Our toddlers at Blackbrook Nursery enjoyed a magical, winter‑themed sensory experience as they created their very own sensory bottles!
The children explored a selection of exciting materials — including fake snow, glitter, oils and colourful water — and carefully combined them to make beautiful, shimmering bottles filled with movement and sparkle. This hands‑on activity offered so many rich learning opportunities.
As the children poured, squeezed, scooped and manipulated the different materials, they were strengthening their fine motor skills and practicing hand‑eye coordination, both of which are essential foundations for early writing, self‑care and independence. The session also offered fantastic support for Communication and Language development. Practitioners introduced new winter vocabulary such as snow, cold, ice, swirl and shake, while encouraging the children to describe what they could see, hear and feel.
The children chatted excitedly about the colours, textures and magical movements inside their bottles, building expressive language and confidence. There were also wonderful opportunities for cognitive development. The toddlers experimented with colour recognition, watching how different shades mixed and changed. They explored cause and effect as they observed how the snow settled, how the glitter floated, and how the oils and water moved differently when shaken. This type of sensory investigation helps develop early scientific thinking and problem‑solving skills.
Activities like this support the whole child — encouraging creativity, curiosity and exploration while offering meaningful links to the EYFS through play. A truly engaging and hands‑on experience that filled the room with excitement, learning and wintery wonder