Rain sticks produce a sound similar to rain pattering on a roof.
Rain sticks mimic the sound of falling rain, making them essential in Native American rain-summoning ceremonies. Though this tradition isn't popular in modern society, you can teach your children and students a little about history with a rain stick craft. These sticks also make exotic additions to instrumental groups and homemade sound effects for self-made films.
Instructions
1. Measure across the top opening of your wrapping paper tube. Divide the measurement in half and add ½ inch. Adjust your mathematical compass to the resulting measurement. For instance, if your tube measures 2 inches across, adjust your compass to a 1-½ inch radius.
2. Cut open your cereal box and draw two circles with your mathematical compass. Cut them out and snip ½-inch wide, 1-inch long fringes into the edges of both circles.
3. Paint your circles and cardboard tube. Use Native American geometric designs like repeating triangles, lightning bolts, stylized animals and arrowheads. Begin by painting the cardboard a solid color and decorate over that with paint pens. Allow the paint to dry for 2 hours.
4. Smear glue on the unpainted side of one of your circle's fringes. Center the circle against one opening of your tube and fold the fringes down against the outside of the tube. Press firmly all around and let the glue dry for about 30 minutes.
5. Tear off a piece of foil about 1-½ times as long as your cardboard tube. Crumple it into a long, thin snake. Coil the foil into a long spring and feed it into the tube. Add about a cup of rice and cap the other end of the tube with your second cardboard circle as in Step 4.
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