DIY “I Spy” Bottle

Step 1. Gather your supplies.

Step 2.

Roll a piece of scrap paper into a funnel shape, using tape to secure. Make the hole on the funnel large enough for the beads to pass through and small enough to fit in the top of the bottle.

Step 3.

Use the funnel to fill the bottle about ¼ the way full with rice.

Step 4.

Next add your alphabet beads. We chose our Glow in the Dark Alphabet Beads for a potential nighttime play!  Tip: Make a note on what letters you put inside the bottle for game play!

Step 5.

Sort through the Alphabet Bead Tub and pick out some interesting animal, shape, and phrase beads. Tip: make notes on what items are being added to your bottle. 

Step 6.

Add the Beads and fill the rest of the bottle with the lentils.  Leave a little room between the lentils and the top of the bottle so items can move around when shaken.

Step 7.

Tip: for easier mixing, pour the contents of the bottle out into a resealable gallon bag.  Shake the rice, beads, and lentils together and then pour back into the bottle using the funnel.

Step 8.

Now you’re ready to play! Encourage children to shake the bottle and hunt out different shapes, words, colors or phrases. If desired, create a list of items they should be looking for. Example 1: here, you’ll find a purple dolphin and pink turtle in our bottle.

Step 9.

Example 2: shake or rotate the bottle again and try to spell words with the alphabet letters you see. In our photo here, you can spell the word “LOVE” with the glow in the dark alphabet beads in our bottle.