Make easy DIY sensory bottles with household items and basic craft supplies like glitter and plastic beads.
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Sensory bottles are a fun craft that doubles as a calming activity later. They can be handy during a quiet time, giving your child something to focus on. According to the Cleveland Clinic, there are many benefits to sensory play.
You can make a sensory bottle with a lot of different ingredients. Choose a theme – like our ocean in a jar – or fill them with a mix of sizes and shapes for a visual variety.
Sensory bottle ideas
- Ocean: blue food dye + tiny fish
- Space: purple food dye + lots of glitter and stars
- Dino: yellow dye + plastic dinosaurs, shells, or pebbles
- LEGO: skip the food dye + add a mix of brick sizes and colors
- Toys: anything waterproof can go in a sensory bottle, like Mini Brands or similar collectibles
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How to make sensory bottles
We used a 16.9-ounce bottle, but you can use any size.
Supplies
Instructions
1. Add water and mix-ins.
Start with a clean, empty plastic bottle. If it originally had a label, remove it and use rubbing alcohol on the adhesive if necessary.
Fill the bottle 3/4 full with water. Then add the glitter, beads, or whatever mix-ins you are using.
2. Add food dye.
Choose a color and add a few drops of food dye to the bottle. Put the lid on and shake it gently to mix the dye.
3. Add the corn syrup.
Fill the rest of the bottle with corn syrup. Make sure you fill it to the top to prevent air bubbles.
4. Glue the lid.
Use super glue or another permanent adhesive to attach the lid. This will keep kids from accidentally opening the bottle, but they should still be supervised.
Shake up the bottle and watch the filling and bubbles swirl! Sensory bottles will last years if you are careful with them. Once you’ve made one, you can make more. Experiment with different ingredients and see what you can create with your child!
Printable instructions
DIY Sensory Bottle
Materials
- clear plastic bottle
- water
- corn syrup
- glitter
- plastic beads
- food dye
- super glue
Instructions
- Add water and mix-ins.
Start with a clean, empty plastic bottle. If it originally had a label, remove it and use rubbing alcohol on the adhesive if necessary. Fill the bottle 3/4 full with water. Then add the glitter, beads, or whatever mix-ins you are using. - Add food dye.
Choose a color and add a few drops of food dye to the bottle. Put the lid on and shake it gently to mix the dye. - Add the corn syrup.
Fill the rest of the bottle with corn syrup. Make sure you fill it to the top to prevent air bubbles. - Glue the lid.
Use super glue or another permanent adhesive to attach the lid. This will keep kids from accidentally opening the bottle, but they should still be supervised.
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