Make a St. Patrick’s Day Fools Gold sensory bottle that kids will love to shake, swirl, and watch pieces of fools gold slowly move around the bottle.
Since leprechauns and gold go together, this fools gold sensory bottle is a win for St. Patrick’s Day. Learn how to make one with your child just like we did. It’s easy and fun!
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Sensory bottles are not only fun to look at, they can let kids observe gravity, effects of viscosity, and be very calming to play with.
Sadly, the photos just don’t do this bottle justice. When it is in hand, the fools gold sparkles as it moves—like nature’s glitter, lol. You really just have to make one to get the full experience (printable directions available at the end of this post).
Don’t Miss: All Our Sensory Activities Found Here
You can make your Fools Gold Sensory Bottle one of two ways or grab a second bottle and try both ways. The first way uses a thickener in the water to suspend some of the pieces of gold and make them move and swirl at a hypnotizing slow speed (I’m pretty sure I’m getting gold fever now, lol). This bottle has a higher viscosity (” the state of being thick, sticky, and semifluid in consistency, due to internal friction.”)
The other way uses just water so the gold pieces move up and down. To add some science to your Fools Gold Sensory Bottles you could make both bottles to show what happens to the fools gold in a bottle with high viscosity (the bottle with a thickener and water) and low viscosity (the bottle with just water) .
Here is a picture of my little guy shaking his bottle like crazy. Maybe we could even include this sensory bottle in our motor skills activities with all that shaking he is doing, hehe.
My kids always enjoy assembling their own bottles, putting objects in, and pouring liquids into the bottle. It gives them the chance to practice fine motor skills and life skills. You can give your kiddo a funnel to use to help avoid spills. (Little Pup, age 1 did not help to make this bottle, his older siblings made it for him. I am looking forward to when he is old enough to make his own bottles too.)
Tip:
If you are afraid your sensory bottle will be opened you can use super glue to secure the lid closed or add tape around the lid so that it can’t be twisted and opened.
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Fools Gold Sensory Bottle
Supplies:
- VOSS Plastic Bottles-affiliate link
(or small plastic bottle) - Small Pieces of Pyrite Fools Gold-affiliate link
(about 1Tbs) - Clear Hair Gel-affiliate link (we use the cheapest stuff we can find)
- Water
- Funnel (optional)
(or small plastic bottle)
Tip:
If you don’t have hair gel you can use clear school glue. You may need to adjust the amount you use to get the viscosity right. You want the liquid to be thin enough the pieces can move through it, but thicker than water so they move slower.
Directions:
Rinse fools gold pieces with water to take off any dust.
Place the gold in the bottle.
Fill the bottle 1/3-1/2 full of hair gel.
Fill the rest of the bottle with water.
Secure the lid and it’s ready to be played with. Have a Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Don’t forget to print the directions (available below) and check out 3 more St. Patrick’s Day Activities.
Print the Directions Here:
St. Patrick’s Day Fools Gold Sensory Bottle for Kids
https://alittlepinchofperfect.com/st-patrick's-day-fools-gold-sensory-bottle-for-kids/
Materials
- VOSS Plastic Bottles-affiliate link (or small plastic bottle)
- Small Pieces of Pyrite Fools Gold-affiliate link
- Clear Hair Gel-affiliate link (we use the cheapest stuff we can find)
- Water
- Funnel (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse fools gold pieces with water to take off any dust.Place the gold in the bottle.Fill the bottle 1/3-1/2 full of hair gel.Fill the rest of the bottle with water.Secure the lid and it’s ready to be played with. Tip: If you don't have hair gel you can use clear school glue. You may need to adjust the amount you use to get the viscosity right. You want the liquid to be thin enough the pieces can move through it, but thicker than water so they move slower.
