Materials:
Six sturdy, recycled plastic water bottles, such as the Voss or Core brands
One pkg. of Clear Water Jewels (from Michaels—about $3.25 per pkg.)
Water-based food coloring in purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red
Hot glue gun
Directions: Reconstitute half a package of clear water jewels in a dish tub with at least three inches of water. One package reconstituted makes about four quarts of water pearls, so half a package will be plenty! It takes four–six hours for the water jewels to reconstitute, so plan ahead. Add more water if you need to. When they’re ready, use a funnel to put the desired amount in each bottle. Add a little water and food coloring to each of your six bottles. If you plan to keep the rainbow jars for a while, I recommend using hot glue to secure the tops on the bottle. You definitely do not want water jewels anywhere but in the bottles!
Your little one will enjoy handling the bottles, comparing them to one another, perhaps rolling them on the floor, turning them upside down, drinking in the colors with her eyes.
You may also want to create a clear bottle using just water and adding small items that are rainbow colors and will float in the water. Tiddlywinks, small colorful pompoms, colorful rubber bands, etc. are fun choices. Just don’t add anything that might rust!
If you have a sunny windowsill where you can keep the bottles when your child is not exploring them, it creates a rainbow effect wherever the light hits.