DIY Kids Sand Block Instruments

My wife recently purchase a set of wooden sand block instruments from a teachers supply store to use with her kids music group. Unfortunately, at $5 a pop she did not have a budget to get blocks for every child she works with.

Materials Used:

• 3/4" MDF (I had some extra pieces around 3 1/2" in width, but you could use any width that you think a child will be able to hold).
• 100 grit sand paper (to make the edges of the MDF less sharp)
• 60 git sand paper (glued on the blocks to make the noise)
• Varathane Interior Wood Finish (so that the paint will not come off in you need to lightly wash the blocks)
• Tempera Paint (powdered or pre mix)
• Contact Cement
• Small Paint Brush
• Circular Saw

Step 1 Cut blocks and sand edges

The blocks we purchased were 2"x5", however I had some spare MDF pieces 3 1/2" wide so our final dimension were 5" x 3 1/2".

I used a circular saw to cut the pieces to length and 100 grit sand paper to take off any sharp corners or edges; sanding for only 30-60 seconds per edge.