The Ocean in a Bottle

Call it a hazard of trying to get pregnant, but lately I've been collecting all sorts of fun little crafty things to do with munchkins for my ever expanding "Mommy Idea" book. A few of my ideas actually come from my stint as a co-teacher at a preschool back before Mr. Stepford and I got married.

The "Ocean in a Bottle" craft was one we did for summer camp, which I thought was really, really cool. It's cheap, it's quick, it's only minimally messy, and bugs of all ages can do it. Not only is it fun to put together, fun to look at, but it's cheap and disposable... Which means that when they get tired of it in a week, you can empty it out and throw it away without regret. Added bonus is you can even sneak a little science in with the crafting.

Come on, how great is that?

Making an ocean bottle is actually so simple, you'll cry. The kids can even do most of it with only supervision. All you need is:

• A clear plastic soda bottle, with lid (any size will do, but I think the two-liter bottles are best)


• Mineral oil (found in the personal care section of your local box store)


• Water (found in the faucet of your local kitchen)


• Blue food coloring


• Shells, dollar store sea critters, sea glass, or other sea-related doo-dads that can fit in the bottle


• Craft glue

Optional:

• A funnel, to minimize messiness


• A little glitter (or ocean critter shaped confetti)... half a teaspoon to a teaspoon or so, to maximize sparkliness
  
• Hot glue, to prevent embarrassing leaks

Construction Process:

1. If you haven't already, but we all know you have, wash your bottle and take off all identifying labels. Then, fill the bottle slightly over halfway with regular old tap water (this is where that funnel may come in handy).

2. Add a few drops of food coloring, until the water is that desired shade of oceany-blue (if you make it too dark, you might not sea your critters.. Get it? Sea? I kill me). Screw on the cap and shake (not stir), to incorporate the food coloring while simultaneously using some of that extra energy you know your kiddos have.

3. Add the sea critters, shells, and do-dads to your bottle. If you have glitter, now's the time to throw it in.

4. Now, fill the bottle to just about the top with the vegetable oil (bet you're wishing you had that funnel now, huh?).

5. Wipe down the cap and rim of the bottle, so that they're totally dry and oil-free. Put on some of that crafting glue around the threads of the screw top on the bottle, trying not to get any actually in the bottle. Screw the cap on tight.

6. If you've got your glue gun armed and ready, use extra glue around the edge of the cap for more protection against leaks and spills.

Voila! Instant ocean in a bottle. To use, simply turn the bottle on its side and rock it back and forth to create gentle waves. Or strong waves, what ever your child prefers. Talk about how the ocean affects the animals in it, talk about how waves work, heck, even share why the oil and water don't mix.

Some tips for extra fun in the ocean:

Mixing ocean critters and doo-dads that float with ocean critters and doo-dads that sink is actually kind of neat. Test to see which ones float and which ones don't by dropping them in bowl of water.

Like it or not, wetness will occur, both from spilled oil and spilled water. To minimize messiness, and slippery spots on your kitchen floor that don't seem to ever go away, do the craft outside... Or somewhere that you don't mind watching people fall down a lot. You know, whichever.

There's no law saying the ocean must be blue. And there's no law saying it has to be an ocean. Mix things up by dying the water different colors. Experiment with the food coloring, see what you can create. Use different oils, like vegetable, canola, maybe even olive oil, for different color combinations.

Substitute the sea critters for other things... Confetti, beads, glitter, small gemstones, whatever. Use it as a way to demonstrate things like viscosity and density. Make it a magic bottle instead of an ocean bottle, or a color bottle, or whatever. One lady called hers a "princess bottle" and had a bunch of girls make it as a favor for her daughter's birthday party, adding dollar store finds and other girly things to it, and she used some of that neon food dye for the water. Imagine red water, yellow vegetable oil, and bugs for a boy's party... EWWW!

When the bottle has outlived it's novelty, and trust me, it's going to happen, cut open the bottle, dump out the water, and keep the doo-dads for next time.

Have fun, happy splashing, and enjoy your "Works for Me Wednesday!"