Ah, Christmas break. It’s upon us, isn’t it? And that means finding ways to keep the kids busy (and out of the gift stash) until Christmas. It’s the perfect time to bring out the DIY supplies, though, and get crafting! This fun craft serves a dual purpose, though– kids can DIY these rain sticks, then use them as musical instruments to calm down, or to sing fun carols as a family.

The rain sticks start with a toilet paper roll and some short nails. Please keep in mind that, while using nails, you’ll want to supervise your child (and we picked some nails that were particularly dull). This gives the rice something to bounce off of. Want to just make a shaker instead of a rain stick? You can actually skip the nails altogether! We liked the way the nails slowed down what was inside, making it a rain stick instead, but it’s your choice! Because toilet paper rolls are easy to poke through, these are no-hammer-required– just push the nails through the cardboard.

This is what the finished product will look like. You’ll want to be sure there’s space so the rice can get through, but not so much space that it doesn’t slow the rice down a little. Staggering the nails also helps. But, no need to be a perfectionist here. Just kind of add them in however.

Attach a cupcake liner to one end of the rain stick with a rubber band. Then, pour rice in– you’ll want it about 1/4 of the way full with rice. If you’re making a shaker (no nails), use less rice.

Once you’ve added the rice, attach a cupcake liner to the other side, the same way you did the first one.

Now that you’ve got a finished rain stick, it’s time to decorate! Yo can decorate it any way you’d like, but to make a reindeer rein-stick, wrap the toilet paper roll with some brown or black construction paper. Glue on a red pom pom for the nose, stick on some googly eyes, and attach a pipe cleaner to the top with tape for antlers.

Now it’s time to Shake, shake, shake! You can turn them upside down for a slow rain stick affect, or you can shake them wildly during a Christmas carol session. The fun part is trying all kinds of exciting sounds and shaking rhythms to find what you like best.

My little guy really loved shaking it while we sang his favorite Christmas tune… “Santa Claus! Santa Claus! Santa Claus!” (It’s an original, written by Zach).

Want more tech-free crafts for kids? Follow my tech-free crafts board on Pinterest, where you’ll have ideas for Christmas break and then some!

 

Follow MamaPlusOne’s board Tech-Free Crafts for Kids on Pinterest.