Galaxy Sensory Bottle Craft and Play

A clean plastic bottle with a secure cap

Food coloring (dark blue plus red or pink)

Fine glitter in silver and purple

Cotton balls

Baby oil or mineral oil

Super glue for sealing the cap

Fill the bottle one-third with water and add dark blue food coloring.

Add a generous tablespoon of silver and purple glitter.

Stretch cotton balls into thin wisps and drop them in — they look like nebula clouds.

Fill to two-thirds with baby oil. The oil and water naturally separate, creating distinct layers.

Add a drop of red coloring to the oil for a second color dimension.

Fill almost to the top, leaving a small air bubble.

Super-glue the cap shut. Shake, tilt, and watch the galaxy swirl.

The oil and water never truly mix — they separate back into layers, which means every shake produces a new galaxy pattern.

Galaxy bottles are incredibly calming. The slow settling of glitter is used in mindfulness practices for children.

Let your child participate in the assembly. Pouring and adding glitter is half the fun.

Place the bottle on a light table or hold it up to a window for maximum visual impact.

These make wonderful handmade gifts. Kids love making them for friends.