Can you feel the excitement in the air with Halloween just around the corner? Keep calm and carry on with these three fun Halloween Sensory Bottles. Not only are they a useful sensory tool for kids, but they make great Halloween decorations as well!
Related: Christmas Sensory Bottles
DIY Halloween Sensory Bottles
Halloween sensory bottles are a fun, hands-on craft that kids can make and play with all season long. Using simple materials like water, glitter, small Halloween-themed trinkets, and food coloring, these bottles create a magical, slightly spooky sensory experience. They’re perfect for little hands and make a safe, mess-free activity for classrooms or home.
Beyond just being fun to shake and watch, Halloween sensory bottles can also be used as a calming tool. Kids can focus on the swirling glitter and floating items, helping them settle down or enjoy a quiet moment. Plus, each bottle can be customized with different colors, miniature pumpkins, spiders, or even tiny spiders to make a unique Halloween-themed collection.
Craft Supplies Needed for Halloween Sensory Bottles
Before you start this activity, make sure you have all the right supplies.
- Sensory bottles
- Perler Beads (white, orange, lime, purple, turquoise, black)
- Halloween party favors
- Glitter
- Halloween-themed pom poms
- Grosgrain ribbon (orange, turquoise, purple)
- Clear glue
- Double-sided tape
- Distilled water
Watch the Video Tutorial
Watch the video below to be walked through every step of this craft.
How to Make Halloween Sensory Bottles
October is the perfect month to make sensory bottles! Our set of Halloween Sensory Bottles is colorful, engaging, and fun!
- Halloween Pom Pom Sensory Bottle – Soothing to look at! You can also add water or baby oil, but we chose not to.
- Halloween I Spy Sensory Bottle – Focuses attention and is an entertaining boredom buster at home, school, or in the car. Try using it as a writing or drawing prompt.
- Glitter Sensory Bottle – Calms down strong feelings.
Follow along with our easy step-by-step directions and video tutorial so you can make your own.
Related: Fall Sensory Bottles
Halloween Pom Pom Sensory Bottle
Here’s a fun Halloween Pom Pom Sensory Bottle that preschoolers and toddlers can make themselves! Filling the bottle is great for hand-eye coordination and practicing fine motor skills. As a tactile sensory bonus, pom poms boast a variety of textures for little fingers to explore.
To make it you will need:
- Sensory bottles
- Halloween-themed pom poms
- Orange grosgrain ribbon
- Double-sided tape
STEP 1: Fill the bottle. First, sprinkle Halloween-themed pom poms into an empty sensory bottle. If desired, add water. (We chose not to add water because we wanted to reuse our pom poms for a different craft!)
STEP 2: Decorate the bottle. Screw the lid on the bottle, then use double-sided tape to secure an orange ribbon to the lid. If desired, seal the cap with super glue.
Halloween I Spy Sensory Bottle
Kids will love this Halloween I Spy Sensory Bottle! Besides choosing the party favors to tuck inside, kids can learn how to use a funnel for the Perler beads. Or you can reinforce fine motor skills by using tongs or tweezers to transfer the beads into the bottle. When the bottle is finished, search for the items hiding inside!
To make it you will need:
- Sensory bottles
- Perler Beads (white, orange, lime, purple, turquoise, black)
- Halloween party favors
- Turquoise grosgrain ribbon
- Double-sided tape
STEP 1: Fill the sensory bottle. Pour the Perler Beads into an empty sensory bottle—about 3/4 of the way full. Drop a variety of Halloween party favors into the bottle. We found our colorful favors at Walmart.
STEP 2: Secure the lid. Screw the lid on the bottle, then use double-sided tape to secure a turquoise ribbon to the lid. If desired, seal the cap with super glue.
Glitter Sensory Bottle
Both kids and adults will be mesmerized by the festive colors swirling inside this Glitter Sensory Bottle! To make it you will need:
- Sensory bottles
- Glitter
- Clear glue (1 bottle)
- Purple grosgrain ribbon
- Double-sided tape
- Distilled water
STEP 1: Fill the sensory bottle. First, pour 1 cup of water into the empty sensory bottle. Next, pour 1 bottle of clear glue into the bottle.
STEP 2: Add the glitter. Add 2 teaspoons of purple glitter and 2 teaspoons of large turquoise and green glitter (we purchased ours from Target) to the mixture, then top off the bottle with water.
STEP 3: Put the ribbon on the lid. Secure a piece of double-sided tape to a strip of ribbon, then wrap it around the cap of the bottle. If desired, seal the cap with super glue.
How to Use Sensory Bottles
Sensory play can help both kids and adults find a calm center. Sensory bottles are great tools to bring focus elsewhere and shift away from negative thinking and/or energy. Here are some ideas for using them:
- Sensory bottles can be used in a special calm down area or during a time when kids need a break. Using sensory bottles can help kids reset anxiety and strong emotions.
- DIY glitter bottles can represent emotions. Shake the bottle to stir up the glitter, then breathe deep and watch the glitter settle down. Teach kids to mimic the glitter settling down to bring more peace and contentment into their little world.
- Try using these bottles as a timer or to signify someone’s turn. For instance, the person holding the bottle is the only one allowed to share/speak at circle time.
- Kids can use sensory bottles like a fidget spinner. They provide something to tinker with while focusing on other tasks like reading.
- Sensory bottles are quite captivating. Use them to engage with kids so they feel welcome and comfortable.
- Use sensory bottles to improve focus and concentration. By searching for items or noticing things inside, kids must observe and analyze.
- Use sensory bottles as a boredom buster. Keep them handy during errands, while waiting for appointments, or any other moment when boredom sets in.
- Halloween-themed sensory bottles can provide quick decor for your mantle, sideboard, or anywhere else in your home. The bright orange, green, purple, and black colors will brighten the space.
- Halloween bottles can jumpstart storytelling. “What do you see inside the bottle? Can you tell me a story about what’s happening?”
There are countless ways to use sensory bottles in your home or school.
Related: How a Glitter Jar Can Help Kids Control Their Feelings
More Halloween Crafts for Kids
Looking for more ideas for this time of year? You may also enjoy:
- Popsicle Stick Haunted House Craft
- Halloween Sensory Bin
- Popsicle Stick Pumpkin Craft
- Black Cat Craft
- Halloween Suncatchers
Save This Craft
Save this craft on Pinterest using the image below!
This post was originally published September 2020.
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