I have been setting aside games, puzzles, craft ideas and recipes that I would like to do with my children, or have available for my kids to use during the Christmas season. One activity that I have on hand are Christmas I Spy Bottles. I have several versions made ahead of time that I can pull out on those snowy days when we need a fun activity to occupy our time. Here’s how to make your own Christmas I Spy bottles:

Making Christmas I Spy Bottles

Supplies:

clean plastic bottles
10-20 small Christmas objects for each bottle (I used Christmas buttons and miniature Christmas ornaments)
plastic craft pellets, bird seed, sand (choose one)
Super Glue or other strong-holding glue
ribbon(optional)

Steps:

1. Make sure you have a clean, dry bottle with the label removed.

2. (optional) Take a photo of the items that will be placed in the bottle. This can be printed as a reference card and attached to the bottle as a reference card.

3. Pour some of the filler material in the bottle. Then drop some of the objects. Repeat until all objects are in the bottle. Only fill the bottle about 3/4 full The objects need room to mix around and move.
4. Glue the lid in place with a strong glue.

5. Decorate with a ribbon (optional) or if you didn’t take a photo of the objects, type a list and attach it with ribbon or string around the neck of the bottle.

I Spy bottles can be made to coordinate with any theme or holiday —or can be totally random. Here is just a sample of what could be put in the bottles: