This Easter I Spy sensory bottle {also known as a discovery bottle} is a great tool for exploratory sensory play for children of all ages. The best part is you can assemble it in just a few minutes using Easter themed items you already have. Follow our easy instructions below to put together your own Easter themed I Spy bottle at home or in the classroom.
An Easter I Spy sensory bottle is a great way for children of all ages to explore Easter themed sensory items without any mess. They're an excellent way for babies and infants to practice eye tracking without actually being able to touch or mouth the tiny items inside. They're also great for older children to work on cognitive skills such as visual perception, critical thinking and memory.
Please note this sensory I spy bottle should always be used under adult supervision, never leave children unattended with the sensory bottle.
Supplies needed:
For our sensory bottle we used an empty Voss 500ml plastic water bottle, however you can use any empty bottle as long as it's plastic. There's also lots of sensory bottle options on Amazon if you want to order in bulk.
You'll also need some green sensory rice which you can make ahead of time by following our easy sensory rice recipe. If you don't want to use sensory rice you can use shredded green paper or green split peas which won't require any prep.
For our bottle fillers I simply collected some small items we already had from our Easter stash which included 4 different coloured speckled foam eggs, a large and small foam carrot, 3 different coloured chenille chicks and a resin bunny and resin chick.
You could also use:
HOW TO MAKE AN EASTER I SPY SENSORY BOTTLE
I-Spy or discovery bottles are so simple to make your children can actually help you assemble the bottle as an additional activity {if they're preschoolers or school age}.
1. Collect small items together that u want to use in the bottle. Make sure each item is small enough to fit through the neck of your bottle.
Tip: Only add one of each item, or different colours of each item so it isn't too confusing to find them amongst the rice.
2. Take a photo of items. Before adding the items into the bottle take a photo of all of them together so children know what to look for in the bottle.
You can also print out the photo and laminate it and they can use a washable marker to circle or cross off each item as they find it.
3 Fill bottle with some green rice. Add a small amount of green rice to the bottom of the bottle.
4. Add an item then add more rice.
5. Repeat until bottle is 3/4 full with rice. Continue adding a small amount of green rice then a single item, until all items have been added and the bottle is 3/4 full of rice. This allows space for children to shake the rice around to reveal the hidden items.
6. Seal the lid. To stop children from being able to open and empty the contents of the bottle, secure the lid either by adding tape around the outside, or by putting some hot glue around the rim before screwing on the bottle lid.
DIFFERENT WAYS FOR CHILDREN TO PLAY WITH AN EASTER I SPY BOTTLE
Once your Easter I spy bottle is complete, children can simply take their time exploring the contents as they wish. If you want more structured ways to play with it for younger children through to older children, try one of the options below.
Find all items. Get children to use the photo of items and mark them off as they find them.
Pick and find. Choose one item from the photo and they need to look for that specific item in the bottle. Choose a new item once they find it.
Guess the item. Describe an item and have the children find it without knowing exactly what it is e.g. can you find something pink? or Can you find something round?
How many items? Without using the photo key, get children to search through the bottle and see how many different items they can find. This is a great way to sneak in some counting practice.
Who can find all items quickest? Each child takes turns searching the sensory bottle to find all the items while being timed. The child with the lowest time wins.
More Easter Sensory Ideas
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