DIY Water and Oil Sensory Bottle for Babies and Toddlers

What are Sensory Bottles?

Sensory bottles are bottles that have different things in them to stimulate a baby’s senses. They can be filled with things like water, glitter, beads, or small toys. Most are clear or see-through so you can see what’s inside. They are often used to help calm and entertain babies. They can be used at home, in a daycare, or in a classroom, among other places.

Sensory bottles can help babies in a number of ways, such as:

• Visual stimulation: The bright colors and moving parts inside sensory bottles can catch and keep a baby’s attention.
• Fine motor skill development: When babies reach for, shake, and explore the bottles, they are strengthening the muscles in their hands and fingers.
• Sensory exploration: Sensory bottles let babies explore and experiment with different textures, sounds, and temperatures, which helps them develop their senses of touch, hearing, and temperature recognition.
• Calming effect: Babies can also be calmed by sensory bottles, which provide a soothing distraction when they are fussy or upset.
• Encourage curiosity and exploration: Sensory bottles can make babies more curious and encourage them to explore, which can help their brains grow.

Sensory bottles are a great way for kids to use their senses to explore and learn, just like all other kinds of sensory play. They can also help kids improve their fine motor skills and language and social skills if they help make the bottles or share them with other kids or adults. But I love sensory bottles most as a way to calm down. A sensory bottle can help a child who is having a hard time calming down by giving them something to focus on or do.

I made two variety of sensory bottles for my 6 months old. Both I made keeping Valentine theme in mind. I got this double sided sensory bottle from dollar tree store. It’s a great way to keep the baby from getting bored. I’ll explain the process to make both the sensory bottles as both are super fun.

Bottle 1: Water and Oil Sensory Bottle

To make this sensory bottle you will need :

• a bottle made of plastic with a lid that fits well (such as a water bottle)
• food coloring made with baby oil or oil from plants (optional)
• little things to put in the bottle (such as glitter, beads, sequince or small toys)

How to Make Water and Oil Sensory Bottle for Babies:

• First Clean the bottle and let it dry.
• Fill the bottle with 1/2 water and 1/2 baby oil or vegetable oil.
• Add a few drops of food coloring to the oil if you want to.
• Add small shiny things like glitter, beads, or small toys to the bottle.
• Put the lid on carefully and make sure it doesn’t leak.
• Gently shake the bottle to mix up the contents
• Put the sensory bottle in front of your baby so that he or she can play with it and look at it.

When babies and young children use homemade sensory bottles, it’s important to always keep an eye on them.

Bottle 2: Water Sensory Bottle

To make this sensory bottle you will need :

• a bottle made of plastic with a lid that fits well (such as a water bottle)
• water
• little things to put in the bottle (such as glitter, beads, sequince or small toys)

How to Make Water Sensory Bottle for Babies:

• First Clean the bottle and let it dry.
• Fill the bottle with 3/4th water 
• Add small shiny things like glitter, beads, or small toys to the bottle.
• Put the lid on carefully and make sure it doesn’t leak.
• Gently shake the bottle to mix up the contents
• Put the sensory bottle in front of your baby so that he or she can play with it and look at it.