By Susan Eernisse and Karen Gosselin
Excerpted from HELP! I HAVE REHEARSAL TOMORROW!
Click HERE to preview the book
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have an unlimited children’s choir budget?
A room filled with beautiful classroom percussion instruments! Cabinets overflowing with teaching props! Every resource you could possibly want!
And then there’s reality.
The good news is that some of the most effective teaching tools for children’s choir cost very little—or nothing at all. The secret is learning to look at ordinary objects and ask:
“How could I use THAT in choir?”
Start with the Thrift Store
Thrift stores and yard sales can be treasure chests for children’s choir teachers. Keep an eye out for scarves that can be used for movement activities. Scarves can help children experience musical phrases, dynamics, tempo, and expression physically.
And don't stop there. Browse the toy section. Puppets, balls, hoops, baskets, and other inexpensive items can become teaching tools with a little imagination.
Seasonal clearance aisles are another gold mine. When a holiday or season ends, retailers often deeply discount toys and props. Think ahead to next year!
Your Hardware Store May Be a Music Store in Disguise
A plastic bucket?
We see a drum.
A wooden dowel?
We see rhythm sticks.
Plastic flagging tape?
We see colorful movement streamers.
Building-supply stores may even donate materials or offer discounts to churches and schools. The book's advice is simple: It never hurts to ask!
Tell the manager what you're doing with the materials. You might be surprised by the response. Rhythm Sticks Without Rhythm Sticks
No rhythm sticks? No problem.
New, unsharpened pencils can work. So can unused chopsticks—and a local restaurant may be willing to donate them. The book also suggests short lengths of wooden dowel.
Suddenly an activity for 20 children doesn't require purchasing 20 specialized instruments.
Shake Things Up!
Plastic Easter eggs make terrific homemade shakers.
Place a few dry corn kernels inside, secure the eggs carefully, and you have inexpensive rhythm instruments.
Even old tennis balls can become shakers, and a local tennis club may have used balls it is willing to give away.
Keep a Wish List
There may be people in your congregation who would love to help your children's choir—they simply don't know what you need.
Keep a wish list of inexpensive items and share it with willing donors. One person may have scarves sitting unused in a closet. Another may happily purchase a set of balls. Someone else may have exactly the item you've been looking for stored in the garage.
Creativity can accomplish a great deal before money ever enters the equation.
Our favorite advice from HELP! may say it best: Think outside the box...and then use the box!
Excerpted from Help! I Have Rehearsal Tomorrow!
© Copyright 2026 Jubilate Music Group, LLC.
All Rights Reserved.
NEXT WEEK: Where Are We Going? Establishing Goals for Your Choir
Susan Eernisse and Karen Gosselin are cowriters of the new resource for children’s choir directors, Help! I Have Rehearsal Tomorrow!, published by Jubilate Music Group.
Susan Eernisse is a veteran children’s choir director, clinician, curriculum writer, and editor. A native of Anderson, SC, she holds degrees from Berry College and Anderson University and completed all three levels of Orff training. Susan has taught music in public and private schools and directed children’s church choirs of all ages for decades. She has led music camps and children’s choir festivals and enjoys writing songs, anthems, and teaching resources for young singers. Susan’s works have been published by several publishers. She and her husband, Glenn, recently retired from full-time music ministry and enjoy traveling, spending time with family, and continuing their musical interests.
Karen Gosselin is a lifelong children’s music educator and worship leader with a passion for raising the next generation of worshipers. A native Oklahoman, she earned a B.A. in Music Education from Southeastern Oklahoma State University and an M.M. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Karen has served as a public-school and daycare music teacher, curriculum writer, nationwide children’s choir clinician, and longtime director of children’s and youth choirs. She currently serves as Coordinator of Worship Resources for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, equipping and encouraging churches throughout Alabama in worship and music ministry. Karen and her husband, Greg, a retired children’s pastor, have three adult children and share a passion for helping churches lead every generation to worship Christ.
