Shakers and Bells

Safety

Check each shaker and bell rattle, and any part that could come off, against the small parts test cylinder (1.25 in. × 2.25 in.); anything that fits is not used under age 3.
Inspect shakers daily and remove any that are cracked, because the beads or seeds inside are a choking hazard.
Bells must be enclosed or riveted in place; a bell sewn only by thread can come loose and become a small part.
Choose instruments sold as toys for children under 3, which must meet US rules for small parts and lead in paint, because infants mouth them.

1
Place one shaker beside the sitting infant on the mat, or in the basket on the low shelf.
2
Sit with the child. Pick up the shaker, shake it slowly two or three times, and put it down.
3
Name it: 'Shaker.' Wait for the child to reach for it.
4
Let the child shake it in their own way. This is the point of interest: the sound starts when their hand moves and stops when it stops.
5
Name what happened: 'You shook it. It made a sound.'
6
On later days, offer a second shaker with a different sound and let the child try each one.
7
Show a toddler how to put the shaker back in the basket at the end.

The sound: with no movement there is no sound, and a harder shake is louder.

Two or three shakers with different sounds, such as a sealed wooden shaker and a gourd shaker, each sized for a small hand
A bell rattle with the bells enclosed in or firmly fixed to a wooden handle
A small basket to hold one or two of them on a low shelf

shakeshakerbellloudsoftstop

Nothing — this can be a first presentation.

End of this line in the birth to 3 program.

The Head Start infant and toddler outcomes this work meets show here for school accounts.