Halloween Discovery Bottle

This is an easy fun DIY activity in preparation of Halloween. To get in the spirit we put this discovery bottle together in just 10 minutes and Dimples enjoyed exploring it all afternoon.

Using an empty Pom juice bottle we added-

• Glucose syrup
• Halloween Sequins
• Eye Ball buttons
• Orange Glitter
• Black and red buttons
• Small plastic spiders
• Star sequins

We played I SPY, and named things starting by letter such as Spider, Star, Bat, button, Pumpkin, Eye, Orange, Black, White, Red, Slime & Glitter.  Dimples enjoyed helping make this one because of its funky shape and the messy time we had getting the glucose syrup in. These are so easy and simple, the best thing is though, anyone can make them out of recycleable materials and things you find laying around in your art/craft supplies, or even every day materials. Just remember to glue the lid shut!

6 months - 18 months:
Discovery bottles are great for developing observation skills, predictability and thinking skills.  For young children they are great for gross motor, grasping, passing from hand to hand, twisting, turning, shaking, they aide in the development of focused concentration. High contrast colours should be used for younger children to develop their sight perception, depth and visual focus. They are great for sight and sound sensory development and when used with more than one child can help in sharing, interacting and swapping.

 

18 Months- 4 years:
With older children they can be more detailed and used as  I Spy bottles to introduce letters, numbers,  themes and some science lessons such as separation, depth, gravity, density, sinking and floating. Again it helps with predictability, cause and effect cognition's, observation skills, focused attention and thinking skills.

They can be used for experiments such as sink or float, separation using water and oil, gravity with non liquid ones or like you seen here the Halloween one explore concepts of density and depth. Themes can be taught also, like the use of this Halloween theme. With non contrast similar colours and softer colours older children need to pay attention to objects presence.
If you want to make it more interesting for younger children, enrol their skills and help. Get them to choose what they want to add in to the bottle, how many and get them to help measure and pour anything in via a large funnel as I did with Dimples. This one is his favourite because he made it.

Happy Adventures :)

Halloween pumpkin play dough

 

It may be a little early but I've always been a fan of Halloween and get right in to the spirit of the decoration, dress up and trick or treating. Last year we had a Halloween theme play date and I'll do the same this year for dimples and his friends but for now it's all about psyching him up and building the excitement up with some Halloween craft and play.

First up, some orange play dough, some twigs with leaves on them and a black texter. Easy right. We had fun making these cute jack o lantern heads out of our play dough and they looked so cute.

Starting with some rolling dimples made balls, circular motions on the table and in his hands. Perfect!
Then using a stick he imprinted the sections through the pumpkins.

I made one first as he played and he imitated me straight away making the cutest pumpkin by him self.
Dimples was very pleased as he added in the pumpkin stems, asking me how they grow which started a great discussion. We then talked about the spooky jack I lantern face as I drew one on, then it was his turn.
They turned out so cool that we had to roll it all together and make one huge pumpkin head!