Easiest DIY Sensory Bottles for Toddlers and Preschoolers

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Looking for an easy way to make mess-free sensory play that toddlers will still love? Try one of these fun sensory bottles that you can easily make yourself for any young child. And they can even help you put them together. 

Why Sensory Bottles?

Any kind of sensory play is a great way to engage child in developmentally beneficial play while also building fine motor skills. Sensory processing helps children learn about the world around them and encourages their creativity. 

Sensory play for toddlers can be intimidating because of the possible mess and clean-up involved. But simple sensory bottles are a great way to have some mess free sensory play for little hands! And you can get everything you need at the dollar store. 

Sensory bottles can also be a safe way to introduce sensory play for young children that still out things in their mouths. This is also a great tool to bring on the go like in the car when your child needs entertainment without a big mess. 

Easy Step-By-Step Instructions

Part of the fun is putting the different ingredients in the bottle, so let your child make their own sensory bottle with you. And this part provides even more sensory input! 

1. Find a Clear Plastic Bottle

Save those plastic bottles you have at home! You can use any empty water bottle for this easy craft, or you can even use a plastic jar like an old peanut butter jar. Once you’re done drinking out of them, wash them out and remove any labels.

The best water bottle we’ve found for this is the plastic Voss water bottles. Young children love the shape, and the plastic is thick enough not to bend at all. 

Additionally, we always suggest plastic because these will get dropped on the floor, and glass can easily break. And you want to be sure it’s a clear bottle, so the inside is easy to see. 

2. Fill with Small Items

Then, have your child drop the different items into the bottom of the bottle. This can be anything that fits into the bottle, but think about things that are different colors, shapes, textures, and weight to enhance the sensory experience. 

Here’s some of our favorites that are easy to find:

• Marbles
• Pipe cleaners, cut into pieces
• Pom poms
• Googly eyes
• Glitter
• Mini erasers
• Jingle bells
• Buttons
• Sequins
• Beads

3. Add a Filler Such as Water, Sand or Rice

Next, grab a funnel and fill the rest of your sensory bottle with your filler of choice. Leave a little space at the top if you’re using rice or sand, so there’s room to shake and move the objects inside. 

You can even add a few drops of food coloring to make the water colorful! Another option is to get colored sand or dye your rice (follow our easy recipe here). 

4. Optional: Add a Fun Contrast

If you are using water, you can add other liquid ingredients that don’t mix with water! Grab some vegetable oil or even baby oil and fill the rest of the bottle. Another fun option is to make your water thicker by adding corn syrup, or for some color add glitter glue! 

5. Glue the Cap On

Lastly, make sure you glue the cap onto your sensory bottle to avoid any spills. Use a stronger glue such as super glue or a hot glue gun on the inside of the cap. 

Tips for a Great Sensory Bottle

These easy DIY sensory bottles are meant to be a simple way for young children to have a lot of fun, so don’t stress too much. So choose a sensory bottle idea that you think will be simple but engaging for your child. 

Try a Themed Sensory Bottle Bottle

Children of all ages love to play with sensory toys that have a theme, especially if the theme is something they love. My son loves identifying letters at the moment, so we added lots of alphabet beads and different objects with letters on them. You could also do a favorite color, animal, holiday, or activity theme. 

Sensory Bottles for Kids of All Ages

If you’re interested in making a homemade sensory bottle for older kids, try discovery bottles! This is like a sensory bottle accept you fill the bottle with rice and drop in small toys or objects as you go to get mixed in. Make sure to leave some space at the top, so your child can shake, turn, and move the bottle around to find all the objects.

Use What You Have

To make a fun and still affordable sensory bottle, you can use what you have at home! You don’t need anything special, just grab a few small objects you can around the house with a bottle or jar you already have at home. 

Different Ways for Sensory Play

An easy sensory bottle is a great idea for introducing sensory play! But your toddler will soon be ready to move up to more involved sensory play, like a sensory bin. Check out our complete guide to starting sensory bins with small children (even infants!). 

While sensory bottles are awesome and so much fun, sensory bins introduce messy play and open-ended play. Both of these types of play are amazing for your child’s development and help your child meet their fine motor goals. 

Start with a Simple Sensory Activity

If you are ready to try a simple sensory activity with your child, check out our favorite one for toddlers and preschoolers here.  Or read even more fine motor activities for babies if your child is still pretty young.

Try Play Dough

If you’re not ready for the commitment of a sensory bin, try play dough with your toddler or young child! Play dough can be less of a mess, but still a great sensory experience. We even have a recipe for homemade, non-toxic play dough for little ones that may put it in their mouths.