Frannie is so excited that spring is finally here! She loves the rainstorms that bring about the flowers and trees blooming. Frannie thought about how important rain is to everyone everywhere and remembered hearing about musical instruments that ancient cultures made called rain sticks. It is believed rain sticks were used to bring on rainstorms or to celebrate rain.
To make a traditional rain stick, dried cacti or other hollow material such as bamboo might be used. The hollow tube was pierced with the cactus needles or other pegs and then filled with pebbles, shells, and/or dried beans. The rattle of the loose materials inside the hollow tube creates the sound of falling rain. Frannie wants to celebrate rain by making her own rain stick! She wants you to make one too!
Supplies:
- Empty paper towel tube or mailing tube
- Toothpicks or nails
- Beans, rice, beads, pebbles, or other small hard materials
- Tin foil or sturdy plastic
- Various craft supplies: scissors, tape, glue, markers, paint, glitter, string or yarn, beans, feathers, etc.
Instructions:
1. Cover and secure one end of the tube with the tin foil or plastic
2. Use toothpicks or nails to puncture the tube multiple times. Break off the ends of the toothpicks sticking out to ensure no sharp edges. Ensure the nails are not sticking out.
3. Fill the tube with a handful of rice, beans, etc.
4. Cover and secure the other end of the tube
5. Decorate the tube
Share photos of you or your troop with your rain sticks here!
This week is National Fix a Leak Week! There are lots of places around your home that can be leaky - your shower, toilet, garden hose, or faucets. Not only are leaks annoying, but they are a huge waste of water. Frannie decided to celebrate National Fix a Leak Week by checking her home for leaks and following the Environmental Protection Agency's tips for fixing them!
Frannie referenced one of her earlier blogs on finding leaks, check it out here!
Here are a few quick tips for fixing leaks around your home:
- Fix leaky faucets by replacing washers and gaskets
- Use pipe tape and a wrench to fix a leaky shower head
- If you have a leaky toilet, check to see if the flapper needs replaced
- If your garden hose is leaking at the spigot, replace the rubber hose washer
Frannie is so excited that the weather is warming up and that all of her friends can play outside and soak up the rays. Frannie thought of all the fun things you can do outside!
Go for a walk!
Look for wildlife!
Make art with sidewalk chalk!
Have a picnic!
While playing outside can be so much fun, Frannie wants everyone to remember to make sure they are cleaning up after their outdoor activities. Waste from activities can be blown by the wind into lakes, rivers, and ponds and make it difficult for Frannie and her friends to live and swim. So be sure after you are done enjoying the spring weather to properly dispose of your recyclables and trash!
Do you have ideas for outdoor fun or how to keep water clean? Share them here!
Have you ever thought about how much water you use in one day? Did you know that brushing your teeth can use up to two gallons of water? Simply turning the faucet off while brushing can save one and half gallons!
This got Frannie thinking of the other ways she uses water throughout the day. Frannie decided to use the chart below to visualize how much water she's using.
Frannie wants you to create your own chart or use the one provided too! All you have to do is use a writing utensil to color in the boxes. Use the guide at the top to see how much coloring each activity requires.
Frannie had so much fun coloring and finding out how much water she was using that she decided to chart her water use for the next two weeks and she challenged herself to reduce her water use over those two weeks! Frannie is challenging you to do the same!
Do you have helpful hints for how Frannie could reduce her water use? Share your ideas here.
