Rainstick in a bottle

A great way for children to explore weather concepts with their senses!

Tis the season of lots of rain and with all that rain, we were inspired to make our own rainstick in a bottle…

Rainstick in a bottle by Teach Preschool

Miss Lauren came up with this brilliant and simple idea for the children to make. She wanted the children to explore the weather with all their senses and the rainstick in a bottle invited the children to listen to the ‘rain’ and to look at the ‘rain’ as it flowed through their ‘clouds’.

Rainstick in a bottle by Teach Preschool

Why we Love Rainstick in a Bottle

I love the rainstick in a bottle because it includes time in sensory play, as well as invites creativity along with further discussion about the weather.

Rainstick in a bottle by Teach Preschool

The How-To

Miss Lauren saved up plastic bottles for the children to use. I think the bottles were Sparkling Water bottles but I am not for sure. To make the rainstick in a bottle, the children began by filling their bottles with cotton ball clouds. It is better to not pack the bottle full of cotton balls but to fill it lightly so that the rain can trickle down to the bottle of the bottle.

Rainstick in a bottle by Teach Preschool

Once the children added their clouds, they were ready to add the rain. The children could use the funnel to add rain to their bottles or just use their hands and sprinkle the rain right over the rice tub.

Rainstick in a bottle by Teach Preschool

Preparing the “Rain”

Miss Lauren added colored rice for the rain. She placed the rice in a baggie with blue liquid watercolor then kneaded the bag till all the rice turned the desired color of blue. Then she spread the rice out on a tray and left it to dry overnight.

Rainstick in  a bottle by Teach Preschool

As you can see, not every child followed the order that I described above when making their rainsticks in a bottle, but it didn’t really matter…

Rainstick in a bottle by Teach Preschool

All that mattered was adding a little of both cotton and rice. We didn’t worry about amounts as the children could test it out to see if they liked the amounts they added to their bottle. If not, just pour some out and start again!

Rainstick in a bottle by Teach Preschool

Enjoying the Process

Once the bottle had the desired amount of clouds and rain, its time to put on the lid and watch the rain flow through the clouds as they turned the bottle slowly up then down…

Rainstick in a bottle by Teach Preschool

Oh, and don’t forget to add your name!

Rainstick in a bottle by Teach Preschool

The rainstick in a bottle center remained open through out the morning so the children would have plenty of time to create their rainstick…

Rainstick in a bottle by Teach Preschool

This was an activity that the children enjoyed exploring and it was fun watching them enjoy the process!

Rainstick in a bottle by Teach Preschool

Available on Amazon

Links to Grow On

Exploring Raindrops and Clouds by Teach Preschool

Rainy Day Drawing Cube on Preschool Spot!

For more great spring idea see Spring on Pinterest – click here!

Deborah J Stewart

Deborah J Stewart

Every time I think I know everything I need to know about teaching young children, God says, "Hold on a minute!" and gives me a new challenge.

Let me tell ya...

With each new challenge that you overcome, you will find yourself better equipped and more passionate about teaching young children.

God didn't call wimps to lead, teach, or care for His children. Nope, he has high expectations, so get ready. You will have to give your very best but after teaching for over 30 years, I can tell you that it is a wonderful and rewarding journey.

Whenever your calling feels hard, just remember, 'He who began a good work in you (and in the children you serve) will be faithful to complete it.'

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