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Sensory Bottles

Make interesting bottles for your child to shake and examine -- add different fluids for different effects.

Sensory Bottles

Activity for an individual child

Age group: 18-40 months

Duration of activity: 20 minutes

Materials:

  • 1 or more 20-ounce soda bottles
  • Water
  • Liquid dish detergent, or Cooking oil and food coloring, or
  • Light corn syrup or clear shampoo or hair gel and small decorative items (such as sequins, buttons, or foil shapes)

Sensory bottles tend to have a very calming effect on young children. They love to shake them and roll them and watch the contents swirl around.

  1. Choose whether you would like to make a bubble bottle, wave bottle, or slow-motion bottle.
  2. For a bubble bottle, fill the bottle 3/4 of the way with water. Add 2 tablespoons dish soap.
  3. For a wave bottle, fill the bottle 3/4 of the way with water. Add 2 tablespoons cooking oil and a few drops of food coloring.
  4. For a slow-motion bottle, Fill the bottle with corn syrup, shampoo, or hair gel. Add the small decorative items of your choice.
  5. Be sure to seal the bottles so that they do not leak and your child does not have access to small parts that he can choke on.

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