, games and activity pages from Mundo de Pepita.

Spanish activity book with an audio CD with listening exercises for kids between 3-10 years old (value: 12€) from Lingua Toys.

Hand-crafted guiro (traditional instrument), hand-carved from a gourd in Bolivia with a sun and moon pattern. Great instrument as well as a piece of folk art. From DARIAMUSIC. US shipping only.

Second Prize Package

Handwoven scarf from Nicaragua courtesy of Spanish Playground.

¡Las letras! and Señorita Bienvenida en el aeropuerto – Two children’s books in Spanish from Libros Arellano.

A CD of children’s songs in English and Spanish from Mariana Iranzi.

ABC Fiesta – CD of songs in English and Spanish from Mister G.

Digital download of 6 printable Spanish high frequency words books from Custom Literacy.

Bonus Prize: France Shipping Only!

Beautiful piñata created especially for this contest by Piñatas de Laly.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Link Up Your Posts Now it’s your turn to share your posts! The linky will be open through October 15, so come back and share throughout Hispanic Heritage Month!

An InLinkz Link-up

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Posted in Classroom Music, Early Learning With Music, First Instruments, Hispanic Music, Multicultural Music, Musical Crafts, Uncategorized

Tagged childrens music., Hispanic Heritage Blog Hop, Hispanic Heritage Month, Hispanic Heritage Month music, homeschool music, kids musical crafts, music for toddlers, musica infantil, world music with daria, young children and music

Bongos For Babies – And Big Kids, Too!

One of the easiest drums for anyone to play are bongo drums. With roots in Afro-Cuban culture, this smaller set of hand drums is just the right size and shape to invite a child to sit down and tap and play away.

A Bit About The Bongos

Bongo drums are a great instrument for exploring rhythms and beats as well as Latin American culture with children. Originating in Cuba, there’s one larger drum, about 7 inches in diameter and one smaller drum, about 5 inches across. In Cuba, the bongo player is called a bongocero.

Make Your Own Bongo Drums

It’s easy to make a set of simple working bongo drum at home. All you need are a few basic materials starting with two round containers of different sizes. Coffee cans, oatmeal and corn meal containers work well for this project. Then you’ll need creative materials to decorate the two drums. Look for construction paper, stickers, colorful tape, markers or glitter and glue. Last, you’ll need sturdy tape – like electrical tape or duct tape – to attach the drums together.

Decorate The Drums

Start by decorating the two drums. If you’re working with construction paper, cut out a cover for each drum and allow your child to design their drum on a flat surface. Then, tape the cover into place around each drum. If not, feel free to allow the child to decorate the rounded surface of the drum. Stickers and colorful tape, work well for this type of approach.

Once you’ve completed the decoration process, use the electrical tape or duct tape and secure the drums together. Wrap the tape around both drums several times.

Now, you’re ready to play!

How Are Bongo Drums Held?

Traditionally bongo drums are held between your legs, with the smaller drum to your left. However, if you’re playing with a child, feel free to place the bongos where it’s easiest for them to reach. This might be front of them on the floor or on their lap as they sit cross-legged.

Tapping Out A Beat

As always, I encourage the parent, caregiver or teacher to make a set of drums themselves and learn alongside their child. Here are some tips on basic techniques for beginner bongoceros, young and older!

Start by tapping the larger drum with your hands, using the upper part your palms (toward the base of your fingers). Tap the center, then other areas on the drum head and notice the difference in the sound. Do the same with the smaller head. Play back and forth between the larger and smaller head.

Next, try tapping the large head with one or more fingertips and you’ll hear a quieter sound. Try the same on the smaller head. Now you can mix and match the sounds you’ve just discovered and form them into patterns. Start simple and find patterns you enjoy or put on Latin American music and try to match the patterns from the song. You can also create new rhythm patterns that fit with the music you hear as well.

Once you’ve made your homemade bongos, feel free to use your new drums to “just jam” or to learn and play some of the great beats from Afro-Cuban and Latin American folk traditions. Here’s a basic bongo drum pattern called “el martillo” that almost anyone can learn with just a bit of practice.

Resources And Links

Bongo Craft PDF from TeachersPayteachers

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Make-And-Play-Your-Own-Bongo-Drums-1430615

10 Music Crafts For Exploring Hispanic Heritage

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Celebrate-Hispanic-Heritage-Musical-Craft-And-Coloring-E-Book-1427919

Hear, Color Or Play a Guiro

http://www.dariamusic.com/guiro.php

Free Musical Crafts and Coloring Pages From All Over the World – From DARIA MUSIC

http://www.dariamusic.com/crafts.php

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Posted in Family Fun, First Instruments, Hispanic Music, Homeschool Musical Fun, Multicultural Music, Musical Crafts, Simple Instruments, Uncategorized

Tagged bongo drum craft, bongo drums, Bongos for babies, bongos for kids, childrens music., Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou, DIY drums, Hispanic Heritage crafts, Hispanic Heritage month crafts, homemade drums, Latin American music for children, Latin American music for kids, Latin drums for kids, multicultural music, musical crafts, MYO drums, sensory play, toddlers and music, unusual percussion, world music with daria, young children and music

Make Your Own “Quijada” – A Jawbone Rattle

Hispanic Heritage Month is coming up in September and we’re starting early by sharing some of the more unique instruments found in Latin American cultures as well as ways you can craft your own clever versions at home!

What is A Quijada

The quijada is a wonderfully gross instrument from Afro-Peruvian culture made from the dried jawbone of a donkey. Also called charrasga or quijada de burro, the unique sound of this instrument comes from the teeth rattling and buzzing in the dried sockets.

Although this might sound like an odd object to use to make music, if you trace the history of the enslaved people brought to Peru, they were allowed almost no personal items so it makes sense they “recycled” what they could find to continue making the music that was meaningful to them.

In more modern times, the quijada along with a box drum (called a cajón) and a little donation box (called a cajita) create the signature sounds of this beautiful and expressive music from the coastal region of Peru.

Make Your Own Quijada Craft

Since jawbones and animal teeth are not common materials, we’ve created a craft that uses the same idea of teeth rattling in empty sockets. Although it’s a simple project, there are several ways to decorate and play an egg carton quijada, making it a fun addition to any home, school or homeschool music basket.

Gather Your Supplies

All you need is an empty egg carton and 12 items that fit inside the egg’s spaces. Use anything you have around the house such as marbles, legos, beads, buttons, or dried pasta or venture outside for pebbles, rocks, acorns or small pinecones.

This is a fun way to learn to count to 12 and to understand the concept of “a dozen”.

Tape It Up!

Once you’ve put your 12 items in place, seal up the egg carton. Be careful to tape over the holes that are often found in egg cartons so that none of the smaller objects come out when it is played like a rattle.

Decorate!

You can leave your rattle plain and simple, or create a cover for the top. We’ve designed a series of “monster faces” you can download for the top of the egg cartons, available from TeachersPayTeachers. Some are in color and some are colorable.

Feel free to give your faux donkey jaw a personality all it’s own!

How To Play An Egg Carton Quijada

You can play your egg carton quijada just like any other rattle. Shake it up and down or back and forth. Place it on the ground or in front of you on a desk or table and tap it to make it rattle.

You can also play it more like a quijada. A traditional quijada is played by holding one side and striking the other with the side of your fist so that the teeth vibrate. To play it this way, hold your monster rattle on one side and tap the other side gently with your fist to create a nice vibrating, shaking sound.

Links and Resources

Monster Faces for Quijada Craft
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/EGG-CARTON-QUIJADA-MUSICAL-RATTLE-1146672

What is a Cajón – Free PDF from DARIA’s TPT Store
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Cajon-Make-And-Play-Your-Own-Box-Drum-1236616

What is a Cajita – Free PDF from DARIA’s TPT Store
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/What-Is-A-Cajita-Latin-American-Percussion-Instrument-1388694

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Posted in Classroom Music, Early Learning With Music, Ecology/Nature, Family Fun, First Instruments, Hispanic Music, Homeschool Musical Fun, Multicultural Music, Musical Crafts

Tagged Afro-Peruvian music, Afro-Peruvian music for children, Afro-Peruvian music for kids, cajita for kids, cajón for kids, Charrasga, children and music, Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou, Easiest Instruments For Children, egg carton quijada, Hispanic Heritage Month, homeschool music, jawbone instrument, quijada de Burro, quijdada, sensory play, unique instruments, world music with daria, young children and music

Go Ahead, Play With The Box – A Little Box Instrument From Peru

It’s almost a cliche. A child is given a special present and they prefer to play with the box!

But, did you know that in Peru, there are two different types of boxes that are actually used as instruments? We’ve already shared a post about a cajón, a box drum from Afro-Peruvian culture that you can make at home (link below). Now we’d like to show you another box instrument called the cajita. Making and playing a cajita is a wonderful way to develop motor skills, explore rhythms, discover new music and just plain have fun!

WHAT IS A CAJITA?

The cajita is a small, hexagonal box that comes from Afro-Peruvian culture. Originally, it was used to collect donations in Catholic churches. The altar boys wore the donation box around their necks as they collected the offerings. Then; after they removed the money intended for the church, they used the box as a percussion instrument.

How did they make music with a cajita? They opened and closed the lid for one sound. They took a small stick and tapped the sides and top, for another sound. They opened the lid and “stirred” the inside for still another type of percussion. And then they mixed all those different sounds together.

Since it might be a bit hard to imagine, here’s a short video with two cajitas and one cajón (box drum) that will demonstrate what it looks and sounds like.

MAKING A HOMEMADE CAJITA

Making a wooden box cajita requires special materials as well as woodworking tools and skills. A bit easier to create is a cigar box cajita which is sturdy enough to be played like the real thing, but can be made from some basic materials and supplies found around almost any home.

Here’s what you need to create a cigar box cajita.

SUPPLIES

Cigar box
Small knob and matching screw (knobs from kitchen cabinets or small dressers work perfectly)
Hammer and nail or awl tool (to make a hole for the knob to be inserted in lid)
Two dowels or sticks – about 8” in length
Materials for decorating such as paint, construction paper, stickers, glitter and glue

DECORATE A HOMEMADE CAJITA

If you’d like to decorate your cajita, begin this project by personalizing the cigar box. You can paint it, decoupage it, add stickers, construction paper or glitter and glue to make it unique. Since you’ll be opening and closing the lid, you may want to decorate the inside as well as the outside.

Next, add the knob so you can easily lift the cajita’s lid up and down. To do this, the adult can help with the process of hammering a small nail or using an awl to pierce a hole in the lid of the box. Position that hole in the exact center of the box, about an inch or so away from the edge of the lid that opens up. Once the hole is created, it’s easy to insert the knob in the top of the box and use the screw to tighten it into place. Now you should be able to open and close the lid of the box easily.

Finally, cut two wooden dowels. One will weigh down your box so you can play your instrument without the cajita bouncing up and down. The other will be the playing stick that you use to tap and play your instrument. If possible, cut the first dowel to a length just a bit short of the inner width of the box. Glue the dowel in place in the inner front of the box and leave it to dry. In the meantime, cut and decorate your second dowel. This one can be any length that is comfortable to hold in your hand while playing.

TIME TO JAM

Now the musical fun begins. If you’ve watched the video above and are ready to dive right in, then skip this section. If you prefer some playing tips, here are some good suggestions to get you started.

Get to know your cajita by tapping the sides and the front and making a rhythm pattern. Notice how each sound is a bit different. Try something like “front, front, side. Front, front side.” Try a similar pattern with the sides and the top. Later, add the sound of the lid opening and closing. Since this can sometimes feel like “rubbing your stomach and patting your head”, it’s best to start with simpler patterns and then work up to more complicated ones. If working with younger children, it can be good to let them explore the instrument before trying to play specific patterns.

You can also put on any type of music and allow your child to create a beat that goes along with it.

A CAJITA JAM AS A GROUP

After getting the hang of creating rhythms with a cajita, you can play as a group, with several cajitas or with different instruments playing together as well. This can be a fun way of building rhythm in a classroom or a homeschool setting because each child or person hears how their musical part plays an important role in the overall beat.

An easy way to start a jam is to have one person – like the cajita player – play a very simple pattern such as opening and closing the lid. The next person adds another sound, the third and forth, add their own simple parts. If you check out this jam, you’ll see how the rhythm starts on one instrument (a quijada jawbone), the cajita is added next and finally, a large cajón (or box drum) joins in.

Links and Resources

What Us A Cajita? https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/What-Is-A-Cajita-Latin-American-Percussion-Instrument-1388694

Make Your Own Cajón Box Drum – Free From TeachersPayTeachers

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Cajon-Make-And-Play-Your-Own-Box-Drum-1236616

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Posted in Classroom Music, Early Learning With Music, Family Fun, First Instruments, Hispanic Music, Homeschool Musical Fun, Musical Crafts, Simple Instruments

Tagged box instrument, cajita, cajita instrument, Cajita Peru, children and music, DIY instruments, Easiest Instruments For Children, Easy Instruments kids, family fun, homeschool music, musica infantil, musical crafts, MYO instruments, Peruvian instruments, unusual musical instruments, unusual percussion, world music with daria, young children and music

Musical Water Play – A MYO Gourd-Style Water Drum

How often can you imagine someone saying: “Now it’s time to pour water into our drum”. Although it might seem unusual, at least two cultures from around the globe have discovered that you can make an amazing drum by overturning a gourd and playing it while it rests gently upon the surface of the water. In fact, the sound is so deep and resonant that there are claims it can be heard for miles!

Don’t have dried gourds from Ghana or a time machine to travel back to Mayan days and play a bubulek water drum? No worries. In fact, here’s a simple version of this instrument that also works wonderfully as outdoor water play for kids. It’s a good way to combine messy or wet play with creativity and music!

Gather A Few Supplies

First you’ll need a shallow container to hold the water. We’ve used a plastic “under-the-bed” storage container box, but a kiddie pool or similar container will also work perfectly. It helps to have a jug for water so you can vary the amount of water used beneath your “drum”. Then you need the floating “gourds”. Circular items (like sturdy round mixing bowls) work best but explore whatever you have that will stay afloat when placed up-side-down in the water. You might be surprised at what sounds each different item will create when tapped or touched.

Lastly, you might want to have a few beaters such as unsharpened pencils, chopsticks or wooden spoons. Then it’s just a matter of pouring and playing away.

Play Gently

With this drum, like many others, less is more. If you like, start by tapping your “gourd” with the tips of your fingers and see what sounds are created. Try quietly rapping the top and the sides. Add a pencil or a beater and see if the sound changes. Add a different container and play two or three together for different sounds or sound combinations.

Getting Serious?

If you take a look at the video below you can see the musician is doing a few different things. He’s knocking on the top of the gourd (like you might knock at a door), tapping and rapping and creating some really neat patterns. He’s playing an actual “jicara de agua” water drum from Mexico, but the same techniques work perfectly on any homemade drum.

You can use this video for inspiration or create your very own unique way to play.

What will your water play sound like today?

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Posted in Early Learning With Music, Ecology/Nature, Family Fun, First Instruments, Hispanic Music, Homeschool Musical Fun, Multicultural Music, Simple Instruments, Special Needs/Kids of All Abilities, Uncategorized

Tagged Bubulek, childrens music., children’s musical instruments, Ghana water drum, gourd water drum, jicara de agua, Mayan Instruments, Mayan instruments for kids, Mexican instruments, Mexican instruments for kids, multicultural crafts, unusual percussion, water drum, world music with daria

Category Archives: Hispanic Music

Making Music For Hispanic Heritage Month Plus the Big HHM Give-Away!

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Bongos For Babies – And Big Kids, Too!

Make Your Own “Quijada” – A Jawbone Rattle

Go Ahead, Play With The Box – A Little Box Instrument From Peru

Musical Water Play – A MYO Gourd-Style Water Drum

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