DIY Water Bottle I-Spy Game

Reuse empty water bottles and make a fun item for the beach bag. DIY Water Bottle I-Spy Games are so easy to make, even the kids can help with this crafty project.

DIY Water Bottle I-Spy Game

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There’s a quote about children that I often remind myself of when attempting to help my youngest daughter Leightyn tackle new things. The gist of the quote is that every child “learns at a different style and pace” and it is oh so true!

What an older sibling may have tackled with complete ease and confidence doesn’t necessarily hold true for the next child. Swimming is the perfect example, up until this spring Leightyn has wanted zip, zero, nada to do with getting into pools or even the lake in our subdivision.

She would flat out refuse and she is one stubborn child. Her no definitely means NO!

After endless attempts last summer resulting in frustration for all, I resolved to try a few new approaches so we could ALL enjoy trips down to the lake. First off I told Leightyn we would shop together for something to help her feel comfortable in the water without making her feel confined.

She had already expressed her disinterest in putting on a traditional life-vest as she felt trapped. The second thing we discussed is that we would pop over to the lake when it was less crowded so she felt more at ease and not pressured to swim like the other kids.

And lastly, I told her that she just needed to try for a short amount of time and then she could sit on a beach chair and relax and that we’d even make a fun item together to pass the time while her siblings finished swimming.

We found ourselves shopping at Target and it was the perfect time to pick up a Stearns® Puddle Jumper®  3D Life Jacket. She quickly chose one with her favorite PAW Patrol® character right on the chest in 3D, super cute! Into the cart, it went!

There’s a couple of things that I immediately liked about the Stearns® Puddle Jumper®  3D Life Jacket. The comfortable design definitely looked like it would allow Leightyn movement but protection at the same time.

There are adjustable buckle straps in the back and they are made of woven polyester which is a softer fabric leading to less chafing. Now that we had the perfect swim vest it was time to get crafting before our trip down to the lake.

One thing we go through a ton of during the summer is plastic water bottles! I decided we’d make good use out of one by making a DIY Water Bottle I-Spy Game. With fun little trinkets mixed in with dyed rice, it makes a fun item to throw into the beach bag to pass some time down by the water.

Let me tell show you how easy they are to make, they are a great summer project for the kiddos. Great for sleepovers, or kids parties too.

DIY Water Bottle I-Spy Game

• Start with a clean bottle with the label removed.
• We used 1 1/2 cups of rice for a 20 oz. bottle.
• Divide rice into plastic cups. 1/2 cup in each plastic cup.
• Squeeze 3 drops of food dye into each cup.
• Stir until dye is completely mixed into the rice.

• Pour rice onto a flat surface to dry a minimum of 4 hours.
• Assemble small trinkets (buttons, beads, coins, paper clips etc) for the bottle.
• Funnel colored rice into the bottle, add in trinkets. Shake!
• Use glue along the top of the bottle to completely secure lid.
• OPTIONAL: Attach a list of items found in the bottle or snap a pic of trinkets with your phone before adding to the bottle. We put our list in a resealable plastic bag because we ‘re heading to the beach.

Now off to the beach we go! We grabbed our beach bag, beach towels, our DIY Water Bottle I-Spy Game and our new Stearns® Puddle Jumper®  3D Life Jacket.

Taking Leightyn to the lake at a less busy time was definitely helpful. She easily got into her Stearns® Puddle Jumper®  3D Life Jacket, she like that she could move around easily.

This US Coast Guard-approved life jacket allowed her to easily move around, jump, swim and move freely without riding up around her neck and making her feel constrained.

I could see the change in her face, she went from being scared to feeling more confident in the water without pressure. It became fun for her just as we were hoping.

You can see it as clear as day…FUN was being had by a little girl who last year wanted NOTHING to do with this very same lake! YES! I have to mention another thing I really like about this life jacket: there are Antimicrobial properties built into the vest to resist odor-causing bacteria on the vest, no fear of stink! Can’t beat that!

Help your little one be more confident in the water, pick them up a Stearns® Puddle Jumper®  3D Life Jacket at Target and get in the water!