Rainmaker

This is such a cool toy. We actually bought this for Little Moxie’s one year birthday. We got some interesting reactions from guests who simply couldn’t believe that we would be the ones to get the noisemaker. That is traditionally reserved for “well-meaning” friends and relatives apparently. My attitude is that as long as she’s happy and occupied I don’t really care how loud it is. I may change my tune if we have another one who needs to be sleeping, but for now it really doesn’t matter, and I find this toy WAY less annoying than most of her battery operated gizmos. It does, however, remind me that I live in a desert where there is never much hope of actual rain. Sigh.

Great Replica
If you know what a regular rainmaker is, then you have a pretty good idea of what this toy is too. It’s a very good replication of the traditional rainmaker. If you don’t know… well it’s basically a lot of beads falling down a tube, hitting plastic as they flow and making a noise that is reminiscent of a downpour. This toy has good sound and just the right amount of beads. It can get pretty loud if the little ones get to shaking the heck out of it, but it seems to crack them up so that’s fine. Seeing what makes the sound is the really cool part. It helps to teach the kids that what they see with the balls is what is actually making the sound; cause and effect. It connects visual and auditory; loudest at the beginning when all the beads are moving and quieter as fewer beads are left to fall. For music appreciation type lessons this is fabulous and not an everyday find (I challenge you to find one friend with this toy.) The quality is terrific and I feel safe giving her a tube of potential choking hazards because of how well it’s made. Hohner Kids also had the safety report for all their toys on their website. The Rainmaker was tested with the “most stringent use and abuse tests” and passed everything that they check for. Click HERE for the full report. I really respect a company that puts these reports online.

Like I mentioned, this toy is a little hard to find, but you can get it directly from their website at www.hohnerkids.com. I think Little Moxie may have to try some of their other cool instruments too!