Video Tutorial
Why Make a Sensory Bottle?
If your child has sensory processing disorder,
ADHD, autism, gets overly-excited, or just enjoys visual sensory input,
you might really enjoy making a sensory bottle!
- They are fun!
- They help with self-regulation of emotions.
- They can be used to help calm down.
- They are perfect for sensory integration.
Who might benefit from a Sensory Bottle?
Let’s face it…they’re fun for most anyone to play with….but they may be especially helpful for:
- Autistic children and adults.
- People with sensory processing disorder.
- People who need help regulating emotions.
- People who need a way to “calm down”.
- People with ADHD, trouble focusing, and trouble regulating their behavior.
Where can you use a Sensory Bottle?
Anywhere, really…but some common places:
- At home
- At school
- In the car
- In a cozy corner
- In a therapy clinic
What do you need to make a Sensory Bottle?
- A bottle with a lid. We used this bottle from Michaels.
- Separating Liquid: Clear Glue, Baby Oil, Hair Gel, or Vegetable Oil: we experimented with each of these and found clear glue leads to a more “bubbly” effect, baby oil is clear but separates, vegetable oil separates and shows a yellow color. We enjoyed the vegetable oil the most for our experiment, but any of these might be preferable depending on your personal preference.
- Warm Water
- A Funnel
- Glitter
- Food coloring (optional)
- Gems, pom moms, water beads, other trinkets
- Gloves and Superglue (for sealing the bottle)
How do you make a Sensory Bottle?
1. Fill the bottle with 3 oz of separating liquid of your choice.
2. Fill the bottle with 3 oz of warm water.
3. Add desired glitter, gems, trinkets, and/or a few drops of food coloring (optional).
4. Replace the lid and shake the bottle.
5. Increase amounts of water and/or separating liquid until reaching the desired consistency and the bottle is full.
6. Put on gloves, place seal of super glue around the edge of the bottle, and replace the lid.
Click Here to Print the Recipe.
Enjoy!
What Else do I Need to Know?
You can individualize these! Each of my kiddos picked something different:
- Lucas loves flags, so we used red, white, and blue stars/glitter
- Emma loves unicorns, so we had pink sparkles, glitter, and pink/purple gems
- Ava used her own recipe of “water”, “oil”, and “cool stuff”
- Jacob just used oil and water….didn’t measure…and did his own thing!
*We noted that the bottles made with the clear glue settled later in the day. We had already super-glued these and likely could have added a little more water if we’d waited a few hours.
Even just oil and water can be mesmerizing!
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