sensory bottles

It’s so easy to create this At the Beach Nature Sensory Bottle. It makes a great memento of a tropical or beach vacation too. You can gather the items while on holiday and bring the bottle home with you to remember the trip by.

I love that this discovery bottle uses things found in nature. Just like our Seashell Fossils in Playdough activity, this allows kids to explore using their senses and items they found themselves.

At the Beach Nature Sensory Bottle:

Supplies:

• empty water bottle (I like the look of Voss bottles, but you can also purchase these empty sensory bottles)
• seashells
• sand
• seagull feathers
• seaweed
• optional: super glue to seal the bottle cap

Directions:

1. Take a walk on the beach to collect the items you want to include in the sensory bottle.
2. Wash the items (other than the sand) and lay them out on paper towels to dry. Be sure they are fully dry before adding them.
3. Pour sand into the bottle until it is 1/4 to 1/3 of the way full. You can use a funnel to make this easier.*
4. Drop in small seashells, small sand dollars, seaweed, and feathers. You could also add small driftwood or rocks found on your walk.

*If you are on vacation and don’t have a funnel with you (because who brings a funnel on vacation?!), you can roll up a piece of paper into a funnel and pour the sand through that.

You can keep your creation as a keepsake from your vacation. You can use a permanent marker to write the location and year on the bottle and display it in your home.

Sensory and Learning Opportunities:

Sensory: This sensory play activity begins with the walk along the beach. The feel of the sand under their feet, the wind on their skin, the sound of the waves, the smell of the sea all engage the senses.

The experience continues with adding the collected items to the bottle. This beach sensory bottle involves the visual and tactile sensory systems and during the walk, the olfactory and auditory systems. Science: This activity encourages children to explore the world as they get up close to the beach. You can expand on what they learn by providing books about sea life and seashells so that they can discover what animals lived in the shells at one time.

Children can use the books or the internet as a reference for reading about how sand is made, the benefits of eating seaweed, or any other questions they have about the beach or the ocean. Here are some books that would fit well:

The Beachcomber’s CompanionSeashells, Crabs and Sea StarsShells Handbook

Communication: Kids can expand their vocabulary as they learn about the ocean, sea life, and the beach on their walk. They can further that discussion when filling the bottle and exploring it afterwards. This gives them the opportunity to ask questions and to talk about their discoveries.

Other sensory play ideas using things found in nature:

Seashell Fossils in Playdough

Nature Sensory Bottle

Outdoor Sensory Scavenger Hunt

Nature Weaving

 

Celebrate Shark Week with this Shark Week Sensory Bottle. Kids are fascinated by sharks. They will enjoy the discovery using this sensory activity.

We have made several shark sensory play opportunities over the years including our shark sensory bag and edible shark slime.

What is Shark Week?

Shark Week has become so much more than TV shows on Discovery Channel. It originally began on July 17, 1988 and has grown increasingly in popularity since. It is designed to expand knowledge about sharks and therefore, lead to conservation efforts.

Shark Week is now celebrated through TV specials and activities. It has become so popular in fact that a hospital in Cincinnati began dressing its newborns in Baby Shark onesies in honour of Shark Week!

There are worksheets, crafts, themed camps, parties, recipes, and sensory activities. It seems that many countries have embraced the opportunity to learn about this animal. We decided to get in on this ourselves with this sensory bottle.

When is Shark Week?

Shark Week generally starts on a Sunday and takes place at the end of July or beginning of August. This year, it begins on July 28, 2019.

Shark Week Sensory Bottle:

Supplies:

• empty water bottle (I like the look of Voss bottles, but you can also purchase these empty sensory bottles)
• clear dish soap (I prefer Dawn or LemiShine because they are very thick)
• shark figurines (these ones are from Dollar Tree and are stretchy)
• green and yellow glitter
• yellow sequins
• green and teal small elastics (use those leftover rainbow loom ones!)
• optional: super glue to seal the bottle cap

Directions:

1. Pour clear dish soap into the container until it’s about 2/3 full.
2. Add beads, sequins, glitter, mini elastic bands, and shark figurines.
3. Fill the remaining space with water.
4. If you’re going to be using this sensory bottle with small children, I suggest that you secure the lid by using Super Glue and allowing it to dry before allowing a child to play with it.

Small parts are contained in this bottle, so even if you secure the lid with glue, use adult supervision at all times.

Sensory and Learning Opportunities:

This sensory bottle is a great way for kids to become interested in learning more about sharks. They can watch the sharks “swim” and observe the different characteristics that they have.

Set out books about sharks for kids to further their interest. This will enable them to learn and ask questions.

Super Shark Encyclopedia: And Other Creatures of the DeepThe Ultimate Book of Sharks (National Geographic Kids)How to Draw Incredible Sharks and Other Ocean Giants

This would correspond well with a shark or ocean themed unit in your classroom or homeschool.

Visual sensory input occurs while your child uses their eyes to explore what is in the bottle and the way that it moves. They also engage their tactile sensory system in holding the bottle, shaking it, and tipping it upside down.

Check out these other shark sensory activities!

Squishy Shark Sensory Bag

Taste Safe Shark Fluffy Slime

This bugs sensory bottle is almost too beautiful to play with! The colours are very inviting. Kids are generally fascinated with insects. This is a great vehicle for that.

Bugs Sensory Bottle:

Supplies needed:

• Voss style empty water bottle
• clear dish soap*
• small plastic bugs
• spider ring
• yellow and green glitter
• various types of yellow, white, and blue beads
• green mini rubber bands
• super glue
• magnifying glass

*any dish soap will do, but I like the thickness of Dawn

Instructions:

1. Pour clear dish soap into the bottle until it’s about 2/3 of the way full.
2. Add in the plastic bugs and the spider ring.
3. Sprinkle the beads in.
4. Next, drop the small rubber bands in. This is a great way to make use of all those leftover rainbow loom elastics that are floating around your house!
5. Pour the glitter into the bottle.
6. Fill any remaining space with water.
7. Super glue the lid in place and allow to dry before handing it over to your child to play with.
8. Set out a magnifying glass so that kids can explore all the different insects in the bottle.

This sensory bottle contains small parts. Even though the lid is glued in place, kids are determined little creatures and they may be able to find a way to get it open. As with all sensory activities, adult supervision is required at all times.

Learning and sensory benefits:

Unit study – This discovery bottle can be used in a bug/insect unit study. Students can jot down their observations of the different bugs such as number of legs, antennae, and other visual characteristics.

Sensory – This activity provides visual and proprioceptive sensory input. The use of the magnifying glass adds more of a visual element. The complimentary colours are pleasant to look at and will encourage kids to explore what they can find. Math – Your child can count how many of a certain coloured bead there are or how many bugs are in the bottle. They can also guess if there are more green beads or blue beads etc.

Science – You can set out books about bugs to encourage children to do their own research and learning.

Bugs GaloreThe Bug BookSome BugsThe Very Hungry CaterpillarThe Big Bug Book: A Pop-up CelebrationThe Ants Go Marching: A Count-and-Sing Book

Communication – Vocabulary and communication skills are encouraged by kids asking questions and talking about their observations. They can talk about how quickly the glitter falls, what they feel and see, what types of bugs are included, what colours they observe, and any other things they notice.

Check out these other sensory bottles:

ABC I Spy Sensory Bottle

At the Beach Sensory Bottle

There are lots of ways to make a glow in the dark sensory bottle, but you know me; I like to keep things simple. Instead of making this glow through a complicated scientific process, this involves using glow in the dark items so that the hard part is done for you. 

I don’t know about your kids, but mine have always loved anything glow in the dark. They like to take it into the one bathroom we have that doesn’t have a window and turn the lights off so that it’s as dark as possible. 

Glow in the Dark Sensory Bottle:

Supplies to make the sensory bottle:

• Voss style plastic water bottle* (see note)
• clear dish soap
• glow beads
• bright sequins
• glitter
• glow ceiling stars
• super glue

*I like to look of Voss water bottles, but sometimes Michael’s carries empty bottles that look similar but are just slightly smaller. The Michael’s ones are a bit easier for little hands to grip. The problem is that they are not always easy to find. 

VOSS Plastic Water BottlesGlow in the Dark Pony BeadsGlow in the Dark Stars

Instructions:

1. Pour dish soap into the empty bottle until it is 2/3 of the way full.
2. Add glow beads, glitter, sequins, and stars.
3. Fill the remaining space in the bottle with water. Super glue the lid in place, especially if young children will be using the bottle.
4. When your child is not playing with this sensory bottle, keep it in the light so that the “glow” items can recharge.

Parental supervision should be used for this or any other sensory play activity. Even if the lid is secure with glue, it is possible that your child could get it open and there are small objects inside that could be choking hazards.

Learning and Sensory Benefits:

This activity provides children the chance to improve their communication and vocabulary as they describe what they observe.

Kids can experience the change when taking the sensory bottle from the light into the dark. Older kids may want to research what it is that causes the glow in the dark items to glow and why they need to recharge. This sensory play activity offers visual sensory input as well as a bit of tactile (holding the bottle) and proprioceptive (carrying and flipping over the bottle) input.

You can also incorporate math concepts by having your child count the number of stars they see or the number of a certain colour of bead.

Join the thousands of others who have enjoyed the free 5 part email series Sensory Solutions and Activities (just pop your email into the box below) and get a printable list of 175 Great Sensory Ideas.

You might also enjoy these sensory bottles:

Spring Sensory Bottle 

Ocean Sensory Bottle (one of our all-time favourites!) Space Sensory Bottle 

This lightweight ABC I Spy sensory bottle provides all kinds of learning opportunities. The colours are engaging. This provides great sensory play for preschoolers.

ABC I Spy Sensory Bottle:

• plastic Voss water bottle
• tinsel*
• ABC beads
• water
• Super glue, optional

*You can often find tinsel at the Dollar Store or in the party decoration section of a department store. 

Directions:

1. Add tinsel to an empty plastic bottle with a wide mouth. There is no right or wrong amount of tinsel, but you do want to fill the bottle pretty well.
2. Add the alphabet beads into the bottle.
3. Fill the rest of the bottle with water. Using a funnel makes this part easier. 
4. Secure the lid and play! Note: If you are intending to use this sensory bottle with small children, seal the lid with super glue before screwing the lid back on. You will need to give the super glue 15 minutes to dry before giving it to a child.

Learning Objectives:

Sensory – describe how the bottle feels (light, heavy, etc). Describe visual observations. Shake this bottle – what sounds does it make, how does the tinsel swirl, etc.

Math/Science Skills – Count the beads, observe and describe how the tinsel interacts with light, make one of these bottles without using water and make a hypothesis in how you think they will differ and then compare/contrast. Literacy – Identify the letters, name words with the same beginning sounds as you spot letters, rhyme words to the colour of the bead that starts with the letter on the bead.

Social Skills – take turns sharing the bottle. Practice phrases like “my turn”, “your turn”, “go”, and “stop”.

Fine Motor – Let kids push the tinsel into the bottle and pinch up the beads to add them into the bottle.

Language Skills – have kids use descriptive language to explain what the tinsel looks like and what they are experiencing. Practice pragmatic language for rules on how to use the sensory bottle and how to share the sensory bottle (informing, demanding, stating, and requesting).

Check out these preschool sensory bottles:

Colour Mixing Sensory Bottle Rainbow Rainfall Sensory Bottle Space Sensory Bottle 

This bedtime calming sensory bottle is perfect for helping children fall asleep. Your child can watch the stars in the bottle be revealed from within the glitter and count them until falling asleep.

Having a comfort item such as this calming bottle can help kids who have anxiety about bedtime. Incorporating this into the nighttime routine can be good for both children and parents.

Making a Bedtime Calming Sensory Bottle:

Supplies needed:

• plastic Voss water bottle
• 5-10 foam stars (glitter gold)
• ¼ cup holographic glitter (royal blue)
• ¼ cup glitter (royal blue)
• 1 cup hand sanitizer
• 1 cup water
• funnel
• Superglue

Directions:

1. If using a Voss water bottle, empty the bottle of water and allow the bottle to fully dry.
2. Add hand sanitizer and water to the sensory bottle using the funnel.
3. Add the foam stars (these may have to be folded in half depending on size).
4. Add both glitters to the bottle using the funnel.
5. Seal with lid with Superglue and allow the glue to dry fully (at least 15 minutes).*

*Note: I normally only Superglue the lids on sensory bottles for small children, but since this one is going into bed with your child, you should secure the lid with glue. It would be quite a mess to clean up glitter and hand sanitizer from bedding! 

Bedtime Use:

Hand your child the calming bottle when they’re having trouble going to sleep and ask them to count the stars. They will have to allow the stars to reveal themselves from the glitter in order to count them. This will keep the child focused until they fall asleep.

Some kids also just find it helpful to have something to hold onto.

Be sure that the lid is securely in place before allowing your child to sleep with this sensory bottle and for younger kids who may choke on small objects (such as the stars), only use during the day when you can supervise.

Learning Opportunities:

Sensory – Describe the sounds the calming sensory bottle makes, the feel of the bottle (is it light, heavy, etc.), what you can see when you shake the bottle, how quickly the stars fall. This bottle provides visual, tactile, and proprioceptive feedback. 

Math Skills – Count the stars, count the different size stars, and sort the stars by size.

Science Skills – Watch how the glitter moves around, falling down, swirling around and moving with the shaking. Watch how the stars reveal themselves as the glitter shifts, kind of like the stars in the night sky are revealed as the sun goes down. 

Try making the same bottle with just water or just hand sanitizer instead of hand sanitizer and water and compare and contrast how the glitter falls in each of the bottles.

Fine Motor – Getting the stars into the sensory bottle can be a challenge for those little hands. This is great fine motor skill practise for them. It is also an opportunity to problem solve and discuss what happens if you fold the stars, push them in with your fingers or just try to get them to “fall” into the bottle.

Language Skills – have kids use descriptive language to explain what the stars and glitter look like, what sizes the stars are, and what they are experiencing. They can also practise their conversation skills by asking for their sensory bottle at bedtime and talking about how it makes them feel.

Check out these other calming techniques for kids:

Calm Down Breathing for Kids Calming Lavender Playdough The Best Things to Include in a Calm Down Kit