Fall Sensory Bottles for Exploring Nature

Get out and explore nature this fall and create fall sensory bottles out of your nature finds! We gathered items from our own yard {and used a few from a nature hike} to create these three simple fall discovery or sensory bottles. Make one or make a few depending on what you find! Fall sensory bottles are terrific for young scientists and also encourage fine motor skills!

FALL SENSORY BOTTLES FOR NATURE DISCOVERY

PRESCHOOL SENSORY BOTTLES

Sensory bottles are a perfect activity if you have multiple ages participating! The youngest kids will have fun simply filling the bottles. This is a wonderful opportunity to practice fine motor skills.

Older kids can draw bottles in a journal, write about them, and study them to record their observations!

ALSO CHECK OUT: Glitter Jars For Fall and Halloween Glitter Jars

Looking for easy to print activities, and inexpensive problem-based challenges?

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Click below to get your quick and easy STEM challenges.

SUPPLIES FOR SENSORY BOTTLES

Water Bottles {We like VOSS brand but any kind will do. We have reused these dozens of times!}
Water
Funnel {optional}
Natural Items

Choose items that represent the season where you live! Fall on the coast might include seashells! We used simple items that we had around us. I can’t believe we have Maple trees starting to change colors already!

HOW TO MAKE FALL SENSORY BOTTLES

Younger kids:

Adding acorns and pine cones one at at time to the Fall sensory bottles is great busy work but it also encourages using different finger grasps. Plus this takes hand-eye coordination!

A slightly older child might enjoy using a pair of kid friendly tweezers to pick items up. Leaves take a bit of work stuffing them into the container using fingers!

Work on pouring skills by adding water with or without a funnel! Or you could have your child use a baster to fill the bottle!

Older kids:

Fill your fall sensory bottles with items and add water, draw bottles in a journal, write about them, and study them to record observations! Add a pair of kid friendly tongs for filling the bottles and to practice being a scientist!

Ask questions and make observations with your child! Science is all about sparking curiosity and wonder in the world around us. Help young kids learn to think like a scientist and present them with open ended questions to encourage their observation and thinking skills.

For example; the pine cones and the acorns turned the water a yellow/dirty color. Why? This may seem obvious to you but a young child will need to think about the process!

What will happen if________… Where would you put_____…

Why do ______ look like this… Why does _____ happen ?

MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT: Exploring Fall Colors