DIY Life

Is all of this spring rain getting to you? If you have a three-year-old, you are probably outside in it everyday like I am, enjoying projects like making a rain gauge ruler and a rain book. But if your older, slightly more rational children prefer to stay indoors on torrential days, you might like making a rain stick with them.

What is a rain stick, you ask? It is simply a long tube filled with various noisemakers that make the tube sound like a rainstorm when tipped end over end. It has been used in different cultures -- invented in Chile -- to attempt to make the rains come.

This is an easy project that leaves the creativity window wide open, so every rain stick really comes out a unique expression of each creator. You'll need a mailing tube, some dried rice and peas, plastic drinking cups to cover the ends of the tube, aluminum foil and the odds and ends of art supplies, staplers, etc.

After this past week here in New England, I can't imagine talk of a drought. The creek that runs through our backyard is a raging river and I don't remember what the sun looks like.

Yet the rain inspires me to write about some fun rain projects you can do around your yard and with your kids to pass the time on rainy days.

Since we have gotten so much rain, I thought it would be fun to measure the amount of rainfall that has graced us. It is so easy to make a rain gauge ruler, from an old olive or peanut butter jar and this printable rain ruler. You can graph the daily rainfall with your kids -- or your science-minded husband! -- and make it something to look forward to on rainy days.

Why study earthworms? They may not be pretty, but earthworms have an important role in creating healthy soil that supports life everywhere.

Kids are fascinated by living creatures, and they have a lot to learn from worms. They can learn about their unique form of locomotion, or that earthworms have a highly developed digestive system that creates healthy soil out of decomposing materials. Possibly most important of all, kids can learn that all creatures have a role in a functioning ecosystem, including the lowly worm.

An earthworm habitat is not only fun to make, it's an easy way to observe worm behavior up close. Because this project requires the handling of live creatures, an important first lesson is how to respect life while also studying it. Worms need to be handled gently. They also need a safe environment while in captivity, including food and moisture. When the project is finished, they should be carefully returned to the safety of a shady spot of soil.

Ready to get started? Check out the gallery below!

Rock candy is one of the oldest treats around, and it's simple to make. It also makes a great science project and is often used to teach about crystals. You can talk to kids about minerals and atoms and ions, or you can help them cook up a batch of rock candy and let them see crystals forming in real time. Plus, this is a really fun (and edible) project.

Kids will be delighted to find out that they've got crystals right in plain sight in their kitchen -- sugar and salt. When they boil sugar and water together, they're creating a super-saturated sugar solution. Basically, there's more sugar in the solution than it can hold, so the crystals begin attaching themselves to the cotton string.

Over time, water evaporates from the solution so the sugar continues to attach itself to the formation. Eventually, kids end up with a string full of beautiful sugar crystals that they can study, then eat.

Want to get started on this interesting experiment? Check out the gallery below!

My two sons love ants. Like most children, and the lucky adults who still manage to see real wonder in things, they find these tiny insects fascinating. They enjoy learning about the ant colony's structure, talking about their incredible strength, and the perfect efficiencies in their work.

You don't have to stand over that sand hill on your driveway to study ants in their environment. The best way to watch ants in a controlled way is to make your own ant farm. You'll need the following materials:

• 1 quart or larger clear glass jar
• 1 8 – 10 inch pie plate
• 1 2 inch deep pan, larger than the pie pan, to hold water
• Soil
• Pencil
• String
• Water
• Ants

After the break I'll explain some important considerations in creating the ant farm.