I work with kids sometimes with my autoharp, and my husband and our friends with all their various gear. We find it extremely important to provide them access to the instruments themselves at some point in the interaction. I have never had one misuse or mistreat my stuff when the child is right within the bend of my elbow-- they are so thrilled that instead they are quite still and careful and when they draw out even a single note they just want to do it again... so tenderly, and their eyes shine. I always have to warn the adults first if I'm going to do this, and actually I give the adults the instructions-- which are to let me and let the kids and not hover or act on their worry for the instruments.

Now some of us do have some quite expensive, fragile gear. So I carry a cheap ($50 US) little gizmo Elderly's catalog calls a lap harp, it looks like a tiny one-course hammered dulcimer but is plucked, diatonic, two octaves. (I've restrung it with wound bronze strings, deeper tone, plays Carolan tunes.) They pluck that if we are nervous of our gig gear, and it means more to me than all the applause in the world just to be there when they make that connection into the music for themselves. Once the connection is made they have questions and I answer, but until that point I never try to teach them a thing, just let them absorb the sound they've caused. You see, some of the kids who hear you aren't made to be singers, they're tiny little composers and players and arrangers, little buds just needing water and sun.

I hope you'll be able to connect them with that like we do, it gives them something that can never get lost, they save it till they get the resources to go further.

Sorry, stumbled into one of my passions... should not assume you don't already know this...