Older children and toddlers themselves will enjoy creating this visually rich toy.
You will need:
one empty bottle
water
glycerin (optional)
small, bright objects
iridescent glitter (optional)
heavy duty glue
We were looking for the aqua pod bottles but could not locate them in our usual store. Instead we spotted something better, little tonic bottles (8.5 oz). These bottles are about 4 inches tall, better for smaller hands and made of thicker plastic.The sides are smooth for easy viewing of the items inside and their shape and size is compact and perfect for little hands. Also they work better for rolling along the floor because of their straight sides.
Before you empty the bottles, note that tonic water has quinine, a substance that changes color when it absorbs UV light. Visit Steve Spangler's website for some cool ways to use your tonic water for science. Note: you'll have to complete your experiments shortly after opening your bottle.
Empty? Great! Now for more fun.
Gather your items
Be sure the items won't degrade slowly in water.
Place your items in the bottle.
With the items in the bottle, we added glycerin about half full.
This just slows the movement of the objects a bit.
Then we filled with water to the very top.Be sure the rim of the bottle is dry.
Apply a high powered glue like E6000 to ensure the cap stays securely on- an adult job.
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| This one has 1 teaspoon of iridescent glitter- a look we prefer. Add the glitter before topping off with water. |
Shake and enjoy!
Notice that some items will float and others will sink- a great opportunity to introduce new vocabulary.
Hello, I just had a quick question. Did you use glycerin oil to fill the bottle?
ReplyDeleteOnce the items were inside the bottle we filled the bottle to the halfway mark with glycerin and the remaining half with water.
DeleteWe used glycerin and water. We added the glycerin half way but with the treasures were already in the bottle. We filled the rest of the bottle with water. Glycerin is fairly pricey, but it helps slow the movement of the items. It isn't critically necessary to use it. If you are looking for it, we found it near the first aid supplies in our local pharmacy- near the bandaids, rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide.
ReplyDeleteCould you use anything else besides the glycerin? Also, where did you get your discovery items?
ReplyDeleteYou could try baby oil. Also the items we used were "found" items, little objects we randomly saved over time. Thrift stores and garage sales would be great ways to pick up small toys like the ones we used- Littlest pet shop, Polly Pocket and a Matchbox figurine. We also used porcupine balls (usually available in birthday party favor row), plastic beads, glass beads, pop beads, ric rac, sequins, the end of a bubble wand (looks like an orange crown). Check around your house or day care and you are sure to find plenty of bright, visually appealing, water proof objects.
Deletei used dollar store hair gel 3/4 full and water
DeleteYou can also use uncooked rice to fill the bottle or popcorn kernels.
ReplyDeleteIs the glue used safe if the infant puts the top in mouth?
ReplyDeleteThe glue is on the inside of the bottle, under the cap so they shouldn't have access to the glue as long as you are sure to wipe the outside cap area clean. As with all toys, especially home made ones, be sure to provide adequate supervision.
DeleteSuch amazing bottles you got there. A fine-looking bottle always attracts kids to drink from it. But be aware that some bottles are made for one-time use only. I recently got kids drink bottles from online. They are so good in quality and design.
ReplyDelete