Nothing screams summer and the 4th of July like glitter and the colors red, white, and blue! This Patriotic DIY Calm Down Jar For Preschool Sensory Table is the perfect summer craft and sensory activity for your child. With just a few simple materials you will have a dazzling calm down glitter mason jar created in no time.
Sensory bottles are a great activity to do with your child during arts and crafts time, on a rainy day, or would even make a super fun craft to make at a 4th of July BBQ to keep children entertained.
What Are Calm Down Sensory Bottles?
Preschool sensory bottles
Calm down bottles, also known as sensory bottles and discovery bottles, are clear bottles filled with a clear liquid and shimmery, eye catching craft supplies.
They are not only a super fun craft to create, but also a wonderful way to help develop the senses of babies and toddlers.
Since the bottles are typically filled with glitter and other shiny materials, they can be mesmerizing to young children and very soothing for an upset child.
The size of sensory bottles makes them perfect for small hands to turn and manipulate.
Children love shaking, squeezing, and twirling sensory bottles around. They especially love helping to make their own sensory bottles!
More Sensory Activities for Kids:
Stock your sensory area with these awesome tools!
Keep your supplies stocked and these sensory activities on hand to keep things calm and in control in your classroom.
Sensory Water Beads Toy for Kids 6 Pack, Shapes Learning Toy for Toddlers, Fidget Stress Balls for Autism/ Anxiety Relief for Adults,Bean Bags Great for Cornhole Tossing Carnival Backyard Outdoor Gamehand2mind Sensory Fidget Tubes, Anxiety Relief Toy, Occupational Therapy Toys, Fidget Toys for Kids, Kids Sensory Toys For Sensory Play, Anxiety Relief Items for Kids, Liquid Motion Bubbler (Set of 4)
4 Pack – Pop It Fidget Toy – Fidget Pack – Push Pop Bubble Fidget Sensory Toy – Anxiety Relief Stress Toys – Autism Toys – Sensory Toy Set Pop It Pack by Beyond Innoventions
NUTTY TOYS 8 pk Pop Tube Sensory Toys – Fine Motor Skills & Learning for Toddlers, Unique Classroom Fidget for Kids – Best Boys Girls Tweens & Teens ADHD Gadget & Top Birthday Gift Present Idea 2021
MOBI ZIPPEE – Activity Toy for Sensory Development for Toddlers – Designed by Parents and Reviewed by Doctor’s – BPA and Phthalate Free – Made with Food Grade Silicone – for Boys or Girls
How To Make Calm Down Glitter Jars:
Materials needed for Calm Down Glitter Jars:
Get the Supplies Here:
Don’t worry about making a special trip to the store. You can get all the supplies for the apple shape posters right here.
- 32 ounce plastic jar
- 2 five ounce bottles of clear Elmer’s glue
- water
- red, silver, and blue glitter
- red, silver, and blue star confetti
- red and blue pom poms
- star stickers
- optional: ribbon and tape
Bulk Assorted Patriotic Red White Blue Stickers Craft Embellishments Patriotic Star Stickers USA Flag Heart Star Foam Stickers Self Adhesive 1Craft and Party, 1 Pound Bottled Craft Glitter for Craft and Decoration (Royal Blue)
Craft and Party, 1 Pound Bottled Craft Glitter for Craft and Decoration (Red)
Clear Empty Wide Mouth Plastic Sensory Bottles with Smooth Lids with Lids and Labels – Round Plastic Test Tubes with Screw Caps for Party Gum Balls,Event Jelly Beans and BPA Free (Diamond Lids)
Elmers Clear Liquid School Glue, Slime Glue, & Craft Glue | Premium 1 Glue Gallon for School Supplies & Slime Supplies | Washable Glue
Instructions For How To Make A Calm Down Jar:
If you have never learned how to make sensory bottles, prepare to be amazed at how simple they are to create!
Pour both bottles of clear Elmer’s glue into your clear plastic jar. If you have a child helping you, you may want to consider using a funnel to help them get the glue into the bottle a little easier.
Add glitter, confetti, and pom poms. The amount of each is totally up to you! My suggestion would be to start out with a little of each and then add more to achieve the desired effect for your bottle.
Fill the remaining space in the bottle with water. Leave a little bit of room at the top so that the jar is not too full.
Put the lid on the bottle, but don’t seal it quite yet. Test out your bottle and make sure the glitter and pom poms move the way you want them too.
If they move too fast and the glitter settles quickly, you can add a little more glue. If they move too slowly, you can add a little extra water.
Once your DIY sensory bottle is just the way you like it, close the lid and secure it using glue or tape. I like to use super glue or hot glue to seal the lid extra tightly.
Add stickers around the outside of the bottle.
If you would like, you can add ribbon around the outside of the jar as well.
Once you have double checked that your lid is secured, gently shake the bottle until the contents are all mixed up.
Enjoy showing your patriotic spirit with your sensory bottle!
Other Sensory Bottle DIY Ideas:
Different Liquids
Corn syrup, glitter glue, baby oil, and glow in the dark glue all make easy preschool sensory bottle fillers.
Use Small Objects
Colorful beads and small toys can also make awesome fillers for your sensory bottle.
The Perfect Bottle
Voss water bottles are a great alternative to clear, plastic mason jars.
Try Food Coloring
Add blue or red food coloring for an extra touch of patriotic color in your sensory bottle.
Sensory Bin
Fill a sensory bin with red, white, and blue water beads for some hands on sensory play.
Play a Game
Continue learning about the United States with a fun flag craft for kids.
Some of our Favorite July 4th Books:
We can’t live without these!
Once your child’s creativity is sparked with this fun activity, take it a step further with these engaging resources:
America’s Flag StoryKid Presidents: True Tales of Childhood from America’s Presidents (Kid Legends)
The Berenstain Bears God Bless Our Country (Berenstain Bears/Living Lights: A Faith Story)
The Scrambled States of America
The Night Before the Fourth of July
A Is for America: A Patriotic Alphabet Book
F Is for Flag (Reading Railroad Books)
If You Were a Kid in the Thirteen Colonies (If You Were a Kid)
More from our Shop
Find even more engaging activities in the Life Over C’s shop!