How to make sensory bottles for babies and toddlers

Even really small babies like to watch you shake sensory bottles, and older babies and toddlers enjoy playing with them too. They are really easy to make, most materials are readily found around the home, and they will last for ages. All you need are some clean plastic bottles and some imagination. Just fill the bottles with interesting things and seal them tightly. 

For my sensory bottles I used lentils, quinoa, dried mung beans, coloured water, water with washing up liquid and coloured water with sequins and glitter. 

I used plastic bottles I had collected from free samples of fabric conditioner, and I sealed them with electrical tape. You could make smaller bottles with hotel sized toiletry bottles or use larger drinks bottles. You could either make a matching set, or use a selection of different sized bottles for variety.

Some other things that you could put into sensory bottles:

Rice, try dying some with food colouring

Sand

Olive oil

Sequins

Tiny toys, such as those from from Christmas crackers or small Lego pieces

Coloured beads

Coloured shredded paper

Tinsel

Ribbon

Pieces of fabric

Confetti, or pieces of coloured paper
Tiny pictures, or letters and numbers cut from magazines
Dried pasta

There are also many resources on-line with further ideas. Child Care Lounge has an excellent list of suggestions, including more educational bottles which would appeal to older toddlers, for example magnet and counting bottles. 

Make sure to seal the lids of the bottles very well with tape or a glue gun, and only allow babies and toddlers to play with them under supervision. Check them periodically to make sure that they are still safe for your child.