ABC’s of Discovery Bottles (A – E)

Discovery Bottles A - E

A is for About the discovery bottle series and Acorns, Apples, and Alphabet

This series on discovery bottles is to…

  • Introduce you to the interesting world of discovery bottles and the discovery bottle experience.
  • Share examples of discovery bottles that I have made as well as some made by my fellow bloggers.
  • Share different ways discovery bottles can be used in the classroom or at home.

Each letter of this series will include a small tip or observation about discovery bottles as well as a few examples of discovery bottles that you can try making for your own collection. I hope you will stay with me through this entire series on discovery bottles and along the way, discover a few fun and fresh ideas that will inspire your own creativity and use of discovery bottles.

Acorn Discovery Bottle
Click on photo to read more about making this acorn discovery bottle!

Apple Bottles

Click the photo to read more on the seek and find alphabet discovery bottle!
Click the photo to read more on the seek and find alphabet discovery bottle!

B is for Bottles and baby and beach

Choosing the kind of bottles you would like to use is one of the first steps in successfully creating your own discovery bottles. When choosing a bottle for your own collection, consider the following…

  • For young children, good sturdy plastic bottles are better than glass so the bottles can be dropped, shaken, rolled, and played with without the worry of a broken bottle at the end of a play experience.
  • Smaller plastic bottles will be more manageable for small hands and not so heavy.
  • There is a difference in quality when it comes to the type of bottle you choose.  For some discovery bottles, you may wish to find a better made or higher quality bottle. It all depends on how long you hope to keep the bottle and what kind of material you wish to put in the bottle.

I almost exclusively use water bottles with good fitting lids for all my discovery bottles but I have become more picky about the kinds of water bottles that I like to use….

Water Bottles by Teach Preschool

Sometimes, I choose based on the shape and size of the bottle and other times I choose based on the quality of the bottle and sometimes even the label of the bottle makes a difference.  For example, if a label is very hard to remove from the bottle, then I start to avoid that type of bottle for future reference. My favorite water bottles are…

  • Voss water bottles (most expensive, top quality, has a great lid): I rarely use these because of price and availability but when I do get them, I keep them forever.
  • Fiji water bottles (comes in different sizes but all are tall,square and skinny): Very clear and strong but the label is tough to get off.
  • Aqua Pod water bottles (short and round): Easy to remove label and easy for small hands to hold.
  • Aquafina bottles (cheaper): Great for adding to the water table , sensory table, discovery center, or art center for free play and the children’s own collections or creations of discovery bottles but not very thick plastic.
Click the photo to read "Babys First Biscovery Bottles" by the Imagination Tree
Babys first discovery bottles by the Imagination Tree
Click on this photo to read more about making a beach discovery bottle!
Click on this photo to read more about making a beach discovery bottle!

C is for creativity and color and collage

Discovery bottles can be a wonderful way to promote creative thinking and the creative process. It is easy to get into the rut of thinking that you need to make discovery bottles for the children rather than with the children but let me encourage you to keep a collection of empty bottles around for your children to explore and create with on their own. You might just be surprised what they will come up with.

Click photo to read more on these beautiful Color Discovery Bottles by Everything and Nothing blog.
Click photo to read more about these beautiful Color Discovery Bottles !
Construction Paper Collage Discovery Bottle
Click on photo to read more about making creative collage discovery bottles.

D is for discovery

Discovery bottles are also a wonderful way to invite the discovery of a child’s world.  Think of each bottle as a way to take a closer look at the finer details of the things that, as adults, we tend to overlook in our world. A discovery bottle is like an aquarium filled with hidden treasures to be explored or a window into a world designed to capture a child’s interest and interest and to invite conversation, movement, examination, and exploration. Consider offering a discovery center so the children can make their own discovery bottles too…

Acorn Discovery Center

E is for easy and earth

Discovery bottles don’t have to be complicated to put together or filled with complicated materials in order for them to be interesting to your students. When making discovery bottles, or when your students make them, consider what the purpose of the discovery bottle will be. Will it be to collect something from nature or to promote the fine motor skill of putting small items in the bottle?  Depending on how you plan to use the discovery bottle or why you plan to create a discovery bottle, the process can be easy.

Earth Discovery Bottle

Come back tomorrow for more tips and examples of discovery bottles or hop on over the the ABC’s of Discovery Bottles landing page!

More ABC’s…

KBN-ABCs-of-Button

Be sure to check out the ABC’s of Learning Through Play posts by my fellow bloggers (shown below)

LEARNING THROUGH PLAY

 

Deborah J Stewart

Deborah J Stewart

Every time I think I know everything I need to know about teaching young children, God says, "Hold on a minute!" and gives me a new challenge.

Let me tell ya...

With each new challenge that you overcome, you will find yourself better equipped and more passionate about teaching young children.

God didn't call wimps to lead, teach, or care for His children. Nope, he has high expectations, so get ready. You will have to give your very best but after teaching for over 30 years, I can tell you that it is a wonderful and rewarding journey.

Whenever your calling feels hard, just remember, 'He who began a good work in you (and in the children you serve) will be faithful to complete it.'

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