How to make a pumpkin Sensory Bottle {Jack-o-lantern for halloween}

Jack-O-Lantern Sensory Bottle: What You Need

  • 1 clear plastic bottle with tight lid (16–20 oz)
  • ½ cup white rice + orange food coloring
  • Black permanent marker or vinyl sticker (for the face)
  • Clear craft glue + water (1:4 ratio) to fill
  • 1 glow stick for nighttime effect
  • Super glue to seal the lid permanently

Time: 15–20 min  |  Age: 6 months+  |  Tip: Always seal the lid with super glue before giving to a toddler.

It’s officially Halloween! And if you are looking to create a fun sensory bottle that is both fun and useful then this glow in the dark Jack-O-lantern is exactly what you need.

This pumpkin sensory bottle is one of the easiest ones I have done. Sensory bottles are fun but are also educational and a great developmental activity.

pumpkin Sensory Bottle

Supplies needed for this pumpkin sensory bottle

Step 1 – Prepare the rice

Color about 1 cup of white rice orange. To do this, add a some vinegar to a ziplock bag, mix it with the food color, add the rice, close the bag and mix well. Let it dry and set aside.

Step 2 – create the face

Using the black Duck tape, create a smile jack-O-lantern face. We have been working on learning shapes so we jet the face very simple with 3 triangles to make the eyes and nose and one rectangle for the mouth.

Pumpkin Sensory Bottle

Step 3 – fill the bottle

Once the rice is dried, add the orange rice into the bottle. You can use a funnel to make this job easier. I was tired and the funnel was all the way across the house so I took small handfuls at a time to drop the rice in.

Step 4 – add the Glow stick

Crack to activate the glow stick and insert it into the bottle. It is not advisable that you super-glue the Lis on this one so that you can replace the glow-stick once it looses the glow.

Pumpkin Sensory Bottle
Pumpkin Sensory Bottle use glow sticks

Step 5 – Have fun!

This bottle has been a favorite with the babies during our Halloween event last year. I made a hunted house for the babies and I left a few bottles like this for them to find. They loved it!

Making sensory bottles can be a lot of fun, it is also great as a sensory tool to be used for development.

If you want to make more bottles, here are a few more Halloween sensory bottle ideas

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jack o lantern pumpkin sensory bottle

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