This spider glow in the dark sensory bottle is perfect for a spider theme any time of the year. It’s also a great addition to your Halloween activities for preschoolers. And make sure to add it to your list of bug sensory bottles for the bug lovers in your classroom!
Related: Glow in the Dark Activities for Kids
I’m not a big fan of arachnids. They’re just not my cup of tea. And I know some preschoolers who would absolutely jump up on the table with me in an effort to get away from one.
But many young children are fascinated by them, so I do my best to hide my own personal disinterest when needed.
If your kiddos love spiders, include some math in to their day with this printable spider counting book.
Even if they aren’t big fans, this super fun spider headband craft is always a blast.
Glow in the Dark Sensory Bottle
These glowing spider sensory bottles would be great for arachnid-obsessed and arachnid-averse kids (and adults).
Ingredients for a Glowing Bottle of Spiders
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- Plastic glow in the dark spiders
- 16 ounce sensory bottle
- 5 ounce bottle of Elmer’s clear glue
- Water
- Tape or glue (optional)
Related: Bug Sensory Bottles
Glow in the Dark Sensory Bottle Directions
To start off, grab a clear bottle or jar. It should be clean and empty. You can purchase a new bottle or just reuse something you already have on-hand.
For younger children, I recommend sticking with plastic.
Pour the clear glue into the empty container you’ve chosen. If you have a small bottle of glue, just empty the whole thing into the container. Otherwise, measure out five ounces of glue from a larger container.
Next, add the glowing spiders. There are 10 in our sensory bottle, but you can change up the amount as you see fit.
Related: Spider Crafts and Activities
I’d recommend not overcrowding the jar, though. Otherwise the kids won’t be able to watch the spiders float and settle.
Related: Halloween Contact Paper Art
After the spiders are in, fill the rest of the bottle up with clean water.
Next, put the lid on the jar. I highly recommend sealing the discovery bottle if you have younger children. You can do so with tape, strong glue, or a hot glue gun.
Then it’s time to shake the jar up a bit. This will make sure everything is combined as well as possible.
Finally, place the jar near a light source to activate the glowing spiders!
Learning and Playing with the Spider Sensory Jar
Once the spiders are activated by the light, let the children get their hands on the sensory bottle.
If possible, turn the lights off so the kids can oooh and aaah about the glowing spiders. Or at least place the bottle in the darkest part of the classroom.
Another idea – let the children use a classroom tent if one is available. If not, they can get creative, building their own fort with blankets!
The children can shake the bottle up and watch the spiders drift down in the liquid.
They can also take turns placing the glow in the dark sensory bottle under a light source to recharge it.
Consider placing the spider calm down jar in your science or sensory center along with more glowing spiders. You can also put some spider rings nearby.
Then challenge the students to count the spiders (in and out of the bottle), stack them up as high as they can, or create homes for the spiders using recyclables.
Don’t forget to add informational books about spiders nearby so that interested children can peruse them.
If you’re wondering what the children are learning with this sensory bottle, here are some possibilities:
- Measuring
- Volume
- Counting
- Viscosity
- Phosphorescence
- Vocabulary
That list is by no means exhaustive, of course. You can observe the children as they make and explore the sensory jars.
If your students enjoy this activity, check out this list of ten more glow in the dark bottles for sensory play.
Glow in the Dark Calm Down Jar Adaptations
You don’t have to make your own glowing spider bottle exactly like this one.
That’s one of the things I enjoy about making sensory bottles – you can adapt them in SO many different ways. We even have this collection of spider sensory bottles that you could check out as well.
If your students aren’t super into spiders, consider using other glow in the dark materials in the bottle. Some possibilities:
You can also switch out the liquid if you’d rather make dry glow in the dark bottles. Just add some glowing items, like beads and spider rings, to the container.
No matter what direction you choose to take your glow in the dark sensory bottle, it is sure to be a hit with your preschoolers!
Made-for-you Preschool Lesson Plans
All of this spider talk reminds me of one of my favorite holidays -Halloween!
If you need some help thinking up unique and meaningful learning activities for your preschoolers, check out these Halloween lesson plans from Preschool Teacher 101!
Click on the links below for more information about these other spider-specific activities.
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