How to Make a Rain Stick
- One paper towel roll for each child
- Toothpicks
- Straight pin or push pin
- Two bottle caps for each rain stick We used the size that would go on a small sports drink bottle.
- Scissors But pruning shears work even better!
- Rice
- Duct tape
- Paper and crayons for making a cover optional
- Contact paper or clear packing tape optional
- Hot glue gun optional
Insert the toothpicks through the paper towel roll going in one side and out the opposite. This is where the straight pin or push pin comes in handy. Using the pin to "pre-drill" the holes results in far fewer broken toothpicks and much less frustration. (Not that frustration is a problem for homeschooling parents. Everyone knows we have superhuman patience.)You want to place the toothpicks in a criss-cross fashion all the way down the paper towel roll, so that you wind up with a network of toothpicks.Shining a flashlight into the tube makes it easier to locate the hole on the opposite side. Additionally, we found it easier to create the holes for each toothpick as we went, rather than creating all the holes first.One last toothpick tip: pulling the toothpick out of the first hole and using it to go back through from the second hole makes it easier to push the picks through while keeping the holes small enough to prevent them from slipping back out. Use the scissors to clip the outside tips off the toothpicks. Be careful! We found toothpick pieces all over the dining room, so I would assume that you could get hit in the eye with a flying toothpick. Safety glasses would not be crazy here, just in case.Later, we discovered that a pair of pruning shears cuts the toothpicks much easier than regular scissors and results in fewer projectile wood pieces. And, cutting them outside means not stepping on toothpick shards with your bare feet. Just saying.You want to cut each toothpick end as close to the tube as possible, but be careful not to squeeze the tube so that you don’t wind up cutting them too short. Toothpicks that are too short can work their way back out as you move on to the next step. Carefully roll the rain stick with duct tape. This keeps the toothpicks in place and prevents fingers from getting poked. It’s easier to do small strips in sections rather than trying to use a single piece of tape wound down the length of the tube. After applying each piece of tape, gently squeeze the tube so that the duct tape adheres to the ends of the toothpicks. We did have a few toothpicks that came loose inside but we were able to work them back into their holes and get them stuck to the tape. It’s helpful to check the adhesion after each strip of tape.You’ll probably want to use two layers of tape if your kids won’t be making a cover for their rain stick. Those toothpicks can be pretty pokey.For one of the two rain sticks we made, we were able to find one tube that was slightly larger than the other. We used the small one for poking the toothpicks through, then slid that tube down into the larger one. The larger tube made a great, poke-free cover. Cap one end of your rain stick with one of the two bottle caps. You can accomplish this in one of two ways. One, gently squeeze the end of the paper towel tube to fit it inside the cap. Then, use duct tape to hold it in place. The second method will require a parent’s help. Squeeze a strip of hot glue around the outside rim of the bottle cap and place the cap inside the end of the tube. Carefully (because, you know, hot glue), press the paper towel roll to the cap to seal.Pro Tip: Leave yourself a small section of the rim without glue to hold while you insert it in the tube or you will burn yourself with hot glue. (Ask me how I know!) Once the cap is in place, you can add a bit of glue to seal that section. Pour rice (or dry beans) into the tube. There's no exact measurement for this part. We wound up using 1/4 cup or so. Once you pour some rice in, you can place your hand over the uncapped end, tilt the rain stick, and listen. Just add or remove rice until you get a sound that you like.Once you’re satisfied with the sounds, cap the other end of the rain stick.
