How to Make a Rainmaker for Pre-Kindergarten
Rainmakers, also called rainsticks, are an ideal craft for preschoolers. They are simple enough for young children to make, provide the opportunity to teach about other cultures, and are bright and noisy objects that the children can play with after making them. You can easily modify the difficulty of a rainmaker project to fit the ability level of your preschool children. While true rainmakers make a slow, cascading rattle like rainfall, you can simplify the project by making a rainmaker that is more like a tubular rattle.
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Things You'll Need
- Empty paper towel roll
- Construction paper
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Tape
- Markers, crayons, colored pencils or finger paint
- Glitter, feathers and other decorations (optional)
- Foil (optional)
- 1/2-cup dried beans, lentils or rice
Instructions
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1
Tape or glue a piece of construction paper around the paper towel roll. Decorate it with markers, crayons, colored pencils or finger paint. If you like, glue other decorations to it, such as glitter or feathers.
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2
Trace each end of the paper towel roll onto a piece of construction paper, creating two circles. Tape one of the circles to the bottom of the paper towel roll and save the other for later.
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3
Cut out two pieces of aluminum foil, about 18 inches long and 6 inches wide. Roll and crunch each foil piece into a long, thin, snake-like shape. Twist these aluminum foil "snakes" into a spring shape and drop them into the paper towel tube.
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4
Drop 1/2 cup of dried beans, lentils or rice into the paper towel roll.
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5
Tape the other construction paper circle onto the open end of the paper towel roll.
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Tips & Warnings
The aluminum foil will slow the rice, lentils or beans so the instrument sounds like a rainmaker instead of a rattle. However, you can skip this step and make a more rattle-like instrument if twisting the foil is too complicated for the children.
For an even easier version of the project, use a cylindrical snack container instead of a paper towel roll. Simply tape the lid in place and the rainmaker will be sealed at both ends.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
