Mini Aquarium in a Bottle (ocean sensory play)

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These ocean sensory bottles — or, as I like to call them, “mini aquariums” — are ridiculously easy to make and are a sensory activity that will keep young children calm and entranced for quite a while.

There’s nothing wrong with making these bottles just for something fun and pretty for little hands to shake around, but they can also be a fun way to learn about sea creatures and ocean life.

Just add a few books, a video or two (YouTube has some), and then throw in some ocean-themed snacks (like these blue jello cups with graham crackers and gummy sharks), and you’ve got a super-easy, hands-on unit study!

Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle In the Sea by David Elliott National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of the Ocean

We used a Voss water bottle for this, but you can certainly be creative with the type and size of bottle that you use.

We used blue food coloring, but you can experiment with different colors.

You can add a nice touch to your bottle by adding a few small seashells.

Below are the step-by-step instructions, with photos, of how we made our ocean in a bottle.

I also answered some FAQs about sensory bottles in general.

How do you make an ocean in a bottle for kids?

Gather your supplies. (See list in the card below.)
Pour all of the glue into the bottle.

Add the ocean animal toys.
Fill the remaining bottle with water.
Add one drop of blue food coloring to the bottle.
Close the bottle. Use tape or glue to secure the lid.
Shake the contents of the bottle well until the glue, water, and animals move around freely in the bottle.
Enjoy your bottle!

Sensory Bottle FAQs

What liquid do you put in a sensory bottle?

You can put either water or oil in a sensory bottle, depending on the look and feel that you’re going for.

Vegetable oil will give your bottle a yellow color. Baby oil, mineral oil, or water will be clear and you can add food coloring to give it the color you want.

You can add clear Elmer’s glue to water to keep the clear color but give it a thicker consistency.

How do you thicken water in sensory bottles?

You can thicken the water in a sensory bottle by adding clear glue or corn syrup. This works nicely in a sensory bottle with glitter, because it keeps the glitter from settling.

Can you use tap water for sensory bottles?

You can use tap water in a sensory bottle, although it might give it a more cloudy appearance than using distilled water.

What do you put in an ocean sensory bottle?

We made our ocean sensory bottle with water, clear glue, blue food coloring, and plastic fish and sea animal toys. Adding seashells would also be a nice touch.

Why do you put glue in a sensory bottle?

Putting glue in a sensory bottle makes the water thicker and makes the items in the bottle move more slowly, giving it a “swirly” effecct.

Can you add sand to an ocean in a bottle?

Yes, you can add either play sand or beach sand to an ocean in a bottle. It’s easier if you add the sand before pouring in your liquid.

How do you fill a bottle with sand?

The easiest way to put sand in a bottle is to place a funnel in the mouth of a bottle and then pour the sand into the funnel.

What can I put in sensory bottles?

You can put almost anything you want in a sensory bottle!

You need to have some sort of “filler.” This can be liquid, like water mixed with glue, mineral oil, baby oil, or hand sanitizer. It can also be a solid material like sand or rice.

Once you have your filler, you can add things like:

Small toys
Legos
Plastic letter tiles
Confetti
Buttons
Beads
Sequins
Items from nature like grass, twigs, leaves, and flowers

Ocean Sensory Bottle

Active Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Materials

16.9 oz.empty water bottle
1 (5oz.) bottle of Elmer’s clear glue
Plastic ocean animal toys
Water
Blue food coloring
Tape of glue (optional, for sealing the bottle)

Instructions

Pour all of the glue into the bottle.
Add the ocean animal toys.
Fill the remaining bottle with water.
Add one drop of blue food coloring to the bottle.
Close the bottle. Use tape or glue to secure the lid if you want.
Shake the contents of the bottle well until the glue, water, and animals move around freely in the bottle.