How to Make an Ocean in a Soda Bottle

Soda bottle oceans are an entertaining way to teach kids about the ocean and waves. The simplicity of an ocean in a bottle makes it an ideal craft for preschoolers, while older kids can use their bottle ocean for learning more about the environment.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 2-liter soda bottle
• Vegetable oil
• Water
• Blue or green food coloring
• Shells
• Glue

1. Clean and dry a 2-liter plastic soda bottle. Remove all labels and scrub off any remaining glue. Kids can decorate the outside of the bottle with markers or leave it plain.

2. Fill the bottle half way with water. Using a funnel helps avoid spills.

3. Mix the food coloring with the water. Blue or green is the obvious choice, but kids can coordinate their soda bottle ocean with the color of their room or bathroom for a more customized craft.

4. Drop in seashells or other small ocean creatures. Craft stores sell small creatures such as starfish and seahorses that float. These enhance soda bottle oceans by making them more realistic.

5. Use a funnel and fill the rest of the bottle with vegetable oil.

6. Glue the cap on by drying the cap and bottle spout completely. Add glue to the cap and rim of soda bottle and twist tightly. Give it a few minutes to dry.

7. Turn the soda bottle on its' side and gently rock the ocean back and forth. This creates the motion of a wave and makes the sea creatures bob around.

Tips & Warnings

• Use this craft for teaching younger children how water and oil don't mix. Let older children add dish detergent to their ocean, which will absorb the oil. This teaches how dangerous chemicals can be in the water.

Resources

• Find floating sea life at this website.