Rainstick

 I have been trying to encourage my boys to work 

on their merit badges for Boy scouts.

So, this morning I helped my younger son work 

on a project for part of his music merit badge. 

He was required to make an instrument and 

learn how to play it. 

So, he decided on a rainstick. 

It was fairly easy to make.

 He used a mailing tube and filled it with beads, 
different sized dried beans, rice and 
 dried macaroni for sound.  
You can play around with the contents
to get the sound that you want.
Sixty one inch nails are to be nailed into the tube 
1/2 inch apart around the spiral of the tube. 
Then wrapped the tube in tape to hold the nails in place. 
This provides a place for the beans and stuff to 
bounce off in the tube for sound. 
 Then he covered the tube with brown packing paper.

Then glued on 9 strips of ribbon for decorative purposes and two circular foam pieces on the ends of the tube.

We will definitely use this later on with the little girls for music time.
 It makes a nice sound. 
Now he just has to wait for it to rain and play along? 

Life is humorous that way. Don't you think?