Sensory bottles for Arif

As an autistic child, my two year old son Arif has trouble keeping focused and has sensory processing issues. To help him explore his senses and encourage focus, I made some sensory bottles (also known as calm down bottles) for him out of materials I have at home. I also got him a mermaid pillow case. He likes them a lot - Check out his reactions to them!

This is the first sensory bottle I made. It contains blue glitter and water. The glitter swirls around and provides a mesmerising visual treat.

This one was an experiment. I mixed water, cooking oil and a few lego pieces. The oil and water don't mix obviously, and the legos are suspended between them.

I made this one with clear water beads or orbeez. They capture the light and sparkle. 

In this one, I used only dry materials, like pom poms, rice, beans and sequins. It provides something to look at and sound.

Now this, is a "mermaid pillow," so called because it looks like scales. I got it online. It offers textural and visual exploration as it changes colour at Arif's touch :)

It's been a couple of months since I made these, and Arif still plays with them from time to time. If you're looking to try your hand at making sensory bottles. Here are a few tutorials. But before you begin, here's a safety tip - always superglue or tape the bottle caps securely to avoid choking hazards. 

Here's how to make your basic glitter sensory bottle.

Now here's something I;d like to try! Looks so cool :)