The Sound of Rain

Don't you just love the sound of rain? Another sign that Spring is here and May flowers are coming!

The other day, my daughter, Raya, made a rain stick instrument (with my help, of course). It was so fun to make and we were both thrilled with the end result!

Here is a simple tutorial:

Materials Needed:

- sturdy cardboard tube (a tube from an aluminum foil box would be perfect)
- small nails and/or tacks
- xacto knife
- rice
- aluminum foil
- mod podge or clear glue
- tissue paper or construction paper
- stickers

1) Poke nails through the cardboard tube.

It took a bit of prep work trying to poke the nails through the tube. I decided it would be best for me to do this ahead of time as it was a bit tricky and I'm not sure Raya would have been able to do it. I ended up using an xacto knife to put small slits into the tube so the nails would slide in much easier.
Note: The more nails you use the better.

2) Cover the cardboard tube with aluminum foil, wrapping it tightly and stuffing the excess into ONE end of the tube, leaving the other end open.

3) Pour a small amount of rice into the open end of the tube. I used a funnel to make it easier for my daughter to pour the rice in. 

4) Close off the open end of the tube with another piece of aluminum foil (I stuffed some in the hole as well).

5) Time to decorate! I cut up pieces of tissue paper and Raya used mod podge to stick them on the tube. She covered the whole thing. I loved how the mod podge gives it a bit of a shine when it's all dry.

6) Decorate some more! I had some foam stickers in different shapes and sizes and my daughter loved to decorate with these. 

She was so intrigued with the sound it made as she turned it! 

Bird's Nest Craft

Despite the cold, snowy (?!) weather we have been having lately, we have seen small signs of Spring around our yard. Just outside our dining room window we noticed morning doves perched up on the brick wall fireplace of our neighbour's house with some grass and leaves. Raya loves nature, animals in particular, and was so excited to see these birds! I explained to her how they are building a nest for their babies to keep them warm when they arrive. 

I am always looking for inspiration in our everyday lives, and this one inspired me to do a bird's nest craft with Raya! So when we had a small window of warm Spring weather, we went outside and collected twigs, leaves and grass. We even found a morning dove egg! 

We then used a paper plate and Raya painted the top half blue to represent the sky. On the second half, using craft glue, she added the leaves/grass/twigs that she had collected. 

I cut out a bird and a few eggs from felt to complete the project. 

This was such a fun project for my 3 year old! She loved it from start to finish. I especially love that it involved going outdoors and spending some time in nature! 

Welcome to Purple Nest Kid Creations!

As a Mom of two little ones, I am always looking for new activities to keep them occupied throughout the day. Most days I prepare one or two quiet time activities and/or a fun and simple craft for my 3 year old daughter, Raya. As my son, Carson, gets older, he will join in the fun! This will be a place where I share these activities and I hope it will be an inspiration, encouraging independent play and creativity in your own homes!