I am secretly in love with this glitter sensory bottle. My son said, “That is so cool,” in his I am an impressed voice. This has to be the quickest! The simplest! The cheapest glitter sensory bottle you can make. We have made several different sensory bottles, and I am smitten with this one. Plus, it’s mostly made up of dollar-store items! Find more ideas for creating Valentines Sensory Bottles Below.

Valentines Sensory Bottle for Kids-2Pin

Make A Sensory Bottle For Valentine’s Day

If you like making sensory bottles or calm-down bottles, then you need VOSS water bottles!

Note: We have two different glitter Valentine sensory bottles to explore.

At a few dollars each {for the big ones}, they are an investment that will pay off. We have been reusing our bottles for over a year now. This is the first new one I have purchased, and I tried out the bigger size this time.

The part I love is how many bottles you can make with just a few dollars worth of supplies. Some glitter glue bottles sell for at least $4 a bottle. Please note that if you choose the bigger water bottle, you will need two glue bottles and one glitter jars, but you still have plenty left for more sensory bottles.

Check out more easy sensory activities for Valentine’s Day!

Watch the Video:

How To Make Glitter Sensory Bottle #1

Supplies:

  • VOSS Water Bottles {either size is fine}
  • Dollar Store Glitter Glue {comes three to a pack} Note that this is not a purple glitter bottle. I just used the pinkish red glitter glue before I took a picture of it.
  • Dollar Store Glitter {comes 4 to a pack}
  • Dollar Store Craft Tape
  • Water and Scissors
Valentines sensory bottle with dollar store glitter gluePin

Instructions:

Step 1: Remove the label from the bottle. Use rubbing alcohol and a cloth to remove any gooey residue!

Step 2: Fill the bottle with lukewarm water {helps the glue to mix better}, distilled water is always an option too!

Step 3: Squeeze glue into the bottle. Remember for the large bottle I used two tubes of glue. You will only need one for the small bottle unless you want to add two!

Check it out! Our Valentine Slime also uses this glitter glue. 

Step 4: Dump in the vial of glitter and shake, shake, shake it, baby! It will take a little time of the glue to completely mix into the water.

Step 5. Tighten cap. We do not have a problem with our sensory bottles opening up on us. We are also not throwing them around, but we have dropped them. You can seal with hot glue {not so reusable} or put wider tape around the bottle. The dollar store has a wider version of our heart tape.

Step 6: Optional, but we used our dollar store heart themed craft tape from our Valentine’s Tinker Tray to wrap around the cap for decoration.

Valentines sensory bottle before and after calm down bottle for kids and adultsPin

One of the things I really like about this Valentine’s sensory bottle is that when it is at rest you would never know about the awesome red/pink swirling glittery-ness that awaits. Once activated the Valentine’s sensory bottle is beautiful and slowly comes to a rest. Ready to be shaken all over again!

How to Make a Valentine Sensory Bottle #2

Supplies:

  • 1 (16-ounce) plastic storage/sensory bottle (available at Michaels or similar but smaller here: https://amzn.to/311Eejl )
  • 2 to 3 (6-ounce) bottles of clear Elmer’s Glue
  • About 1 tablespoon of glitter and/or heart confetti
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Instructions:

  • Empty one bottle of glue into the bottle. 
  • Fill the empty glue bottle about half full with warm water (about ¼ cup) and seal with the lid. Shake well to combine the remaining glue with the water. Pour into jar with glue and shake or stir to combine.
  • If you are adding glitter or toys, add part of the glitter and toys into the glue mixture.
  • Seal the jar and shake well. Add more warm water if the glitter or confetti does not move easily. If the glitter or confetti moves too quickly, add additional glue. Continue adding layers with the glitter and toys until you achieve your desired effect.
  • When the contents of the bottle move according to your preference, seal the bottle and glue the lid closed to avoid spills.
  • If desired, cover the lid with duct tape or additional decorations.
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More Valentine Sensory Bottles

Creating sensory bottles for preschoolers on Valentine’s Day can be delightful and engaging.

  • Heart-shaped Glitter: Fill the bottle with heart-shaped glitter in various colors. The glitter will float around, creating a visually appealing and sparkling effect.
  • Colored Water with Sequins: Add colored water (using safe food coloring) and include heart-shaped sequins. The sequins will catch the light as they float, providing a captivating visual experience.
  • Red and Pink Rice: Dye rice in shades of red and pink using food coloring. Fill the bottle with layers of colored rice, creating a visually stimulating and textured display.
  • Heart-shaped Beads: Include heart-shaped beads in different sizes and colors. As the child shakes the bottle, the beads move and create a gentle sound.
  • Floating Foam Hearts: Cut out foam hearts and let them float in a liquid inside the bottle. You can use clear glue mixed with water for a thicker consistency.
  • Colored Gel and Heart Buttons: Mix colored hair gel with heart-shaped buttons. The gel provides a unique texture, and the buttons add a touch of color and shape.
  • Valentine’s Day Colored Pom-Poms: Fill the bottle with small, soft pom-poms in various shades of red, pink, and white. The pom-poms will move around as the child manipulates the bottle.
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The Benefits of Sensory Bottles

Sensory bottles are often referred to as calm down bottles. Why do you ask? The time it takes you to watch the glitter glue settle can be calming or relaxing for both kids and adults. Leave one in a handy location. It makes an excellent alternative to time out and can turn a negative situation positive again!

Sensory bottles can be beneficial for young kids in various ways. Here are five simple benefits:

Sensory Exploration

Sensory bottles provide an opportunity for children to engage in sensory exploration. Fill them with materials stimulating different senses, such as sight, sound, and touch. See more 5 senses activities for young kids.

Calming Effect

The visual and auditory stimuli provided by sensory bottles can have a calming effect on young children. The gentle movement of materials inside the bottle, along with soothing colors or sounds, can help children regulate their emotions and reduce anxiety.

Focus and Attention

Sensory bottles can help improve a child’s ability to focus and pay attention. These bottles encourage children to concentrate on the visual or auditory input, promoting attention to detail and concentration.

Language Development

Sensory play, including interactions with sensory bottles, can contribute to language development. As children explore the contents of the bottles, ask them to describe what they see, feel, or hear. Learn about different types of sensory play.

Fine Motor Skills

Manipulating sensory bottles involves handling and shaking, which contributes to developing fine motor skills. The small, coordinated movements required to hold, shake, and explore the bottles help strengthen the muscles in the hands and fingers. This is particularly important for later skills like writing and self-care tasks.

Shaking Valentines sensory bottle with VOSS plastic bottlePin

More Fun Valentine Activities

Have a Preschool Valentine’s Day

Put together a special day for your preschooler(s) with our list of fantastic preschool Valentine activities chosen for younger kiddos.

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12 Comments

  1. Hi Sarah,
    you mention glue for these bottles, but then you say no Elmers Glue. What have you found that works best? I am very excited to make these and other bottles for some of my visually impaired students.
    I look forward to hearing back soon.
    Barb

  2. If you check out the supply list in the post you will see that we used glitter glue from the dollar store.

  3. I have the 11 oz or 330 ml VOSS bottle is that considered the large or the small bottle….just wondering how much glitter glue I will need for it.

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  5. I found a 6 pack of even smaller Voss bottles that are nice if you want to make multiple bottles for a classroom setting, or whatnot.

  6. Can you do this with room temperature water? Will the glue eventually emulsify with the water? We would like to do this for an activity at school and warm water is difficult in a large group setting.

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