I don’t want to play, I just want to bang on the drum all day… As goofy as these lyrics are, how many of us have loved belting them out in the car—particularly on a Friday afternoon, on our way home from work?

Every Friday, my daughter and I have a ritual to signify the beginning of the weekend. (Recently we’ve started to begin the ritual by yelling, “Let the wild rumpus start!”) We go back to Mommy’s room (where the best CD player in the house is located), put on some music (it doesn’t have to be anything specific, just whatever we feel like and that can be played loud), turn it up, and rock out!

To do this, we usually incorporate percussion instruments. My daughter is only four, so she doesn’t have any big instruments yet, but most of the ones we own are percussion. We grab a few, either from her room—the xylophone, maracas, tambourine, or her little tom-tom—or from my walls, such as the cool rattles and shells from Africa we bought at World Market.

Percussion instruments are just so much fun! Not only does playing music make kids smarter (according to many studies), it also helps teach discipline, relieve stress, and foster a sense of achievement. And then there’s the simple fact that it’s just fun to, well, bang on the drum all day!

In honor of International Percussion Month, try doing a little drumming this month. Here are some ideas…

Teach kids about percussion instruments. Did you know that the piano is considered a percussion instrument? For a full list, click here.

Visit a drumming circle. Many spiritual centers offer these, though not all of them allow children. Be sure to check first.

Visit an international store. Many of these feature percussion instruments in the decor department; we usually buy an inexpensive new instrument on my birthday every fall.

Teach about rhythm. Chances are your child already knows quite a bit about this. Using simple blocks of wood can help you with this. Play along to the beat of a favorite song or have your child make one up.

Make a drum. This is a very easy craft! You can use balloons and various household containers to make a tom-tom, or create shakers with beans and oatmeal containers. Use your own creativity and ideas, or simply look up whatever instrument you’d like to create—there’s likely a how-to video or detailed instructions online.