Project 7: I-Spy Bottle
Inspiration: 
Did anyone else have those I-Spy books as a kid, with a rhyme and all sorts of objects on each page? Well, this toy is basically a real-life version of those books. Each bottle has all sorts of little objects hidden in rice and you shake and rotate the bottle to find the items listed on the clue card. A great car toy or for sitting in the waiting room- basically any time you need semi-quiet distractions (the rice IS kind of noisy, so you might not want to use this one in church…).
My project:
I started by finding the right kind of bottle- this one is from sparkling water…I thought plastic would be best in case it gets dropped, but I think a glass bottle could feel a bit sturdier. I guess it depends on your target audience. Then I dyed the rice (here) and then picked out several little beads and toys to put in. I photographed all the items and began layering them with the rice in the bottle until it was about 5/6th of the way full. You need to leave space at the top so that the rice can move around. I twisted on the cap, glued felt around the top to keep it shut, and printed the clue card. Done!
Here’s an ugly photo for you! It doesn’t really look better in real life. It kind of looks like greyish, dull rice and some little toys. That is it. Oh well, I think the kids I have in mind to give this to will have fun with it.
If you’d like another tutorial with step by step photos, check out Counting Coconuts.
such a good idea! i don’t have kids but I think it would also just be a pretty decorative piece