Last week, I shared with you how we explored space with Dr. Seuss. My prekindergarten age students enjoyed talking about and making their own planets so we made our own simple version of planets in a bottle for the children to take home as a way to promote discussion on planets at home too…
To make our planets in a bottle, the children started by filling up a clear bottle with water. Our bottles were originally milk bottles saved from Wendy’s. Â They are terrific bottles because they don’t have any sticky label to clean off and they are a good quality bottle for use in the classroom. (By the way, my almost three year old grandson stopped by to visit us and he joined in the fun too)…
The children chose five or more waterbeads to represent their planets and placed them in their water filled water bottles. We did not hot glue our lids closed but if you are concerned with the bottles being opened when they go home, adding hot glue inside the lids of the bottles before closing the bottles up will help keep the bottles permanently closed…
Waterbeads are wonderful to watch move around in a waterbottle. The water beads are see-though in the light and they emulate movement in space as the beads move slowly through the water when you turn the bottle up and down…
We purchased our waterbeads about two years ago in small packets. They start off like small seeds and after soaking overnight in water, our waterbeads grow to about the size of a marble…
My students would play with waterbeads every day if I would set them out but we save them for special occasions or specific experiences throughout the year so they remain super fun and inviting…
With the children’s interest in planets, the waterbeads were perfect for making our own planet water bottles…
And for a fun water play experience too…
Available on Amazon
Links to Grow On
Exploring Space with Dr. Seuss
Outer Space Playdough from I Can Teach My Child
Alien Space Ships from Teaching the Little People