What would the holidays be without the classic story The Grinch?! Bring a bit of that story alive with The Grinch Sensory Bottle. This can also be a wonderful calm down tool.
As the hearts and glitter slowly make their way through the liquid, children will find their breathing slows as they focus on the slow movement. Having at-the-ready calm down tools is especially important for this time of year as some children can find the holidays quite stressful.
The Grinch Sensory Bottle:
Supplies needed:
- 1 empty plastic water or sensory bottle (approximately 16 oz. size)
- 10 oz. Elmer’s clear School Glue in clear
- About 1 cup warm water
- 1 Tbsp. lime green glitter
- red heart buttons
- green aquarium rocks
- optional: hot glue
Directions:
- Empty the glue into the bottle. I like the look of Voss water bottles, but sometimes Michael’s sells sensory bottles that look similar.
- Pour warm water into the bottle with the glue about 3/4 of the way full and screw on the lid. Shake to combine.
- Adding glitter. Replace the lid and shake again.
- Drop in the aquarium rocks and buttons. If necessary, add a bit more water.
- Seal the jar and shake well. If the glitter or confetti does not move easily, add more warm water. If the glitter or confetti moves too quickly, add additional glue.
- Replace the lid. If you’re going to be using this bottle with younger children, you can secure the lid with hot glue.
- If you want to, you can cover the lid with decorative duct tape or washi tape.
As with all sensory activities, adult supervision should be used. Over time, even a lid secured with hot glue can become unsecured.
Sensory and Learning Opportunities:
This activity engages the visual, tactile, and proprioceptive sensory systems.
Because of the glue, the glitter falls slowly in the bottle. This is what creates a calm down bottle and can have a soothing effect on kids (or adults) as they watch the glitter and other items in the bottle slowly move through the liquid.
Read How The Grinch Stole Christmas to your child while they hold and play with their Grinch Sensory Bottle. This will help reinforce what they are hearing and help them maintain focus on the story.
You’ll also enjoy these sensory bottles:
