Perform a holiday song

What can we use if we don't have a simple instrument for step 6?

Use a wooden spoon on a pot, a sealed bottle with rice as a shaker, or simple body percussion like claps or thigh taps as substitutes for the 'simple instrument' in step 6 while you practise the beat from step 5.

I keep losing the steady beat when I sing—how can we fix that?

Sing the first line slowly as instructed in step 4 while you tap the eight-count beat from step 5, practise the instrument alone as in step 7 until the rhythm is steady, or use a phone metronome to keep the tempo.

How can this activity be adapted for different ages?

For toddlers pick one short line and one gesture with simple body percussion (steps 4, 6, 11), for school-age kids follow all steps but shorten rehearsal blocks, and for teens add harmonies, a second instrument, or extra rehearsals before performing (steps 8–12).

How can we enhance or personalize our performance before sharing on DIY.org?

Turn the two gestures from step 11 into a short choreography, add a brief instrumental intro with your chosen instrument from step 6, vary dynamics while rehearsing the whole song twice in step 12, and record that final performance to upload to DIY.org as in step 13.