Yesterday, l  made some new toys for the Texture and Sensory baby class. For the first toy, I filled up a bottle with water and added some stones. They made a really lovely, deep thumping sound.

The second water bottle l filled with coloured water and added a whole load of sparkling stars and snowflakes. At first, the parents thought it wouldn't work because you wouldn't be able to see the stars.

They were very surprised when it worked and the babies loved it.

I then put water in a clean, empty, Innocent's bottle and filled it with sparkly stars, circles and hearts and then added small, letter beads. So sparkly, shiny and made a noise... success!

The babies really took an interest in these bottles and played with them for ages without getting bored. They made nice noises, looked pretty and were "small" hand sized... what is there not to like?

Just make sure you use really well cleaned bottles; check for cracks or sharp edges; tighten lid and make sure the tape you use is strong and a water-proof kind. All this is for health and safety reasons.