Kid's Crafts
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Musical Crafts for Children – Rainsticks
This rainstick produces an enchanting sound, very much like rain. Young children love this craft! For more of a drumming sound, something like large rain drops hitting a tin roof, double the size of the tube and nails.
This children's musical craft can provide lessons in sound and music, and it's a fun instrument to use for the rhythm and movement that is such an important part of the preschool curriculum.
Creating the rainstick calls for hammering, which is another reason this craft is such a big hit with young children. You can also use the activity in teaching children about culture. The rainstick was used by many South American Indians as part of their rain dances. A children's librarian may be able to find a picture book story about this, which you could use to introduce the activity.
This Wikipedia articles tells about the culture of rainsticks and also how they are made (many were made from dried cactus stems and cactus needles!): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_stick
Supplies
- 1 foot long mailing tube or heavy-duty cardboard tube, such as those found at hardware stores. 1 1/2 inch diameter works best for the sound of rain, while a 3 inch tube will be fun for budding percussionists.
- Hammer. This needn't be the hammer you use for big projects. A small, household hammer is a nice size for young children.
- Nails. These should be the same length or just slightly less than the diameter of the tube.
- Contents: Have various items on hand for experimenting with, such as popcorn kernels, lentil beans, pebbles, beads and rice for varying sounds.
- Strong tape, such as clear, mailing tape.
- Paint or decorative paper (construction paper with colored designs, contact shelf paper, etc.) A few dangling feathers could even be added for an American Indian touch.
Directions
- Pound the nails into the tube. The children can pound the nails anywhere they like in the tube, although traditionally, the nails are positioned so that they create a spiral inside the rainstick. Remind the children to pound straight in, but if an angled nail protrudes to tell you so that you can fix it (just push it back through). If the children have never used hammers they may need some help, and be sure to show them how to avoid hammering their thumbs.
- Seal one end of the tube with the tape.
- Decorate the rainsticks. Depending on their skill levels, some children will need assistance. Kids who enjoy drawing may like pasting construction paper onto the tube and then after it dries, coloring a design. Others may prefer simply wrapping the tube in contact paper. Feathers could be attached with thread tied around the rainstick.
- After everything that needs to dry has dried, funnel one of the contents into the rainstick. Holding your hand over the end, turn the tube upside and back again, listening. Then experiment the same with the other contents. After the favorite sound is chosen, leave those contents in the rainstick and seal the remaining open end of the tube.
Hello, Cupcake!: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make
That's it. Now just sit back and watch the kids dance up a storm!
Fun Kids Crafts E-Book
Have you been searching the net for kid's crafts ideas for ever? I'm sure you feel frustrated by now because it feels as if you are wasting hours, hours you could have spent doing crafts with the kids. You definitely need a way to get hold of kid's crafts ideas faster and easier. I know exactly how you feel; we went through the same pain to get crafts to do with our little granddaughter Anabel, NO MORE!
Now there is a way you can stop all this and spend your time having fun with the kids actually doing the crafts. I have come across an e-book that has lots of fun and easy kid's crafts ideas for you to choose from. The name of the book is Fun Kids Crafts. The descriptions in this e-book are easy to follow and where it is necessary there are templates that you can print with ease. Most of the crafts can also be adjusted to suit your kid's level of development.
Fun kids crafts starts with a very good selection of Bible crafts. These crafts also include "Christian" crafts to teach the kids real "Christian" behavior. What I especially find handy is the pre-school craft that is also included in these bible crafts.
In the section with birthday gifts for dad, there is a really easy and fun craft that will be ideal for father's day. It boils down to "Dad, I'm nuts about you." Do have a look at it; even the little pre-schoolers will be able to do it with a little help. That is not all, there is still a whole category of father's day crafts that you'll love!
This only touches on all the great kids' crafts ideas you'll get in this e-book. Have a look at some of the other crafts available:
1. Easy Crafts:
Painting
Crafts using grass
Edible crafts
No glue crafts
----and many, many more
2. I've already mentioned the Father's day crafts
3. Fun crafts:
- Using rocks
- From different countries
- Woodworking
- Candles
- Summer crafts
- Winter crafts
- ---to many to mention them all
4. Halloween crafts (I can't wait for Halloween so we can do these with our granddaughter)
5. Pre-school crafts
6. Thanksgiving crafts
7. Christmas crafts
8. Mother's day crafts
9. Valentine's day crafts
The list goes on and on, too long for me to mention here. Suffice to say I'll never be at a loss for crafts to do with my granddaughter again. Do yourself a favor, have a look at Fun Kids Crafts.
Download Lots Of Crafting Fun With Fun Kids Crafts!
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