Rainsticks from Recyclables
An Arts and Crafts Activity
Age: Upper Elementary and Up
Time: An hour or more
Type of Activity: Art
Materials needed:
- Cardboard carpet tube (these are usually 3" to 4" in diameter. In this case, the bigger the better)
- Corrugated cardboard (an old box will do just fine)
- Packing or masking tape that is about 2" wide
- Glue (hot glue, white glue, carpenter's glue -- its your choice)
- A power drill or an awl -- ADULT ASSISTANCE REQUIRED
- Flat head spiral nails (about 2"-3" long)
- A hammer
- Scissors
- Paints & paintbrushes
- Water
- Found objects for decorating and noise making objects like rice, corn kernels, sunflower seeds or pistachio nut shells.
What to do
Do your kids have some time on their hands? Want to make a fantastic creation? Super! Creating a rainstick is more than a rainy day activity -- it's fun!
Ready, set, go and cut a piece of carpet tube to about three to five feet. An adult should help with this step. Next, have an adult drill tiny holes (smaller than your flat head spiral nails) around the entire area of the carpet tube. This will make hammering the nails easier and safer. If you don't have a drill, or are uncomfortable using one, just use an awl to poke your holes. Now, using a hammer, put the flat headed spiral nails into the holes that you have drilled. When you look into your tube, you should see a maze of nails.
Now you're ready to "plug" one end of your tube by placing it on a piece of cardboard, tracing around the tube and cutting out the circle. Repeat the process so you have a circle for both ends. Attach the cardboard circle using glue or tape. When one end of your tube is sealed, put a few cups of sunflower seeds, rice, corn kernels, or a combination of all three, into the tube. You will start to hear just how many or how few cups it will take achieve the desired sound. Remember, you don't want to make the rainstick too heavy, so don't put too much filling in. Once you are satisfied with the sound, you can seal the other end of the tube with the second circle.
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