Are you looking for easy Christmas activities you can do with your baby or toddler? Christmas themed sensory or calm down bottles are the perfect way to engage your little one’s senses!
Watching the swirling of a sensory bottle is hypnotic and can help your baby or toddler calm down. Make one early this December and use it throughout the month!
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What is a Sensory Bottle?
A sensory bottle, also called a calm bottle or a discovery bottle, is a sealed bottle filled with interesting things to stimulate and engage your child’s senses. Common sensory bottle ‘fillers’ include water and glitter, or rice and beads.
Sensory bottles that include liquids produce a hypnotic ‘snow globe’ effect when shaken or rolled. While bottles that use only solids are great noise makers!
Is My Little One Old Enough / Young Enough to Enjoy Sensory Bottles?
Yes – even newborns can enjoy looking at sensory bottles! For young babies, you can use sensory bottles as part of your tummy time routine to keep baby entertained and engaged on their belly. Older babies might like to shake and explore bottles that rattle and swirl!
For older children, sensory bottles that include scientific elements (like exploring density – oil and water!) or I-Spy bottles are loads of fun!
How To Make a Sensory Bottle
A basic sensory bottle requires:
- a clear bottle – Voss water bottles (or these empty ones from Amazon) are ideal as they have a wide mouth so are easier to add sensory elements and larger objects.
- sensory elements – for example, glitter, confetti, pompoms, beads, etc.
- a medium (optional) – for example, water, rice, glitter glue etc.
Fill your bottle with your chosen elements, add water or rice if you’re using it then close the lid. You can make your sensory bottle extra secure with some sticky tape in case of little fingers trying to open the lid!
How to Make Christmas Sensory Bottles
Here are some excellent examples of Christmas sensory bottles you can easily make with your little ones:
Magnetic Sensory Bottles from No Time for Flash Cards. This is a fun one that includes magnets – perfect for older children learning about magnets!
Christmas Ornaments Sensory bottle from The Chaos and the Clutter. A simple sensory bottle that is super festive.
Here’s an easy trio to make from Little Lifelong Learners: glitter, tinsel and bell, and rainbow rice sensory bottles.
And another set of four glittery Christmas bottles from Views from a Step Stool.
An oil and water mix Christmas Sensory Bottle at The Teaching Mama plus another version you might like. These look great and are perfect for younger ones, and for older ones learning about densities.
This Christmas Glitter sensory bottle from Little Bins for Little Hands uses diluted glue for an interesting effect.
Jingle Bell sensory bottle from Parenting Chaos. A fun, noise maker for babies and toddlers! And another in a similar vein from Preschool Inspirations.
And some more Holiday Themed sound tubes from No Time for Flash Cards.
Snow Globe Sensory Bottle from the Best Ideas for Kids.
Christmas Tree Sensory Bottle from Stir the Wonder.
Christmas Sensory Bottle from Laughing Kids Learn and another from Blessed Beyond a Doubt.
Christmas Tree in a Bottle and the Polar Express Discovery Bottle from Sunny Day Family.
This Grinch Calm Down Bottle from Big Family Blessings is sure to cheer up a surly toddler.
Oil and water science experiment Christmas bottle from Little Bins for Little Hands.
Here’s an interesting Christmas shape discovery bottle from OT Tool Box.
Just like a snow globe! This Shake Up Christmas Tree Discovery bottle from One Time Through is awesome!
Fun Christmas themed I-Spy Bottles for pre-schoolers that’ll keep them entertained for ages:
- The Chaos and the Clutter with Epsom Salt – the salt looks just like snow!
- From Little Bins For Little Hands with colored rice – aren’t those colors super festive!
- From Simple Play Ideas with white rice – another snow version!
Winter Themed Sensory Bottles
And here are some wonderful winter sensory bottles that are definitely in keeping with the season!
Melted Snowman Sensory Bottle, Arctic Sensory Bottle and Snowflake Sensory Bottle from The Chaos and the Clutter.
Frozen Inspired Blizzard Sensory bottle from Rhythms of Play.
Snowmen in a Snowstorm sensory bottle from Modern Preschool.
Penguin Sensory Bottle from Teaching Mama.
Blizzard in a Bottle from No Time for Flash Cards.
Snowflake Sensory Bottle from Mommy Evolution.
