sensory bottles

Discovering how well coconut flakes work as snow inspired me to create an arctic sensory bottle with them. I hadn’t thought of using coconut before but when we found several bags in our pantry that had expired, I didn’t want them to completely go to waste. I saw that they might work as a sensory bin/bag/bottle filler and tried it in our Christmas I-Spy sensory bag. It really did look like snow!

To create this arctic sensory bottle, fill an empty bottle with the items below.

Materials needed:

• large empty water bottle (I used a Voss water bottle because I like the shape of them)
• bag of coconut flakes
• white feathers
• plastic snowflakes
• arctic toob

Some of the items from the arctic toob don’t fit into the mouth of the bottle (such as the igloo), so I set those ones aside to use in our arctic sensory bag. It can be easier to layer some coconut and then one or two of the items and then add some more of the coconut before adding other items.

Arctic Toob by SafariVOSS Water Plastic BottlesWhite Craft Feathers

Once all the items are in, add the lid back onto the bottle and your arctic sensory bottle is ready to use for play. If you have younger children, you may want to hot glue the lid in place so that they can’t open it. As with all sensory and exploration activities for kids, adult supervision is of course recommended.

This sensory bottle would be a great addition to a learning unit on the North.
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Snowflake Sensory Bottle

Space Sensory Bottle

We have been enjoying our sensory bottle creations and it is always fun to come up with new themes and ideas for them. I was inspired to make this sky sensory bottle after making our sky sensory bin and wanting to use the adorable parachute glider that was in the In the Sky toob I used to make that sensory bin.

After I made this sensory bottle, I was trying to take pictures of it inside where I normally take photos and my daughter Granola Girl insisted that Sky sensory bottles needed to be played with (and therefore photographed) outside! Granola Girl loves to be barefoot, loves to be outside and feel the grass between her toes. I never think to bring our sensory activities outdoors so it’s nice to have her to remind me to expand my way of thinking.

She was absolutely right about the sky sensory bottle belonging in the great outdoors! She practised her hand modelling skills while I took the pictures and then she ran off to explore with the sensory bottle, holding it up to the sky to see what it looked like with the sun shining through it. I’m so glad she has such a free spirit and reminds me of the beauty in simple things.

Sky Sensory Bottle:

Materials needed:

• empty water bottle (I used a Voss water bottle)
• 350 mL (12 oz.) bottle of blue hair gel
• In the Sky Toob

VOSS Water Plastic BottlesSafari Ltd In The Sky TOOB by Safari

Empty the water from the water bottle and then squirt some gel into the bottle and add an item from the In the Sky Toob. Continue to layer gel and items from the tube so that the items suspend in the blue “sky”.

Add the lid and your sky sensory bottle is ready to use for play. If you have younger children, you may want to hot glue the lid in place so that they can’t open it. As with all sensory and exploration activities for kids, adult supervision is recommended.

Join me for a 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.

Take Flight with a Sky Sensory Bin

This Fall Sensory Bottle is lovely for discovery of the season and can be used as a calm down bottle as well. Kids will love watching the falling leaves (no pun intended!) and shiny sequins.

Materials needed:

• large empty water bottle (I used a Voss water bottle because I like the look and size of them)
• plastic autumn leaves
• leaf shaped confetti
• sequins in autumn colours
• glitter

Place the plastic fall coloured leaves, leaf shaped confetti and glitter in an empty water bottle. Fill with water and replace the lid. If you’ll be using this fall sensory bottle with younger children, you may want to secure the lid with hot glue so that they won’t be able to open it.

The colours in this sensory bottle are lovely. When I added the water to mine, the plastic leaves’ colour bled just slightly making the water a hint of a fall orangey-red colour.

Join our free 5 part email series Sensory Solutions and Activities and get our Sensory System Behaviours Easy Reference Cards.

Spring Sensory Bottle

I like googly eyes. I blame my friend Christie. She thinks that everything is better with googly eyes and puts them on random things like plants all over her house. It’s funny and cute and it’s apparently rubbed off on me because now I buy googly eyes and use them for strange things like this monster sensory bottle.

Materials needed:

• water bottle (I used a small Voss bottle)
• green hand sanitizer
• different sizes and colours of googly eyes
• googly eye finger puppets

To make this monster sensory bottle, pour hand sanitizer to almost the very top of an empty water bottle. Next, add the googly eyes and the googly eye finger puppets. Note that you will have to straighten the finger puppets to get them through the small opening at the top of the water bottle. Once they are pushed through, they will go back to their proper shape.

If you want to make this sensory bottle even more fun for children to play with, give them some foam stickers to add to the outside of the bottle to personalize their “monster”.

I like the large googly eyes myself, but my kids seemed to prefer the eyes in different colours. This is a very simple and inexpensive sensory bottle to make. Kids can explore different sizes and colours while playing with this monster discovery bottle.

Join our free 5 part email series Sensory Solutions and Activities and get our Sensory System Behaviours Easy Reference Cards.
If you are looking for other monster ideas, you may also want to check out our Monster Sensory Bin or our Eyeball Sensory Bin.

I find inspiration for sensory activities at the strangest places. Looking through my cupboards, standing in line at the grocery store glancing at magazine covers, walking the aisles of the craft or dollar or hardware store, or even being outside can lead to an idea. They don’t always work out the way I envision they will, but this spring sensory bottle came together nicely.

Spring Sensory Bottle:

I love the fresh colours of spring. That and a package of cute buttons were the inspiration behind this discovery bottle.

Materials needed:

• water bottle (I used a small Voss bottle)
• 147 mL (5 oz.) bottle clear school glue
• pink glitter
• small ladybug, caterpillar, butterfly, and flower buttons
• small gel flowers
• butterfly Toob

To make this spring sensory bottle, pour the bottle of glue into an empty water bottle. Add warm water to almost the top of the bottle, put the lid on and shake well to mix. I added a bottle and a half of glue but it was a bit too much glue and the glitter stuck together, so I would recommend using only one bottle of glue.

Safari Ltd Butterflies TOOBVOSS Water Plastic BottlesElmer’s Clear Glue

Once the water and glue are well mixed, take the lid off and add the glitter. Drop the small buttons and flowers into the bottle. The butterflies from the butterfly Toob are a bit too big to fit but if you bend the wings in, they go in easily and then their wings will open when they are past the smaller opening of the bottle.

Twist the lid back on and give the bottle a shake. The items and glitter will fall slowly because of the glue in the bottle which makes it a good calm down bottle.

If you have little ones and are worried about the small parts being a choking hazard, you can secure the lid with a hot glue gun.

If you are looking for other sensory ideas, join me for a 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.

Ocean Sensory Bottle

Rainbow Rainfall Sensory Bottle