Just so happens my class is studying the Brazilian rain forest this week. After a rousing debate over whether Wonder Woman hailed from the Amazon or the Amazons, my intrepid group of 6 preschoolers made their very own rainsticks out of basic household stuff.

Rainstick (ages 3+)

Materials:
– empty paper towel roll
- toothpicks
- push pin
- scissors
- masking tape
- tin foil
- paint (we kept it jungle-themed with brown, red and green) mixed with a bit of Elmer’s glue
- paint brush
- tissue paper squares (we chose green and brown)
- feathers
- twine
- dried beans (we found the less beans you use, the better the “rain” sound)

Instructions:

(Steps 1-5 require grown-up assistance)

1. Punch two holes with the pushpin across from one another in the side of the paper towel roll.

2. Push your toothpick through the first pushpin hole until its tip barely pokes through the second pushpin hole on the other side.

3. Trim any pointy toothpick ends that may be sticking out with your scissors.

4. Secure with masking tape by covering the toothpick ends. You may double up the masking tape in case the toothpick still feels sharp under the tape.

5. Repeat steps 1-4 so that there are at least 6 – 10 toothpicks crisscrossing each other up and down the paper towel roll.

6. Have child paint and decorate the exterior of the paper towel roll, sticking the tissue squares onto the wet paint/glue mixture to create a textured, leafy effect.

7. When paint is dry, have child cover one end of the paper towel roll with tin foil while a grown-up seals the foil with masking tape so that the foil is secure.

8. Fill paper towel roll with desired amount of dried beans. Experiment with rice or dried pasta for different rain sounds.

9. Cover remaining opening with tin foil and secure with tape so that the beans cannot escape.

10. You can wrap twine and a couple feathers around the ends for extra decoration – or leave it plain and begin our rain dance!