A Mindfulness Practice for Families
Make your own calming glitter bottle:
- Find a plastic bottle or jar.
- Fill the jar ⅛ to ¼ full with glue. (Use Elmer’s Clear School Glue or similar.) The more glue, the slower the objects will settle after shaking.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of glitter. A small funnel is very helpful for this step.
- Fill the bottle the rest of the way with very warm water.
- Add food coloring (optional).
- Glue the cap on the bottle. Let the bottle rest to allow sealing glue to fully harden or the bottle may leak. You could use hot glue for a stronger seal.
- Once the cap on the bottle is dry, shake it and watch the glitter fall gently to the bottom. Notice how your mind and body feel before, during, and after this activity.
When we shake up a glitter bottle, the water becomes cloudy with all the contents swirling around quickly. We can think about our emotions swirling like this when we are worrying, angry or stressed.
As we watch the little bits of glitter fall slowly to the bottom, we become calmer. When we sit quietly and watch the settling, we give ourselves time and space to regain a sense of control and ease. Watching the glitter engages our senses and brings us into the present moment.
Seeing how the water becomes clear when all the contents are resting quietly also reflects our ability to see more clearly when we are in this calm state.
