If your child has sensory issues, ADHD, or difficulty calming down, a sensory bottle may help. In fact, sensory bottles are proven to be helpful for everyone – children and adults included.

If your child has ever made or played with a sensory bottle, you might have been surprised with how captivated they were by something that doesn’t outwardly seem particularly stimulating. This is because of the sensory component of this type of play – most children find it difficult to explain or express to others when their sensory needs are not being met, so when they find something that fills this void, they feel compelled to stay focused on it.

Basically, sensory play is a child’s way of discovering, exploring and making sense of the world. Sensory bottles are particularly calming to children (and even adults!) who suffer from varying degrees of anxiety – the slow moving objects inside the bottle encourage mindfulness and focus, and captivate the mind enough to allow any other worries to fall by the wayside for the time being.

If your child is overwhelmed by sensory input, a sensory bottle may help. It’s a tool that can help kids self-regulate. You may also hear it referred to as a sensory tube.
The great thing about a sensory bottle is that it’s a peaceful object your child can focus on, play with and be distracted by – and there are all different kinds of sensory bottles to capture their attention.

Even the act of making the sensory bottles can help your child develop their fine motor and sensory skills, by picking up and selecting small objects to be placed inside. A sensory bottle can be any type of sealable container filled with a base like water, glitter or glue with different type of objects inside to keep your child engaged, but we’ve chosen our favourite glitter sensory bottle tor you to make at home.

What You’ll Need

• Warm water
• A clean, empty water bottle, jar or any sort of cylindrical container
• Super glue or a hot glue gun
• Glitter
• Food colouring
• Corn syrup or baby oil
• A funnel

What To Do

1. Squeeze corn syrup into the empty container – use enough to fill one third of the bottle with syrup
2. Add a few drops of food colouring of your choice. If your child likes the ocean – blue could be a good choice, and you could add confetti shaped like sea creatures!
3. Sprinkle in glitter
4. Seal the lid with super glue/hot glue gun
5. Shake to mix the ingredients
6. Start your sensory play!

This type of sparkly sensory bottle is easy to make and is sure to delight any child. It provides some visual calm and comfort for your child when they shake it or turn it around in their hands. Plus, it can be tailored to your child’s interests to make it more appealing! If you’re looking for more ways to help your child develop their sensory and fine motor skills, why not try our recipe for playdough, or our make at home finger paint? Or maybe music is more up their alley?

At Cubby Care, we have the kindest kind of carers, who understand that every child has different needs. No matter how your child develops or plays, you can always be assured that they’re in the kindest kind of kindy. Contact us to find out how your child can start their early education journey with Cubby Care today!