How to Make a Magnetic Sensory Bottle for Toddlers

Jump to How-To

Here is how to easily create a magnetic sensory bottle for toddlers! This magnetic bottle uses common household magnetic items and a magnetic wand for a fun science sensory play for kids!

Sensory bottles are a popular tool used by parents, teachers, and therapists to help soothe and engage children. It is my favorite way to teach my toddlers!

These bottles are filled with various objects and materials that provide visual, tactile, and auditory input when shaken or turned upside down.

One type of sensory bottle that I just made for my kids is the magnetic sensory bottle. And it was a huge hit and one of the best discovery bottles I’ve made thus far.

Magnetic sensory bottles are so easy to make. In this guide, you will learn how to make your own magnetic discovery bottle for your kids and all the things you can do with it too!

What is a Magnetic Sensory Bottle?

A magnetic sensory bottle is a plastic bottle that is filled with various magnetic pieces.

Magnetic household items like beads, balls, rods, nuts, bolts, pipe cleaners, and discs are dropped into the bottle.

These metal pieces move and interact with each other when the bottle is handled due to their magnetic properties. You can also use magnet wands to manipulate each item.

The magnetic pieces cling together, follow the walls of the bottle, and can be maneuvered with just a simple shake or magnet wand.

magnetic sensory bottle for kids on table

Benefits of Magnetic Sensory Bottles

There are many benefits to using magnetic field sensory bottles, particularly for children:

Promote calm and focus – The fluid motion and metallic sounds are soothing and almost mesmerizing. This can help redirect restless energy into calm focus.
Improve fine motor skills – The controlled movements needed to manipulate the magnetic pieces engages and develops fine motor skills.
Sensory stimulation – The visual, tactile, and auditory input meets the need for sensory stimulation in many children. This is especially helpful for kids with sensory processing disorders and one of the top best preschool activities.
Encourage imagination and creativity – The bottles can promote imaginative play as kids create stories around the shapes and motions. New bottles can be created by mixing up the magnetic items.
Teach cause and effect – As kids move the wand on the bottles, they can see the clear cause and effect relationships between their movements and the magnets.
Independent and self-soothing – Kids can use the bottles independently to help calm themselves down in stressful situations. This teaches important self-regulation skills.
Fun and engaging – The bottles are simply fun to play with! The stimulating colors, motions, and sounds naturally attract a child’s attention and interest.

Some of these links are affiliate links meaning if you purchase from these links, I will earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Everything I share is my own opinions and things I personally use and love. You can learn more by reviewing my disclosure. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

How to Make the Best Magnetic Sensory Bottle

Here is exactly how to make a magnetic field sensory bottle!

Materials

Instructions

Cut up the pipe cleaners. You can do even sizes or some big, some small.

Add the pipe cleaners, circle magnets, and paper clips into a sensory bottle.

Close it up and give your child a magnetic wand and the bottle to explore and enjoy!

Note: I made it as a layered sensory bottle, but you can put a bit in at a time as well to have it easily all mixed up.

How to Use a Magnetic Sensory Bottle

Magnetic sensory bottles can be used for a variety of learning experiences:

Use as a scientific activity to teach your children about magnets and how they work. Include both non-magnetic items and magnetic to show the difference.
Even this magnetic sensory bottle can be used as a calming bottle for toddlers to use when they are overwhelmed.
Keep a bottle handy for meltdown moments.
Magnetic bottles provide sensory input for kids who need to fidget.
Bring the bottle along for long car rides or waits at appointments.

Magnetic Sensory Bottle FAQs

What do you put in a magnetic sensory bottle?

You can put anything magnetic into this sensory bottle! From pipe cleaners to bolt, paper clips, and more, anything and everything will work as long as it is metal.

How do magnetic bottles work?

Magnetic bottles work best when you use a magnet wand with your bottle. That way your kids can manipulate the items themselves and have hands-on learning.

Yield: 1 sensory bottle