Rain Shakers
Rain Shakers
A super simple sound activity that’s easy to set up and fun to shake.
We made these using empty toilet rolls, some rice, and decorated paper. No cutting, no glue, and honestly, they turned out better than we expected. The kids wrapped paper around the rolls, added rubber bands over the ends to seal them, and popped some rice inside to make the sound.
Next time I’d probably use lentils, they’d make a gentler rain sound and are easier to work with, but rice worked just fine and was what we had on hand.
It wasn’t the neatest craft we’ve ever done, but they looked colourful and worked really well. The best part was how proud the kids were of their homemade instruments.
It led to a full-on group rhythm session, which was very wholesome (and slightly chaotic).
You’ll need
Empty toilet paper rolls
Paper for wrapping and decorating
Rubber bands
Rice or lentils
Textas, crayons, stickers for decorating
How to make them
Decorate your paper first, then wrap it around each toilet roll. Secure one end with a rubber band, add a small scoop of rice or lentils, then seal the other end with another rubber band. That’s it. No cutting needed, and easy for little hands to help with every step.
What it encourages
Sound exploration and rhythm
Creativity and design
Fine motor skills
Patience and collaboration
Making and using a tool they can play with straight away
A last note
This is one of those “use what you’ve got” activities. You can experiment with different fillers to change the sound, or try using different sized rolls if you’ve got them. Keep an eye on rubber bands with younger ones, and remind the kids to shake gently, we had one ambitious shaker launch rice across the mat, which turned into a second activity all of its own.
