Rain Sticks
The Unplugged theme for this week was cylinder. We used cylinder shaped mailing tubes to make rain sticks.
You can also use paper towel tubes or wrapping paper tubes. You get it-just about any tube that is at least as long as a paper towel tube. You will also need some nails, a hammer, paint, super glue or wax paper or cellophane and rubber bands and some rice.
First we painted our tubes
after the paint was dry we pounded small nails into the tubes
I suggest using nails with a small head for easier pounding. Use lots of nails and stagger them around the tube. I had to get them started for my 4 year old and then she finished pounding them in.
Next we added some rice to the tube-if you have a tube with end pieces you can just take one off to add the rice, otherwise you will have to make an end with several pieces of wax paper and a rubber band.
You can add as much or as little rice as you want. Ginger added about 1 to 1 1/2 cups to hers and was happy. Molly added her rice then put the top back on to flip it gently to listen to it and then took most of her rice out only to add some of it back in.
After we finished we decided it would have been better to pound the nails and then paint them so we cold have painted over the nails. Next time. They sound so nice-like rain falling!
You can read a little history behind rain sticks and even purchase one here.
1-adore this rain stick. I must do it soon.
2-the mansion rocks!
3-the spider web shots are my favorite!!
4-studying the tree – brilliant!
5-pringles solar cooker – hilarious
6-strawberry bars – yum!!
7-colored queen anne’s lace – wonderful. I’ve done this with carnations but adore the idea of the queen annes