Patriotic Glitter Sensory Jar for 4th of July

Are you looking for a fun and mesmerizing daytime activity for the kiddos this 4th of July? This patriotic glitter sensory jar is a great toy that offsets the craziness and volume of the fireworks. It’s also a fun way to introduce some calming down time if the kiddos start fighting or being mean during the rest of the daytime festivities.

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This patriotic glitter sensory jar is a fun way to introduce calming down time if the kiddos start fighting during the rest of the daytime festivities. Click To Tweet

This year my family got some inflatable pools for the kiddos to play with on the Fourth. I know they are going to have a blast with the surprise but I also know that there are bound to be some tears and fighting because, hello, they’re my kids. I wanted a creative way to institute a time-out of sorts without totally ruing the fun.

That’s why I made this patriotic glitter sensory jar. It’s still like a toy and fun to shake and watch the swirls. However, it is also the perfect way to have one of the kiddos sit and calm down before going back to play.

Of course it’s simply a bonus that I can swirl it and play with it when it’s not in use by the kiddos. Score! I could seriously watch the glitter swirling all day. Mommy time-outs are totally a thing, right?

Patriotic Glitter Sensory Jar Materials

Small Plastic Jar
Blue Glitter Glue
Loose Silver Glitter
Metallic Red, White, and Blue Stars Confetti
Hot Water
E6000
Patriotic Garland
Hot Blue Gun and Glue

Note: I got all of my supplies except the silver glitter, confetti, and E6000 at my local Dollar Tree.

Step 1

First, empty your container of blue glitter glue into your jar.

Tip:

Get any excess still in the glitter glue bottle out by pouring hot water in the bottle and shaking it up. Then pour it into your jar.

Step 2

Next, pour in your desired amount of loose silver glitter into the jar.

Step 3

Fill the rest of your jar with hot water stopping just short of the lip. Then put the lid back on and shake vigorously to combine.

Step 4

Lastly, add your metallic stars confetti and again return the lid and shake to combine it all together.

Step 5

Then place a line of E6000 along the inside edge of your lid.

Tip:

Wipe out the inside of your lid and the lip of your jar before adding the glue. This will make sure the seal is stronger.

Step 6

Screw your lid tightly onto your jar and allow to sit 24 hours for the glue to dry.

Step 7

After your glue has dried, use hot glue to attach a small amount of patriotic garland to the top of your patriotic glitter sensory jar.

Tip:

Hold the garland to the top of the jar until the glue cools to ensure it stays in place.

Allow your mixture to cool before using the patriotic glitter sensory jar. The glitter will fall faster while the water is still hot. It swirls longer before falling once the mixture is cooled. If you don’t have any patriotic garland, don’t let that stop you from making this baby. It’s still a ton of fun even without the extra dash of festive. I use the leftovers from some of the other 4th of July crafts below so I already had it on hand. You know I can’t resist a bit of decoration on pretty much anything.

See where I’m linking up!