The star sensory bottle will be a great addition to your classroom or home. The floating stars will be a huge hit for your students. And the best part? These are so versatile and can be used alongside so many different activities.
I love discovery bottles. The kids love getting the chance to look at them, flip them on their side or upside down, and watch the contents float around in the bottle.
Not only is this sensory bottle jam-packed with sensory input, but there are also loads of learning opportunities! Kids can explore a variety of preschool concepts like shape recognition, descriptive language, and even social skills.
Star Discovery Bottle
I love keeping sensory materials in the classroom for the children to explore, and discovery bottles are no exception. Personally, I like to rotate sensory bottles throughout the year, offering something new every so often. I tend to do so based on the seasons, the children’s interests, or just so the kids have something new to discover.
The Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star sensory bottle can be put out any time of year and can be used for a wide variety of themes.
Materials Needed for the Star Sensory Bottle
Discovery bottles are pretty straight forward to make and easily adaptable. Once you learn to make one, you can change up some of the materials to make your sensory bottle fit any theme.
Here’s what you will need for the star sensory bottle:
- 12 oz. Sensory Bottle
- 1 bottle of Elmer’s Clear Glue (5oz.)
- Silver star confetti (1 tbsp or desired amount)
- 1 tsp Silver glitter
- Water
- Hot glue
Like I said, once you’ve got the base ingredients, you can decide on different materials to include that will fit your needs. The star confetti and silver glitter were a great combination for our Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star theme.
Making the Starry Night Calm Down Jar
One of my absolute favorite things about sensory bottles is that they are SO easy to make.
To start, pour the entire 5-ounce bottle of glue into the sensory bottle. I don’t know about you, but I like to purchase things like this in bulk. We use glue for sensory bottles, crafting, and to make countless types of slime. If you do the same, just measure out 5 ounces and put that in the bottle.
Next, add the silver star confetti and the silver glitter. We used about a tablespoon of confetti and a teaspoon of glitter. You can adjust the amounts as needed to get the desired effect.
At this point, you may notice that there’s still quite a bit of space in the bottle. Fill that space with water.
Finally, close the lid tightly. I highly recommend sealing the discovery bottle to ensure that it does not leak. This can easily be done with tape, strong glue, or a hot glue gun. That way, the Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star sensory bottle can be used time and time again with no leaks.
That’s it. Now you have a star sensory bottle!
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star Board Book
How many times have your students sang the classic Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star? Chances are the answer to that question is way up there. Why not pair the star sensory bottle with a familiar childhood favorite?
Make circle time a hit in your classroom by pairing the star sensory bottle with the Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star board book.
During circle time, pass the bottle around. Let each student have a chance to watch the stars float around while you read to them. Then put the star glitter jar in the sensory center so the kids can use it independently.
You could even make several smaller versions of the starry night sensory bottle with your students. That way, they will each have something special to look at while reading the story.
Star Sensory Bottles and Classroom Management
Sensory bottles are full of so much fun and learning. AND they’re also an amazing classroom management tool.
I know that self-regulation can be difficult for our little ones. That’s another reason I adore sensory bottles – they can be so calming.
We all know that preschoolers expend a TON of energy. Giving them time to rest their bodies and minds can be super beneficial.
I like to create and keep a calm down kit in a designated area of the classroom. You can include things like the starry night sensory bottle, rainbow glitter jars, or any other simple sensory activities you have on hand. Giving your students the space to be upset and the tools to help them calm down is a great way to promote self-regulation.
Related: Behavior Management Guide
Discovery bottles can also be a blessing during nap or rest time. If a student is having trouble resting, let them use a sensory bottle. Watching the contents float and dance around can help settle their brain and body. Even if they don’t get all the way to sleep, this can help them calm down enough to get some much-needed rest time.
And for all of the parents visiting Fun-A-Day, the Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star sensory bottle would also be a wonderful tool to use with the kiddos at bedtime!
Even More Starry Fun
There are so many activities to include in conjunction with teaching Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. This star sensory bottle is a great place to start. Here are a few more ideas:
Grab a pocket chart for a Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star rhyming activity. This activity is perfect for covering literacy concepts.
The simple act of just creating the sensory bottle is a great way to get in those math and science concepts. Another amazing star-themed activity for science is the fizzy stars science experiment. Trust me, kids will LOVE this one.
We don’t want to leave out art! The starry night glitter art is a super-fun action art project.
What are your favorite star-themed activities to do with preschoolers? Let me know in the comments below!
Done-for-You Preschool Resources
As a teacher, I know that lesson planning can be all consuming. That’s where Preschool Teacher 101 comes in! We have a ton of comprehensive lesson and activity plans perfect for any preschool classroom.
Our Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star lesson plans cover five days’ worth of activity ideas for whole group, literacy, math, and science! It also comes with center descriptions, related book lists, and all related printables. Click on the image below to find out more!
The star sensory bottle will go perfectly with these lesson plans! Make sure you swing by and check out our membership options for exclusive access to our amazing preschool resources.
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