Super bouncy balls! They bounce everywhere, get lost, and then are found in very odd places all over my house months later. I always think that super balls would be so fun to experiment with sensory play in my classroom, but realistically, they would drive some of the kids bananas!
It dawned on me (while throwing the empty peanut butter container into the recycle bin) that a clear, bigger container would make the best discovery type bottle for bouncing super balls!
Using a peanut butter container doesn’t work in preschool because of allergies, so I’ve been on the lookout for a better idea. In our dollar store, they are stocking gallon and 1/2 gallon containers. The 1/2 gallon size was perfect!
My preschooler dropped a handful of super balls into the container and put the lid on.
And then the fun began! There were no directions needed for this activity. It was an instant sound and visual sensory experience for her…and super fun! And {bonus!} it kept all the balls in one spot.
We have created and played with many different discovery bottles in preschool and at home. Most of the time, the lids are hot glued on so that little hands do not try to open them up. Some have been filled with liquid and some with dry items. None though, have been filled with noise making bouncy balls!
Like all types of play, our super ball discovery bottle, also involves learning and exploring. My preschooler decided to take out a few balls to see if the sound changed. At one point there was only one ball inside. She was more of a fan of the bottle filled with more balls than just 1 or 2.
There was jumping and shaking with her eyes open and with her eyes closed. There was super fast shaking and very slow shaking. My preschooler sat on the floor and jumped in the air. She rolled the balls around instead of shaking the container.
Her mind was hard at work, exploring everything that the sensory bottle offered!
Sensory play is one of my favorite ways to watch young children learn. It never gets old and can be changed up easily without spending a lot of money! Win, win!
Find way more sensory play ideas on my Sensory Play & Play Dough Pinterest Board!
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