Spoons can be played as a makeshift percussion instrument or, more specifically, an idiophone related to the castanets. 'Playing the spoons' originated in England as 'playing the bones', in which the convex sides of a pair of sheep rib bones were rattled in the same way.

There are several techniques. Most typically, a pair of spoons is held with concave sides facing out and with a finger between their handles to space them apart. When the pair is struck, the spoons sharply hit each other and then spring back to their original position. The spoons are typically struck against the knee and the palm of the hand. The fingers and other body parts may also be used as striking surfaces to produce different sounds and for visual effect.

Some manufactured joined spoons have been produced (as shown).