13 DIY Sensory Bottles for Toddlers: Easy, Fun, and Affordable

Hey there mama! 🌟If you’re like me, you’re always on the lookout for fun, easy, ( and cheap) activities to keep your little ones entertained and engaged.

Guess what I have just the idea for you…

DIY Sensory Bottles

A fellow mum introduced me to these little wonders, and let me tell you, they’re a hit. My toddler, Luca, loved them so much that he tried to snatch one from my friend’s daughter’s hands. Did I feel embarrassed? Nope—after a year of motherhood, I’m as cool as a cucumber on a sunny day.

But, as with most things toddler-related, my first attempt didn’t go as planned. Imagine this: glittering stars and tiny ocean creatures… or so I thought. The first two bottles were a flop—you couldn’t see anything!

Here’s what I learned and how you can avoid my rookie mistakes:

Why DIY Sensory Bottles?

Think of sensory bottles as snow globes but with way more possibilities. They’re clear containers filled with fun materials that look fascinating and make different sounds. Here’s why they’re a must-try:

If you are interested in other sensory activities check our post on 5+ Easy Sensory Craft Ideas for Toddlers.

How to Make a Sensory Bottle

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Making a sensory bottle is simple (hah, easier said than done sometimes). Here’s your basic recipe:

Sensory Bottle Themes and Sensory Bottle Ideas

Now for the fun part: creating themed sensory bottles! Here are some ideas to get you started.

1. Christmas Sensory Bottles 🎄🎅

Ho ho ho! Get into the festive spirit with Christmas-themed sensory bottles.

Materials:

• Base: Clear water or baby oil (Oil makes the contents move slower I used this cheap baby oil.)
• Items: Red and green glitter, small jingle bells, tiny ornaments, fake snow
• Tools: Hot glue gun or tape

Before we start here is the difference between water, oil and glycerin and glue:

–

Instructions:

1. Fill the bottle with water or baby oil. (I prefer baby oil)
2. Add glitter, jingle bells, ornaments, and fake snow.
3. Seal the bottle with hot glue.

Tip: If your toddler is old enough add a few drops of peppermint extract for a festive scent!

Here is my failed experiment. Left I used vegetable oil. It has a strong yellow tinge. On the right I used shower oil. It bubbled up and wasn’t see through anymore -.- Shame cause the snowman was so cute. (I did reuse the snowman see right picture).

You’ll find more Christmas Themed Sensory Bottles here.

2. Ocean Sensory Bottles

Dive into the deep blue with ocean-themed sensory bottles. This one is my fave and I’ve made a Youtube short for it:

Materials:

• Base: Baby oil with blue food coloring or blue-tinted baby oil.
• Sand
• Items: Small plastic sea creatures, shells, gold silver glitter
• Tools: Hot glue gun, tape

Instructions:

1. Fill the bottle with baby oil and add blue food coloring (it’ll color the sand a bit), or use blue-tinted baby oil.
2. Add plastic sea creatures, shells, and glitter.
3. Seal the bottle with hot glue.

Tip: Want to add some color and texture? Try these Layered Sensory Bottles.

3. Nature Sensory Bottles

Bring the outdoors inside with nature-themed sensory bottles.

Materials:

• Base: Clear water or baby oil.
• Items: Small rocks, leaves, pinecones, flower petals (best fake) .
• Tools: Hot glue gun, tape

Instructions:

1. Fill the bottle with water or light corn syrup or baby oil.
2. Add rocks, leaves, pinecones, and flower petals.
3. Seal the bottle with hot glue.

Tip: Collect items from a nature walk to make the bottle extra special. Here are our best nature sensory bottle ideas.

4. Seasonal Sensory Bottles

Celebrate the changing seasons with themed bottles for each time of year.

Spring Sensory Bottle:

• Base: Clear water with a few drops of yellow food coloring
• Items: Fake flowers, small plastic insects, green glitter
• Tools: Hot glue gun, tape

Summer Sensory Bottle:

• Base: Water with blue food coloring or blue baby oil
• Items: Small shells, sand, tiny beach toys
• Tools: Hot glue gun, tape

Autumn Sensory Bottle:

Winter Sensory Bottle:

• Base: Clear water with a few drops of blue food coloring
• Items: Fake snow, small snowflakes, white glitter
• Tools: Hot glue gun, tape

Tip: Change the contents and colors for each season to keep things fresh and exciting.

5. Galaxy Sensory Bottle

Create a mesmerizing galaxy in a bottle.

Materials:

• Base: Clear glue and water mix
• Items: Dark blue and purple glitter, small star confetti, black food coloring
• Tools: Hot glue gun, tape

Instructions:

1. Mix clear glue with water and add black food coloring.
2. Add dark blue and purple glitter, and star confetti.
3. Seal the bottle with hot glue.

Tip: Shake the bottle to watch the stars swirl in the galaxy.

6. Unicorn Sensory Bottle

Sparkle and magic with a unicorn-themed bottle.

Materials:

• Base: Baby oil with a few drops of pink food coloring
• Items: Pink and purple glitter, tiny unicorn figurines, star confetti
• Tools: Hot glue gun, tape

Instructions:

1. Fill the bottle with baby oil and add pink food coloring.
2. Add glitter, unicorn figurines, and star confetti.
3. Seal the bottle with hot glue.

Quirky Tip: Add a few drops of vanilla extract for a sweet scent. Create magic at home with these Fairy Tale Sensory Bottles.

7. DIY Glow-in-the-Dark Sensory Bottles for Toddlers

A bottle that lights up in the dark!

Materials:

• Base: Clear water or clear glue and water mix
• Items: Glow-in-the-dark stars, neon glitter, glow sticks (cracked open)
• Tools: Hot glue gun, tape

Instructions:

1. Fill the bottle with water or clear glue mix.
2. Add glow-in-the-dark stars, neon glitter, and glow sticks.
3. Seal the bottle with hot glue.

Tip: Charge the glow-in-the-dark items under a light before playtime. Here are 7 more ways to create glow in the dark bottles.

8. Rainbow Sensory Bottle 🌈

A bottle for rainy days.

Materials:

• Clear plastic bottle
• Water
• Rainbow-colored beads or buttons
• Glitter (optional)
• Food coloring (optional)

Instructions:

1. Fill the bottle halfway with water.
2. Add rainbow-colored beads or buttons.
3. Sprinkle in some glitter for extra sparkle.
4. Optionally, add a drop of food coloring to enhance the rainbow effect.
5. Seal the bottle tightly with hot glue to prevent leaks.

9. Your Alphabet Sensory Bottle 🔤

Want to add a bit of education? Create an alphabet sensory bottle.

Materials:

• Clear plastic bottle
• Water or clear corn syrup
• Plastic alphabet letters
• Glitter

Instructions:

1. Fill the bottle with water or clear corn syrup.
2. Add plastic alphabet letters.
3. Sprinkle in some glitter for visual interest.
4. Seal the bottle tightly with hot glue to prevent leaks.

10. Underwater Sensory Bottle: Ocean-Inspired Sensory Play

Bring the magic of the ocean into your home with this underwater sensory bottle—a simple, hands-on activity that toddlers will love! Watching the water and glitter swirl creates a calming effect, perfect for toddler sensory play or even as a quiet-time activity.

Materials Needed:

• Base: Clear water and baby oil
• Ocean Items: Small blue pom poms, seashells, plastic fish, and glitter and some underwater plants (You can get them at the aquarium section).
• Sealing Tools: Hot glue gun and tape to keep everything secure

Instructions:

1. Glue the underwater plants with a gluegun to the bottle ground.
2. Add a few small seashells, plastic fish, blue glitter, and any other ocean-themed items. Add the pom poms (they swim on the water).
3. Fill the bottle about ¾ full with water and the rest with baby oil
4. Seal the bottle cap securely with hot glue, and wrap it with tape if needed.

11. Dinosaur DIY Sensory Bottle 🦖

Which little boy doesn’t love dinosaurs? This themed sensory bottle is for your little guy.

Materials:

• Clear plastic bottle
• Sand
• Small plastic dinosaur figurines
• Rocks

Instructions:

1. Fill the bottle with sand.
2. Add small plastic dinosaur figurines and rocks.
3. Seal the bottle tightly with hot glue to prevent spills.

12. Weather Sensory Bottle ☀️🌧️

Your kid is a preschooler and you want your bottle to be a bit more educational? Try weather sensory bottles. Another great DIY Sensory bottle idea.

Materials:

• Clear plastic bottle
• Water
• Blue food coloring
• Cotton balls
• Small plastic raindrops or suns

Instructions:

1. Fill the bottle halfway with water and add blue food coloring.
2. Add cotton balls to represent clouds.
3. Include small plastic raindrops or suns.
4. Seal the bottle tightly with hot glue to prevent leaks.

13. Insect Sensory Bottle 🐞🦋

Luca loves to catch spiders to my horror. Better I give him a sensory bottle with fake creepy crawlies.

Materials:

• Clear plastic bottle
• Water
• Small plastic insects
• Green glitter

Instructions:

1. Fill the bottle with water.
2. Add small plastic insects and green glitter.
3. Seal the bottle tightly with hot glue to prevent leaks.

Looking for more sensory play fun? Try these Mess-Free Sensory Play Ideas or get started with fun Sensory Bin Ideas.

• Safety First: Make sure the lid is sealed tightly, and keep small items away from curious mouths.
• Test Your Base Material: Water, oil, and glue each create different effects. Experiment to see what works best for your theme.
• Avoid Cloudy Bases: Skip vegetable oil (too yellow) and shower oil (bubbles galore). Baby oil is your best friend!