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The Cajón (pronounced Ka-hone; short A, long O) is a member of the percussion family and growing in popularity very quickly. It is said to have originated in the 1800's among the Peruvian slaves from West and Central Africa as a substitute for the prohibited African drums. The name simply means “a box” and it’s said that the first Cajóns were the boxes used by the fruit pickers or fisherman along the Peruvian and Cuban coastal regions. Simple and effective, these Peruvian slaves used the crates or boxes to tap out a beat. Expert players from Peru are called Cajóneros or Cajónistas.

Our version is based on the traditional Cuban/Peruvian drums, however, as with all Percussion Play instruments we needed our Cajóns to be perfect for outdoor, all weather performances. Therefore, the resonating box is made from stainless steel, perfect for all year outdoor use yet still very responsive and easy to play. Etched with a tribal pattern, our Cajon’s are attractive, very stable and...

This week has been World Nursery Rhyme Week (10-14th November). A week-long celebration promoting the importance of nursery rhymes to the under 5’s.

Songs and rhymes for young children have been passed down for generations. They are fun, children love them, and they provide a warm, nurturing experience between parent and child. What we may not be aware of as we recite simple nursery rhymes or sing songs with children is they’re not just for fun, they have enormous educational value.

Short and sweet, they help children to learn language formation. They contribute to a child's spatial development when used with music and movement. Nursery rhymes also contain moral lessons to teach and are great for introducing counting and animal sounds.

When children hear nursery rhymes, they hear the sounds vowels and consonants make. They learn how to put these sounds together to make words. They also practice pitch, volume, and voice inflection, as well as the rhythm of language. Children...

Along with rice, another crop harvested in Vietnam is bamboo. Bamboo has long been used as an assembly material in Asia because of its versatility and it has numerous uses. After it is split, bamboo can be used for fences, baskets, and mats. The stems can make simple furniture, hunting implements, traps and musical instruments.

Two of the most popular traditional folk instruments in Vietnam are made from bamboo—the bamboo flute and the bamboo ‘hanging’ xylophone. The flute is found in most regions, while the xylophone hails from the mountainous region and is called a T’Rung. The T’Rung is an idiophone, percussive instrument made from lengths of bamboo in differing sizes. Traditionally, the T’rung would be suspended at the top from a tree and bound to the players belly at the bottom. It would be played with two double sticks which perfectly cover the range of one octave. After playing it would be rolled up and carried away on the players back.

The design of Percussion Play’s...