Inside: A super magical, glowing sensory bottle that toddlers, preschoolers and even bigger kids will adore.
You know we are HUGE fans of sensory play. My girls both adore playing with both sensory bins and sensory bottles, and have since they were toddlers.
We have made so many different types of sensory bottles over the years – including our super popular, slow motion calm down bottle, our soothing sounding rainstick sensory bottle and our…wait for it… scented sensory bottle that actually smells! They are all such fun bottles to explore, really pushing the boundaries of sensory bottle science to expand upon the discovery opportunities for young children.
Today we are sharing yet another awesome new sensory bottle that again pushes the boundaries. And this one could just possibly be my most favourite yet! I mean, what’s not to love about a sensory bottle that glows!
The best part of all – you need just two simple, easy to find sensory materials to make this glowing sensory bottle work – water beads and glow sticks!
Like all sensory play, sensory bottles offer such a wonderful way to promote a sense of wonder and inquiry as children use their senses to explore and discover.
And this in particular is a great visual bottle to explore – not only just the completed bottle but the process of making it too. Have your child observe and describe what happens to the water beads as they expand inside the bottle. Once the beads are fully expanded, invite your child to count how many different colors can be seen.
And, once you go dark, ask your child to describe how the light interacts with the water beads. And to compare and describe what happens to this bottle in the light versus the dark.
You can also ask your child to describe the feel of the bottle (heavy, light, etc). The bottle is quite heavy so have your child shake it or carry it around to sneak some heavy work in.
How to Make a Super Magical Glowing Sensory Bottle
You will need:
- Plastic Voss Water Bottle
- 2-3 tbsp Water Beads
- 15-20 Glow Sticks
- Water
- Super Glue (optional)
Directions:
1. Fill the plastic bottle 3/4 full with water.
2. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water beads.
3. Fully snap glow sticks so they are glowing and add them to the bottle.
4. Add the lid (but don’t glue into place just yet) and allow the water beads to expand.
5. If you would like to super glue the lid on the bottle, wait until the beads are fully expanded. Then open the bottle above a garbage bin just in case a few beads bounce out. Apply glue and screw the lid back on. The benefit of not gluing on the lid is the ability to replace the glow sticks over time.
Or, as an alternative, wrapping a good length of wide, clear packaging tape can help to keep the lid secure and safe from curious little fingers.
Once your glowing sensory bottle is ready to go, you can have fun exploring it together both in the light…
…and the dark!
For even more sensory play fun, check out our collection of 31 Days of Sensory Play.
Christie Burnett is a teacher, presenter, writer and the mother of two. She created Childhood 101 as a place for teachers and parents to access engaging, high quality learning ideas.
