Homemade Rainstick Craft
It's raining, it's pouring; this craft's anything but boring!
Submitted by
Andrey Ragozin
Andrey Ragozin
Ancient Chilean natives invented the rainstick to summon rainstorms after long dry spells. Work its magic in your house to summon up some fun!
- Empty paper towel roll:You go through a roll per day mopping yogurt off of the floor; next time you pull off the last sheet, set the tube aside!
- Uncooked rice:Use it up so you don't have to feel guilty staring at the box every time you order take out!
- Rubber bands or duct tape:Whichever you have handy.
- Heavy-duty aluminum foil:Use it for something other than leftovers!
- Embellishments:Markers, stickers, faux jewels, glitter, tempera paint, construction and wrapping paper and so on…Raid the craft closet!
Have your child decorate the outside of the paper towel roll with paint, stickers, markers—whatever his heart desires.
Rip off two pieces of aluminum foil and trim them into equal-sized squares approximately twice the size of a paper towel roll opening. (If your child is doing the ripping, make sure he minds his hands on the serrated edge of the box.)
Have your kid cover one end of a paper towel roll with aluminum foil and secure it with a rubber band or duct tape. If you don't have heavy-duty foil, make your foil three-ply.
Rip off another couple of pieces of aluminum foil and get your kid crumple it up into balls small enough to pass easily through the paper towel tube. Try not to crumple them too tightly. They should be small enough to fit in, but not so small that they're rattling around in there like marbles.
Help your child fill the tube ¼ full with uncooked rice. (Try to get more rice into the tube than on the floor.) Toss the aluminum foil ball into the tube as well.
Secure the second square of aluminum foil to the open end of the paper towel roll with duct tape or a rubber band.
Have your child turn the tube upside down to create a relaxing, trickling, pitter patter "rain" sound.
- It's hard to believe, but this is one toy you'll actually enjoy listening to your child play with. (Imagine that!) So next time you have a headache, hide the obnoxiously loud clacking push toy and break out the homemade rainstick instead!
- Want to make more musical instruments?
Nick Jr. has enough (a href="http://www.nickjr.com/parenting/activity_finder/crafts/craft_basics/play_instruments_instructions.jhtml" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">musical instrument instructions for a home-grown band.
Thanks to Karen Baicker
Submit!
