Playing a Drum · Beadbar

Safety

Check before each use that tacks, rim fittings, and the mallet head are firmly attached; a loose piece may be small enough to fit the small parts test cylinder (1.25 in. × 2.25 in.).
The child uses a mallet only while sitting and does not walk or run with it.

1
Sit on the floor facing the child with the drum between you.
2
Strike the drum once with a flat hand. Wait until the sound stops.
3
Strike it again, softly. Pause.
4
Invite the child: 'You can play the drum.' Let them strike it in their own way.
5
Name what they did: 'You played it hard. It was loud.' This is the point of interest: a hard stroke is loud and a soft stroke is quiet.
6
Play two or three strokes and pause, leaving space for the child to play. Do not correct their timing.
7
Show how to carry the drum back to the shelf with two hands.

The sound: a hard stroke is loud, a soft stroke is quiet, and a stroke that misses the drumhead makes no drum sound.