Preschool Project - Rain sticks?

Question

I work in a preschool and I am doing a weather-themed project next week and I need a quick, simple way to make rain sticks. I will need to use paper towel rolls for this and have it sound like rain when I tip it over. Any good ideas?

Answer 1

beans work better than rice

Answer 2

rice works well

Answer 3

Nails are too dangerous use straws.  Poke some holes into the tube that are big enough to fit the straws through use glue or tape to ho;d the straws in place. Add rice or beans.  seal both ends off with cardboard and tape.

Answer 4

Originally from Chile, and made out of dried cactuses or the stems of bamboo, i sure love the soothing sounds these things create..

From eHow:

STEP 1: Use a pencil to draw a spiral beginning at one end of a cardboard tube and ending at the other. Don't follow the natural seam.

STEP 2: Hammer nails that are 1/4 inch shorter than the tube's diameter at 1/2-inch intervals along the spiral.

STEP 3: Cap one end of the tube. If it didn't come with caps, cut a piece of cardboard the same size as the hole and hot glue it securely to the end.

STEP 4: Put some unpopped popcorn, beads, dry beans, pebbles, seeds, gravel, rice or other dry filler into the tube.

STEP 5: Cover the open end with your hand and test the sound by turning it upside down.

STEP 6: Experiment with the amount of filler for a sound you like. When you're satisfied, put a cap on the open end.

STEP 7: Cover all of the nail heads with contact paper or masking or duct tape.

STEP 8: Decorate your rain stick. Try paints, torn paper or corrugated wrapping.

Tips & Warnings

Empty paper towel rolls are the easiest, but 2- to 2 1/2-inch postal tubes (24 inches long) make the best rain sticks. Make sure to get the plastic caps that go on the ends. You can also use carpet tubing, which you may need to drill before putting in the nails.

Don't limit yourself to one kind of filler. Try combinations for different effects.

Younger kids may be inclined to put the filler in their mouths.

Answer 5

First have them close one end of the roll with several layers of tissue paper.  Do this by gluing it on the outside of the roll, leaving a ruffle.  Next stuff the paper towel roll with styrofoam peanuts. Be sure there is enough room for the gravel to work its way down slowly, hitting the tissue paper slowly. Next have them put gravel like people use in fish tanks or you can use very small pea gravel.  If you go to a landscape store, they will probably give you a bucket full since it is such a small amount and it is for a school.  Don't put too much gravel. (experiment with it on your own to see how much works best.).  Next close the open side the same way you did the other side.  When it dries turn it over and it should sound a little like rain.  I haven't done this, but it came into my head and its worth a try.

Answer 6

I remember in Preschool, I made it.

You need beans, doesn't matter what kind really, small ones I think though and a paper towel roll. You suppose to either wrap a piece of printing paper[not the whole paper] big enough to cover the opened on the bottom, you glue it and let it dry and then fill it with beans and same thing for the top but don't flip it until the top dries and to play it safe you can use rubber bands to tie around the top and bottom to make sure it won't come lose. Also you can let the kids decorate the rolls before hand, with like paint, glue things on the out sides, markers, or whatever you can think of.

or follow this one http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/...

Also its mroe creative and pretty if they can decorate it.

Hope this helps. =]

Answer 7

rice, beans dry legumes.  Cover with tissue paper or wrapping paper. Are you making these for the kids or are they?

Answer 8

here is a sight with several instruments for preschool

http://www.perpetualpreschool.com/instru...

Answer 9

A detailed description & animated cartoon of how to make it:

http://www.3abn.org/downloads/kids/2005-...

Answer 10

Materials:

Paper Towel Rolls

Paper cut into circles with slits (like a sun)

Glue and/or tape

Beans (assortment) and/or rice

Aluminum Foil

Markers, Tissue Paper, Glue (for decorating)

Process:

Prep: Glue and/or tape one end of the rainstick closed. Cut circles out of construction paper and cut slits from the outside into the center (not all the way... leave a circle in the middle big enough to cover the end of the roll in the middle of the construction paper circle - free of slits) so the paper is easier to fold around the end of the roll. Glue and/or tape the construction paper to the roll to seal the end.

Have the children fill the roll with desired amount of beans. Put a piece (or two) of aluminum foil in the roll before closing it up (it gives the beans something to hit against to make a raining sound). Seal the other end of the roll the same way as the first time (teacher project). Have the children decorate the outside of their rainstick with markers or glue tissue paper. Let dry and enjoy!

Answer 11

You need some kind of hard stick or something similar that will not be dangerous to the kids that can stick into the sides of the tube. What I'm trying to say is when my sister was younger she made rain sticks. They put nails all down the side of a big thick cardboard tube and then put beans or rice, whatever inside. The nails are what the beans/rice hit and made it sound like rain.

Answer 12

Put a little toilet tissue inside the paper towel roll and add a little rice.   Cover both ends with alumninum foil or cling plastic with a rubber band to hold them in place.  Experiment and good luck!

Answer 13

I made rain sticks with my first graders and we used the suggestions that have been listed here.  In addition, we used straight pins to push through the cardboard and make the rain sound as the beans and rice fell past them.

I suppose it would depend on what age of preschooler we're talking about, but my 6 year olds were pretty responsible about using the pins (they understood it was a special privilege).  I had them stuck in some cheap pincushions at each table to they could grab them and hold them easily enough without accidentally poking themselves.

Just an idea:  With my kindergartners we made one HUGE rainstick.  At the fabric store I asked for an empty cardboard roll (they were more than happy to help) and I helped the kids hammer nails in.  They poured in all kinds of things they collected - different sized rocks, beans, rice, dried pasta - and decorated it in small groups.  It took at least 2 of them to turn it over when it was done but what a cool sound!!

Answer 14

Have a selection of dried pulses and rice, allow the children to choose which they want. Put about a tablespoon in each paper towel roll (large foil rolls would be better if you have them) seal the ends with paper and sticky tape. Encourage the children to cover the rolls with tissue paper or something similar. Each roll will give a slightly different sound which will intrigue the children.

Answer 15

When I did this project with kids at my daycare I added construction paper to the inside of the paper towel roll. Fold strips of construction paper like a fan and add them to the inside of the paper towel roll. It is a simple way to get around using nails. You can also experiement with how many folded strips you add to make different sounds. I also mixed rice and beans together to make it a more unique sound. Hope this helps. Good luck