Djembe Mixed Pack 12/15/20/25/30cm high, wood - Carved EY

Five hand carved djembe drums, each with a wooden drumstick,  together with our Good Practice Guide for Early Years settings. The Djembes range in height from 12cm to 30cm and have diameters from 3in up to 6.5in.

These djembes are working drums and not toys. The larger sizes in the set are big enough for very young children to play with two hands, and make  surprisingly good sounds. These drums are really good for young children because they can be handled easily and carried around by the string handle. However they can also be played by older children and even grown-ups, either with the wooden drumstick provided for each drums, or with the fingertips. Being relatively small the drums make a higher pitched sound than bigger drums.

Each drum of this carved mini djembe drum mixed pack (12/15/20/25/30cm high) is made by hand using traditional materials and techniques. The wood is sustainable mahogany, the playing head is goatskin and the skin is stretched tight using cotton string. The original designs on these instruments were made by Balinese school children and each has been engraved on to the drums by hand by Wayan, our hand-carving expert.

A wooden educator star hand-painted djembe drum mixed pack of five different height – is also available.

These drums can help with all aspects of EY development, including:

Sensory and/or physical needs
* Self-played:

Can be helpful in challenging and exercising balance, proprioception, integrating multiple coordination, postural and positional self-management skills - especially when walking/moving. As they are so robust they can handle a lot of interesting and eventful encounters!

Can sit astride the larger drums when they are laid parallel to the floor, playing the head using different muscles than when seated or standing

Requires a range of gross motor control skills from subtle side-to-side, forwards/backward, up/down twisting to vigorous shaking -increasing competence in motor control for dynamic playing including stop/start, soft/loud, fast/slow, getting louder, faster, softer, slower etc.

* Practitioner-facilitated play:

Helping with posture and mobility - supporting walking and forward movement whilst student continues playing .

Social, emotional and mental health
Sometimes there can be nothing better than everyone joining in a few very simple rhythms together. And it doesn't matter whether you 'keep in time' or just hit it!
Feeling part of the group empowers individual and community/group cohesion.

Communication and interaction
A simple communication between groups can occur when you have a group of djembes or mixed drums together.
Beginning with very simple non-rhythmic beating of the drums - one group plays, then another group plays in response. Have a conversation!
Over time, these skills can be adapted to groups playing other types of instruments - for example, have shaker group conversations, scraper group conversations, chime bar group conversations and so forth.
The point is simply to communicate.
Follow the leader - different students could have the opportunity to lead the conversations.

Cognition and learning
Rhythmic conversationcan often result in wordplay and exploration of creativity.
Often, this can transfer into developing self-awareness by way of students determining preferences for certain types of rhythmic organization, songs, activities and so-on.
Learning to express these preferences and celebrate small achievements [such as joining in and feeling good about it, as well as perhaps understanding where a beat drops out, pauses and comes back in ? for some] are pinnacle moments that add huge value to celebratory self-growth and skills learning.
Begin in 'comfort zone' then gently challenge and 'stretch' by eg. playing different tempos [speeds] Begin with almost free play then add more structure over time. Helps to accept ordered rhythm, organization, pacing as a value.

Eco-note: The wood for the drums is certified plantation-grown mahogany and comes from the smaller tree branches. Wood products  like these are a great way to store carbon, providing they're kept for a long time.

Taking care: The drums are very tough and will last for a very long time if treated with care. When not in use keep them  in a dry place away from direct sunlight or other heat sources. If they should get wet, let them dry slowly. Above all keep sharp points away from the drum skins, as this is the most fragile part.

Guarantee: The wooden drum shells are guaranteed for 5 years and the drum skin is guaranteed for 2 years, but please follow the "taking care" instructions above.

Please note that our products are musical instruments, not toys, and should always be used under the supervision of responsible educationalists and carers and not left with children under 3 years of age to play with by themselves. Please always follow our simple “Good Practice” guidelines.

N.B. For Early Years settings: When you purchase this product you get free access to a wide range of downloadable Early Years teaching resources. Please visit our Early Years Resources page to see the range - free resources have a purple "FREE" label alongside. Please note that our products are musical instruments, not toys, and should always be used under the supervision of responsible educationalists and carers and not left with children under 3 years of age to play with by themselves. Please always follow our simple “Good Practice” guidelines.

For SEN settings: When you purchase this product you get free access to a wide range of downloadable SEND teaching resources. Please visit our SEND resources page to see the range - free resources have a purple "FREE" label alongside.