Bottles for sensory bottles: Sensory Bottles – The Chaos and the Clutter

Sensory Bottles – The Chaos and the Clutter

We love creating sensory bottles. There are so many possibilities. Whether you’re wanting to create a simple glitter sensory bottle or calm down bottle or wanting to create something with a fun theme, sensory bottles are easy to make yourself.
They are a great addition to your child’s sensory play or to your preschool or classroom. There are many benefits to exploring with a sensory bottle. Not only does this activity allow kids to meet some of their sensory needs through visual, tactile, and sometimes proprioceptive, auditory, or olfactory sensory systems, they also give way for other avenues of learning. 

In fact, sensory bottles are also known as discovery bottles. You can create them along any theme to coincide with a learning unit in your preschool, classroom, or home.

It’s easy to make your own sensory bottles. With just a few supplies, you can create your own. They are a mess free sensory play option great for all ages.

How to make sensory bottles:

Step one: Choose the bottle.

You’ll need an empty bottle. I usually use either use an empty Voss bottle or a plastic bottle from the craft store because I like the look of them, but any empty bottle you have will do.

I almost always use plastic, but sometimes choose to use a glass bottle to add extra weight for proprioceptive feedback. Of course, you want to use extra caution if using a glass bottle and only use it with older kids or adults. 

Other containers that will work are spice containers or small plastic test tubes. Spice containers are especially good if you’re wanting to make smell bottles.

Step two: Fill the bottle with liquid of some kind or another filler.

Common sensory bottle fillers are:

• water
• combination of warm water and clear glue
• hair gel
• hand sanitizer or liquid soap
• water beads and water
• corn syrup
• baby oil
• cooking oil
• shampoo
• dry rice
• dry beans
• coconut
• Epsom salt
• sand

Step three: Add other things of interest.

Common examples are:

• small toys
• glitter
• confetti
• sequins
• beads
• Rainbow Loom elastics
• plastic animals
• googly eyes
• pompoms 
• mini erasers
• buttons
• marbles
• LEGO
• ribbon
• rocks
• shells
• items found on a nature hike or beach walk
• items from a Toob

VOSS Water Plastic BottlesEmpty Sensory BottlesWater BeadsFine Glitter SetSequinsSummer ConfettiRainbow Loom Rubber BandsAssorted Miniature Animal ToysMini ErasersSafari Ltd On the Road TOOBSafari Ltd In The Sky TOOBSafari Ltd Knights & Dragons ToobGorilla Super Glue

Step four: Secure the bottle.

You’ll then want to replace the lid and if using with younger children, secure it in place with a hot glue gun or Gorilla glue. Be aware that even if glued on, the lids can be opened so adult supervision should always be used.

Step five: Play!

How to make glitter sensory bottles:

There are two main ways to make a glitter sensory bottle. One is using a combination of warm water and glitter glue. The other is to combine warm water, clear glue, and glitter. 

1. Add a bottle of glitter glue or clear glue to an empty water bottle.
2. If using clear glue, add a generous amount of glitter.
3. Next, pour in warm water until the bottle is almost full.
4. Replace the lid and shake well.
5. If using with younger children, secure the lid with a hot glue gun or Gorilla glue. 

The glue in the bottle will slow down the movement of the glitter, thus creating a calming effect as kids (or adults) watch it fall. This is an easy way to make your own calm down jars.

Join me for a free 5 part email series Sensory Solutions and Activities and get a free sample of our Sensory Play Recipes eBook. 

21 Sensory Bottles You Can Make

Make one of these fun sensory bottles easily with simple ideas for the whole year. From glittering calm down bottles to hands-on science discovery bottles, we have sensory bottles for every kind of kid. A sensory bottle can be used as a calming tool for anxiety, for sensory processing, learning, exploring, and more!  DIY sensory bottles make for simple and fun sensory activities for kids.

HOW TO MAKE SENSORY BOTTLES

HOW TO MAKE A SENSORY BOTTLE

Young kids love these fun sensory bottles and they are easy to make yourself with materials you already have on hand or can grab at the store.

1. CHOOSE A BOTTLE

Start with a bottle. We use our favorite VOSS water bottles for our sensory bottles because they are wonderful to reuse.  Of course, definitely use whatever drink bottles, soda bottles you have on hand!

Try to find bottles with different size openings to fit different types of objects.

We haven’t found the need to tape or glue our water bottle caps shut, but it’s an option.  Especially if you have kids that may be keen to empty the contents of the bottle. Occasionally, we will use decorative tape to add a pop of color to our theme.

If you want to make a baby sensory baby bottle, use a non-breakable bottle and put less in it so it’s not too heavy!

2. CHOOSE A FILLER

Materials for your sensory bottle could include colored rice, sand, salt, rocks, and of course water.

Want to make your own colored rice, colored salt or colored sand? It is so easy! Check out the recipes below for:

• Colored rice
• Colored salt
• Colored sand

Water has to one of the quickest and easiest fillers to use to make a sensory bottle. Simply, fill the bottle with tap water, and leave enough room at the top for other items you want to add.

3. ADD THEME ITEMS

You will want to add goodies to search for and discover in your sensory bottle. Make it budget friendly by using what you already have on hand or find in nature.

When choosing a theme for your sensory bottle, think about what your child is interested in. It could be Lego, the ocean or even favorite movie characters! Then find things to put in the sensory bottle that relate to that theme.

We also have lots of fun sensory bottle ideas below to celebrate the seasons and holidays!

Want to keep it super simple? Simply, add glitter glue or glitter to water for a mesmerizing sensory glitter bottle like this one here.

Glitter Bottles

21 DIY SENSORY BOTTLES

Click on each sensory bottle idea below for the full supply list and instructions. We have so many fun theme sensory bottles for you to enjoy!

BEACH SENSORY BOTTLE

Do you like to collect treasures on the beach? Why not make a simple beach sensory bottle with all sorts of shells, sea glass, sea weed, and of course beach sand.

MINION SENSORY BOTTLE

Why not create a few fun activities to go along with your favorite movie? Our Minion Slime was a huge hit with everyone so we decided to create a Minion sensory bottle as well.   

NINJA TURTLE SENSORY BOTTLE

Make your own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Sensory Bottle or four! My son has each Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle memorized, so we have had a lot of fun turning the characters into sensory bottles.

STAR WARS SENSORY BOTTLE

Why not make these fun and easy glow in the dark sensory bottles to enjoy. Yes, they glow in the dark just like our Star Wars slime! 

OCEAN SENSORY BOTTLE

A beautiful ocean sensory bottle you can make even if you haven’t been to the ocean!  This DIY sensory bottle can be made with easy to find items, without a trip to the beach.

EARTH DAY SENSORY BOTTLES

These Earth Day discovery bottles are fun and easy for kids to make and play with too! Sensory or discovery bottles are awesome for little hands. 

My son enjoys helping to fill the bottles and they are the perfect opportunity for having great conversations about the Earth, Earth Day, and saving our planet.  Also these bottles explore some cool science concepts like magnetism and density.

LEGO SENSORY BOTTLE

Make an interesting LEGO sensory bottle and cool science experiment all in one! What happens to LEGO bricks in different liquids? Do they sink, do they float, do they stand still?  LEGO makes an awesome learning tool. 

LETTER SENSORY BOTTLE

We all know that writing practice isn’t the most fun task for a kid, but it doesn’t have to be that way with our easy letter sensory bottle!

FOURTH OF JULY SENSORY BOTTLE

Make this patriotic glitter calm down bottle.  I love how quickly you can whip one up and how pretty they look!  

GOLD SENSORY BOTTLE

Have you ever wanted to make those cool glitter calm down bottles? We love them! Plus our version is quick and easy as well as frugal!

Glitter bottles are terrific for sensory processing needs, anxiety relief, and well just something fun to shake and look at! 

RAINBOW GLITTER BOTTLES

A colorful variation of our calming metallic sensory bottles above, sensory glitter bottles are often made with a pricey, colored glitter glue.   To make a whole rainbow of colors, this would have been quite expensive. Our simple substitute, makes these DIY sensory bottles much more cost effective!

NATURE DISCOVERY BOTTLES

Create simple specimen bottles with these nature discovery bottles. Go and explore your backyard or local park to create your own cool science discovery bottles.

BEAD SENSORY BOTTLE

This simple sensory bottle is perfect for an Earth Day theme or spring activity.  It’s quick to make, and encourages kids to work on developing their fine motor skills.

SCIENCE SENSORY BOTTLES

The possibilities are endless and there are so many to try!  It’s fun to explore simple science concepts in different ways  with these easy science discovery bottles.  From ocean waves, to magnetic sensory bottles and even sink or float discovery bottles.  

MAGNETIC SENSORY BOTTLE

Explore magnetism with this fun and simple to make magnetic sensory bottle.

ST PATRICK’S DAY SENSORY BOTTLES

Create these fun and easy St Patrick’s Day theme sensory bottles to explore science concepts with kids of all ages! 

FALL SENSORY BOTTLES

Get out and explore nature this fall and create  your own fall sensory bottles out of your nature finds! We gathered items from our own yard {and used a few from a nature hike} to create three simple sensory bottles. Make one or make a few depending on what you find! 

HALLOWEEN SENSORY BOTTLE

So simple and fun, create your own Halloween sensory bottle to celebrate this October. Holiday theme sensory bottles are fun for young kids to create and play with. Add materials that kids can use to make their own bottles for an awesome visual sensory experience. 

SNOWMAN SENSORY BOTTLE

Enjoy winter activities no matter what your climate looks like. Mid-December here and it’s pretty warm, 60 degrees warm! There is not one flake of snow in the air or in the forecast. So what do you instead of building a real snowman? Build a fun snowman sensory bottle instead!

VALENTINE’S DAY SENSORY BOTTLE

What better way to say Happy Valentine’s Day than with a Valentine sensory bottle. Simple to make, Valentine’s Day sensory bottles are a great activity to do with your kids. 

EASTER SENSORY BOTTLE

This easy to make Easter theme sensory bottle is so simple AND beautiful! Only a few supplies and you have a very neat Easter sensory bottle or calm down jar that can really be used any time of the year. Give it a shake and see what happens!

SPRING SENSORY BOTTLE

A simple spring activity, make a fresh flower discovery bottle. We used a bouquet of flowers that was on it’s way out to create this fun flower sensory bottle. Plus, it was a great opportunity to practice fine motor skills. 

MORE SENSORY BOTTLES

Here are some quick and easy sensory bottle ideas using exactly what I could scrounge up from around the house. We have had some of the fillers from our previous sensory bins. 

SEA ANIMALS SENSORY BOTTLE  

Shells, gems, fish, and beads with a colored salt filler. Rice, dyed blue would be great too.

ALPHABET SEARCH AND FIND BOTTLE

Rainbow colored rice and alphabet beads make a simple sensory search. Have your child write the letters as they see them or cross them off a list!

DINOSAUR SENSORY BOTTLE

Colored craft sand or sandbox makes a great filler. I simply added some dinosaur bones from a kit we had been using.

SENSORY BOTTLES ARE FUN TO MAKE ANYTIME!

Click on the image below or on the link for more easy sensory activities for kids.

Sensory bottles

For sensory bottles, regular small clear plastic bottles are ideal for easy handling by the baby. To make the game with magic bottles safe for the child, and the bottles themselves please more than one day, it is best to glue the cap to the neck with hot glue. This can be done with a special glue gun.

♥Noisy The simplest version of a bottle that will please a child of any age is a sounding one. Any cereal (rice, buckwheat, pearl barley), beans, small pebbles, matches, buttons, bells, plastic and wooden beads, small buttons and any other nonsense is suitable as a sound filler. To play with such bottles it was more interesting, ask the child to close his eyes , shake the bottle and ask them to guess what was in the bottle.

♥Attraction and buoyancy Pour water into the bottle, add metal clips, buttons, pins or beautiful little bells. Seal the lid tightly. Now put a magnet next to it, inviting the child to conduct their own experiment. Instead of water, you can add shampoo or dishwashing liquid or oil. To compare objects that attract and don’t attract, fill a bottle with wooden sticks and something metallic.

♥A for the magic bottle “Sinking – not sinking” we will need heavy and light objects, as well as wood, foam and pebbles. In general, everything that sinks or does not sink.

♥ Electrostatic bottle A very simple bottle to make. Tear thin tissue paper into small pieces and place in a bottle. Styrofoam is suitable as an alternative filler. Rub the bottle on your hair or carpet and see what happens with your child.

♥ Marine bottle Very beautiful, literally bewitching bottle. Add a few drops of green or blue food coloring to the water. Fill half of the bottle with water, then half with ordinary vegetable oil. When shaken, waves form on the surface.

♥Soapy What happens to soap when it is mixed with water. Why is it foaming? A little liquid soap, a couple of drops of food coloring and water – a bottle with bubbles is ready.

♥ Mysterious The purpose of this bottle is to stimulate the ability to observe, seek and find. Put interesting small objects (toys, dice, marbles, cars) in a bottle filled with rice or sand. Let the baby try to find what is hidden in the bottle?

♥ Cloudy This bottle is the easiest to make: some earth and some water. The water becomes cloudy when the bottle is shaken and then the earth settles to the bottom and the water becomes clear again.

♥ With jellyfish The transparent bag makes a great jellyfish. If you paint the water blue, the jellyfish swims in the “ocean”.

♥Meditative A very useful bottle for modern children who sometimes need a little time for themselves, in order to think, “slow down”. This bottle can be filled with dishwashing liquid or shampoo, put a few marbles or shiny beads. In a dense soapy solution, the balls will slowly fall down and just as slowly rise if the bottle is turned upside down.

♥Seasonal Together with your children you can make seasonal bottles with a special set of artifacts – for example, with acorns, autumn leaves. With flowers and herbs, with a sprig of lilac or willow. Try making a winter bottle with white pom poms and silver sequins.

Gradually you will move on to themed bottles that will reflect the interests of the child, and the baby will take a direct part in the creation of these “messages”.

Teacher Tkacheva V.S.
Internet source

Sensory bottles. Sensory toys with their own hands.

Sensory bottles are a great meditative tool for a child, they are good for calming and distracting an upset or depressed baby, help to cope with anxiety. They can be used in corrective work, to train self-regulation, to teach or develop certain skills.

Read more about sensory games and toys in our article “Do-it-yourself sensory games. How to do it and what you need.

To develop concentration, attention, visual perception, you need to add small figures to the filler. The child’s task will be to shake, turn, turn the bottle over in such a way as to find the desired figure (this can be a thematic search, or the child’s area of ​​​​interest). You can use small toys from kinder surprise, beads, beads, small rubber bands for weaving, sparkles, shells, small plastic animals or insects, balls, cubes, chips, hydrogel balls.

If we are teaching a child to read or count, then we can put letters or numbers in a bottle – and then the child’s task will be to find them.

Similarly with learning shapes, colors, sizes, categories, etc. Also, bottles can be winter, summer, spring, autumn, tied to a specific month, theme, story, fairy tale, etc. You can give tasks orally, or you can prepare cards in advance with the image of the figure you need to find.

In general, sensory bottles are a field for creativity. It all depends on your imagination and improvised materials. You can use both glass and plastic bottles. The main thing is that they are transparent. You also need to remove stickers and labels and wash off the glue. The cover can be smeared with glue to be sure.

The simplest sensory bottles can be made using water, glycerin (sold in any pharmacy), any color details, depending on the chosen theme.

Glycerin is needed to make the water more viscous and slow down the movement of the figures. The more glycerin you add, the more viscous the liquid will be and the slower the movement inside the bottle will be. That is, we choose a liquid depending on the goals. If you do not have glycerin, you can leave it out, and the figures will move much faster inside the bottle.

You can also take oil (baby or vegetable) mixed with water (water can be tinted with food coloring). A mixture of water and oil will give a layering effect, and when shaken along the bottle, beautiful bubbles will run.

They can be made simply noisy by filling up to half with pasta, peas, beans, pebbles, rice, colorful bath salts, cereals.

It can also be done with a secret, in a filler, for example in salt, to hide small objects or figures.

Remember that the materials you use as a filler (baby oil, glycerin) can be toxic if swallowed, and small figures and parts can cause suffocation, so make sure that the child does not open the bottle without supervision.

DIY sensory bottles. What can you buy on Aliexpress.

There are a lot of products for children on Aliexpress. But there are even more components from which you can easily make educational toys for children with your own hands.

1. Bottles

Any bottle can be taken, as long as it is transparent. And it is desirable that the neck was wider. We have selected 3 unusual bottle options from Aliexpress as an alternative to the usual ones.

Flat Rectangular Milk Carton Wide Mouth

2.