We had a list of things to do today.
Unpacking
Gym
Grocery Store
Reading Practice
Math Lessons
AWANA practice
Cleaning out a corner of the school room for a new woodworking area (more on that another day)
Cleaning out the boys rooms
Changing sheets... you get the idea.
We got as far as going to the gym (note that this is only the second thing on the list), before the plan went out the window.
The boys did a good deed while they were in the childcare center. They helped one of the caregivers clean up after a particularly messy project, and were each rewarded with two nice, thick, industrial paper towel tubes. It might have been gold, for all the excitement!
There was much debate about what to do with them, but since we are about to embark on a study of Native Americans, I thought of rain sticks. They actually originated with Chilean Indians, but still...
First, tape two tubes, end to end, to make one nice, long stick.
Then, push in nails, every inch or so, following the spiraled seam.
Then, you tape off one end and add in some rice, beans, pebbles or whatever you have on hand that is small, and hard and likely to make a good racket.
We used rice and pinto beans. Incidentally, rice makes a nice, gentle shower sort of sound. Pinto beans sound like that middle-of-the-night downpour type rain.
Then, of course, you'll want to tape up the other end. We covered our sticks with some brown wrapping paper, using some spray adhesive, and then set to work decorating our rainsticks with a little pictography.
We used the Draw Write Now book on Native Americans as a starting point, and then branched off into our own creations.
While the boys drew, I read to them about Native American writing, about Chile, and about the history of the rain stick. Later we found Chile on the map.
The sticks were a BIG BIG hit! We've already been talking about more heavy duty versions, and how we might paper mache or decoupage our next models, then give them as Christmas gifts to some special kids on our list.
You know, isn't so much of parenthood like that? It's not at all the way I envisioned it, but rich and wonderful all the same, just like our day.
I hope your wanderings and departures from your plans bring you as much fun and learning today!
