How to Make Rice Maracas

Kids love to make music, and they also love to make crafts. Making rice maracas helps them to do both. After you've made the maracas, put on some great dance music and let them go wild. You can make this inexpensive craft with simple items you already have. It may get your kids thinking of other projects they can make with household items, or better yet, with items from the recycling bin.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Rice
• Paper cups
• Tape

1. Take two paper cups and stand them side by side. Fill one of the cups about half full with uncooked rice.
2. Place the empty cup on top of the other with their rims aligned.
3. Securely wrap the tape two or three times all the way around the perimeter of the two cups. Make sure the tape is secure; otherwise you could have a big mess on your hands.
4. Make another maraca, so your child has one for each hand.
5. Teach him some simple rhythms and then let him create his own sounds.

Tips & Warnings

• Packaging tape works well unless the paper cups have a slippery surface
• Try other dried food items to create other sounds. Dried beans, lentils, and oats work well.
• Check the tape seal before each use so the cups don't fall apart and make a huge mess.