Welcome back for another Hands On Play Party. If you are a regular here, you know just how much we love Sensory Bottles! You might even have noticed that we have been going a little coo coo for sensory bottles lately. Just the other day we shared some fun ways to experiment with sensory bottles, and while I was writing the post, I realized that I had too many picture of our favorite sensory bottle and decided I would share our Galaxy in a Jar sensory bottle with you. There isn’t a day that goes by, that the boys don’t play with it.

{THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS TO MATERIALS I RECOMMEND. ANYTHING YOU PURCHASE THROUGH THESE LINKS HELPS SUPPORT LEMON LIME ADVENTURES. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR CHOOSING TO SUPPORT US.}

In case you are new to our series on sensory bottles, here is a brief overview. Sensory bottles are a great tool for babies, toddlers, and children of all ages. They can be used for scientific discovery, language development, fine motor, and proprioceptive input. They can address a variety of subject area content and they can are just amazingly fun! You can read more about the benefits of sensory bottles and the basics of what they are in Part One of the series… The What, How and Why.

All in all, sensory bottles can be loads of fun. Every once in a while you will make a concoction or add a material that your kids just can’t stay away from, and this sensory bottle is that for our family.

Making Your Galaxy In a Jar

Making your galaxy is simple and only takes 3 ingredients.

WHAT YOU NEED:

Plastic Bottles (We love these beautiful BPA Free bottles)

Baby Oil
Water
Food Coloring (we mixed blue and red to get a deep purple)

Optional Materials
Super Glue

Don’t forget you can also check out  a FULL LIST of MATERIALS  (for other great sensory bottles)

First, you will want to mix your water and food coloring in a separate container until you get the desired color.
Next, you want to pour your baby oil into the bottle (fill it about half way).
Finally, add the oil and water together. Voila! You are done.

Take Time to Observe

This is a great time to ask questions, find out what your children notice. What do they observe happening? What questions do they have? If your kids are just too anxious to observe without shaking, DON’T WORRY! The bottle ingredients will quickly settle again soon!

We never set out to make a galaxy in a jar. In fact, we just wanted to make the classic oil and water mixture. However to our surprise, the color mixture we made sparkled and mesmerized us. Legoman loves anything and everything space related, so immediately he deemed it out “Galaxy in a Jar” and it stuck.

Now, Mix and Shake, Shake and Twist… get the bottle moving!

As you start to move the jar back and forth, you will start to see bubbles form and the waves begin. Slowly your jar will transform into the night sky.

The more you shake it, turn it, and toss it… the more your jar will look like the galaxy. The bubbles will begin to sparkly like stars and astroids.

Enjoy Your Galaxy In A Jar

Can you believe we didn’t add any glitter to this jar? The boys are in amazement every time. I love letting it settle and doing it all over again. The pictures are fun, but they don’t even begin to do this jar any justice. The glittery stars inside the night sky are just amazing. If I must confess, there are days I pick it up and shake it. It works wonders as a calm down jar or just as a conversation starter.

Isn’t it awesome? What a great way to kickstart any unit or project on space. In case you are here because your kids love space, I have included a few more awesome resources for Space Learning.

Hands On Galaxy Play

Galaxy Slime | Twodaloo

Night and Day Sensory Sorting | Twodaloo

Night Sky Playdough | Twodaloo

(Okay, I might have a slight crush on this unit from Twodaloo. If you click through, you will see why… its pretty amazing)

NOW IT’S TIME FOR THE HANDS ON PLAY PARTY!

VISIT OUR CO-HOSTS

Junk Yard Sensory Bin & Counting Game from Stir the Wonder

ITS YOUR TURN TO SHOW US YOUR HANDS-ON PLAY IDEAS.

Do you have a favorite Hands On Play Idea? How do you encourage hands on learning? I can’t wait to see! Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram or subscribe by email. I can’t wait to hear your ideas.