April showers bring May flowers!
Celebrate spring and help bring in the May flowers with this easy-to-make, kid-friendly paper towel roll rainstick. When the stick is upended, the beans fall from one end to the other end of the tube, making a sound reminiscent of a rainstorm. According to legend, South American natives created the rainstick to call rainstorms.
Materials:
- Paper-towel roll
- Brown grocery bag
- Aluminum foil
- Dried rice, beans or seeds
- Scissors
- Glue
- Markers or crayons
- Ribbon, stickers, paper punches (optional)
Steps
- Trace around the bottom of the paper towel roll onto the bag, then draw a bigger circle around the smaller circle and draw several lines connecting the two circles.
- Cut out the large circle and cut along the lines.
- Repeat the first two steps to make a top and bottom for the rainstick.
- Glue bottom piece onto roll.
- Cut two pieces of aluminum foil about 6-inches wide and about 18-inches long.
- Roll the aluminum foil tightly into a long rope and then shape into a spiral.
- Place aluminum foil spirals into the roll.
- Pour a couple of small handfuls of dried rice, beans or seeds into the roll.
- Glue top piece onto the roll.
- Decorate the rainstick with markers, crayons, ribbon, stickers, paper flowers, leaves, whatever you like!
Dawn Sorem teaches adult and children’s art classes at the DIY Lounge No School Art School. She is also owner and designer of Envelop Cards. www.envelopcards.com
