Silly + Super Spooky Skeleton Sensory Bottle For Halloween Fun

Over the past few years, I have realized that #thelittleone is much more sensory seeking than his older brother ever was at this age. I’ve spent some time trying to give him various sensory opportunities at home. This spooky skeleton sensory bottle is something I put together for him last year. (Look how tiny he was then!) We pulled it out again this year for some sensory play, so I thought I’d share it with you guys. I hope your family loves it as much as mine has!

Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through a link in this post, I may earn a small commission at no additional expense to you.

SUPER SPOOKY SKELETON SENSORY BOTTLE

How To Make A Skeleton Sensory Bottle

Materials: 

• Small plastic skeletons, skulls, bones, etc.
• Uncooked white rice.
  • Or other ‘bone-like’ filler. We had plenty of rice on hand, it’s inexpensive, makes a nice noise when you shake, and kinda looked like bone shards to me. But get creative if you have other ideas!
• A plastic bottle with top.
• Glue.
• Scissors or craft shears.
  • May not be required, depending on how sturdy your skeletons are.
• Funnel and spoon for scooping.
  • Optional, but helpful!

Instructions: 

1. First, assemble all necessary materials.
2. Second, disassemble your skeletons.
   1. They’ll fit better in the bottle, and move around better when shaking if they are broken into pieces.
   2. Use your hands, scissors, or craft shears to seperate the skeletons at joints.
   3. If kids are old enough, have them help with this process. (Watching carefully if scissors/shears are used!)
      
3. Next, put the bone pieces into the empty bottle.
   
4. Using the funnel and spoon, fill the remainder of the bottle with rice.
   1. Be sure to leave a little bit of empty space, so the bottle shakes well.
      
5. Use glue to securely attach the top to the skeleton sensory bottle.
   1. This will cut down on spills, and also reduce the risk of ingestion/choking by small children.
   2. Regardless of glue, please supervise small children who are using this sensory bottle.
      
6. Finally, grab that spooky sensory bottle and start shaking and shimmying all over the place this Halloween!
   

Pairing Your Skeleton Sensory Bottle For Extra Fun

Books: 

No surprise, I love when we can pair an activity or craft with a book we’ve been enjoying. This spooky skeleton sensory bottle pairs PERFECTLY with Shake Dem Halloween Bones, a family Halloween favorite for years. The lyrical, catchy story about costumed characters getting their groove on at a Hip Hop Halloween Ball is sure to get kids dancing and shaking their bottles. It was written by W. Nikola-Lisa and illustrated by Mike Reed. If you’re interested in getting a peek at the book, be sure to check out Jamie Barrett’s interpretation!

Shake Dem Halloween Bones from Jamie Barrett

Dry Bones from Child’s Play is another great option to check out! It’s even available with a CD to really get your kiddos dancing. It’s a traditional African-American spiritual illustrated by Kate Edmunds. Check out Emmina Edutainment’s take on the book if you’re interested in learning more!

Dry Bones from Emmina Edutainment

Songs: 

If your children are anything like mine, they’ll love the opportunity to sing and dance while shaking their skeleton sensory bottles. Here’s some of our spooky skeleton go-to’s! I hope your family enjoy them as much as we have!

Skeleton Dance from The Kiboomers

Five Little Skeletons from The Five Little Show For Babies

Skeleton March by Hello Halloween – Nursery Rhymes for Kids

Do your kids have favorite spooky songs they love to Dance To at Halloween? Tell me their picks in the comments below!