Sea Life Sensory Bottles are the perfect activity for sensory-seeking kids of all ages. Get ready to dive deep into an ocean of creativity and imagination as we explore the calming effect of these sensory bottles DIY projects!
It seems that you can go into almost any store these days and see a wide variety of Sensory gadgets.
I think this is fabulous because one of my children is a sensory seeker. As someone with ADHD, he is always needing something in his hands to fidget with.
When the fidget spinner graze began, we were thrilled because he now had an excuse to have something to fidget with in his hands whenever he felt like he needed it. We still have some fidget spinners around the house, but we have also tried some different sensory items, such as fidget cubes and sensory bins.
The smaller fidget gadgets get lost easily, and it is not feasible to take a sensory bin on a road trip or vacation, so I had to get creative. So as we were preparing to head out on our annual road trip, I wanted to find something for him that would not get lost or that he would lose interest in too quickly.
That’s where the inspiration for a sea life sensory Bottle DIY project (also called a calm down jar) came from! We’re going to the lake (not the ocean), but the sea life theme is so much fun – and so colorful!
One of the best parts of making these is that they are very economical to make, and your sensory seekers can pitch in and help to make them exactly the way they want.
Children can identify colors, shapes, sea life animals, and more. And they’ll be mesmerized for SO long!
If you want more ideas for fun sensory play, try my:
- DIY Rainbow Spaghetti
- Green Grass Sensory Activity for Indoor Play
- Under The Sea Sensory Bin
Supplies Needed For Sea Life Sensory Bottles Recipe
Here are all the supplies you’ll need to make simple Sensory Bottles for an easy DIY calming tool for kids with all types of sensory needs.
- Sensory Bottle – a special empty water bottle is the best bottle for this project, but you can use alternative clear plastic bottles.
- Bottle of Clear Glue – I prefer Elmer’s glue
- Plastic Sea Life Beads – various turtles, fish, plants, and other similar small objects
- Bright Beads
- Various Sea Life Figures – crabs, seahorse, jellyfish, etc.
- Water – warm water
How to Make Sea Life Sensory Bottles
Here’s the process for making your own DIY sensory bottles. Simply follow these step-by-step instructions to make a super simple calm down bottle.
Step 1
Begin by pouring the entire contents of the bottle of glue into the sensory bottle.
Step 2
Add the beads and sea life figures.
Step 3
Finally, fill the bottle with water. Be sure to leave a small space at the top. Do not overfill. Close, shake, and enjoy!
Sea Life Sensory Bottles Recipe Notes And Tips
- If you find that there are too many bubbles on the top of the bottle, just skim them off with a spoon and discard.
- After you add all of your ingredients and treasures to the sensory bottles, I recommend sealing the cap with a couple of drops of super glue. This will keep the more adventurous kids from opening the bottle and creating an unwanted mess.
- Using a funnel is helpful to get items such as glitter, beads, or other small items into the bottle without spilling any of your ingredients.
- It is not necessary to add the liquid to the bottles if you don’t want to. This will allow you to add in other items like different pasta, shredded paper, or beans yet still get the same sensory effect.
Variations Of Sea Life Sensory Bottles To Try
- Use clear glitter glue for a little added sparkle to your bottles.
- Drop in your desired amount of food coloring to make the perfect color for your sensory bottles. Make each bottle a different color. 🙂
- Change up the contents of your bottles by adding in extra glitter, colored gems, plastic fruits, tiny animals, buttons, whatever you think your kids would love to see.
- Here are a few other items you may not have thought of but would be fantastic in your sensory bottles: sequins, rice, pasta, confetti, googly eyes, water beads, sand, beans, shredded paper or colored aquarium gravel.
FAQs
Technically, yes, you can. I have not tried it previously because I prefer clear Elmer’s glue for that clear appearance. I can not personally speak to the appearance of the sensory bottle’s contents if you use white glue, but I would imagine it would look “cloudy.”
That is totally up to you and what works best for you and your children. You can specifically find sensory bottles online in a 6-pack. You could reuse a water bottle as well if you like. I would just suggest that you stay away from any glass bottles. Glass would not be a safe choice for kids to play with.
I have not tried anything other than glue, but I have heard that you can use baby oil or cooking oil. Just fill the bottle one-third full of water and with the remainder of the bottle with baby or cooking oil.
More Fun DIY Activities To Try
- How To Make A DIY Mushroom Fairy House
- How To Make A DIY Nature Mandala Craft
- Outdoor DIY Puffy Paint
- Easy DIY Nutella Edible Playdough
- How To Melt Crayons Into New Shapes
Sea Life Sensory Bottles DIY
Sea Life Sensory Bottles are the perfect activity for sensory-seeking children of all ages. Get ready to dive deep into an ocean of creativity and imagination as we explore the wonders of these extraordinary sensory bottles!
Ingredients
- sensory bottle
- bottle of clear glue
- plastic sea life beads
- bright beads
- various Sea Life Beads/Figures
- water
Instructions
- Pour the bottle of glue into the sensory bottle.
- Add the beads to the bottle.
- Fill the remainder of the bottle with water, leaving a small amount of space. Do not overfill.
- Close the bottle and shake well.
The post Easy Calming Sea Life Sensory Bottles DIY For Kids appeared first on Made In A Pinch.
