These super popular relaxation jars are very simple to make. All you need is:
a container (I used pint-sized Mason jars, but you can use a empty soft drink container, plastic jar … pretty much anything that is clear and has a lid)
hot tap water
Glitter Glue (about 1.8 fl oz)
a hot glue gun (to seal the lid if you wish to avoid spills)
I created mine by filling the Mason jar halfway with the hot tap water, emptying the glitter glue into the jar, (using more warm water to rinse and empty the remaining glitter glue out of the container … adding the water and shaking vigorously), adding more warm water if needed to fill the jar to the top, and then putting on the lid.
I found I needed to shake the mixture very well for awhile and also let it sit for a bit so that the glue would dissolve and fully mix with the water. It's not unusual for it to take a good 12 hours for it to fully dissolve. However, even when it is fully mixed the glitter will settle awhile after it is shaken.
As it would make sense … the greater the proportion of glitter glue to water the more dense the water becomes and the glitter “hangs” in suspension for longer. Experimenting with different amounts can give you a variety of effects. You can even create different jars with different densities if you'd like a shorter or longer time until the glitter settles
I have discovered that NOT ALL GLITTER GLUE works for this project … a couple of kinds that I had (they tended to have larger glitter) would NOT dissolve in the water. The glitter glues that I found works best is the Createlogy Brand sold at Michael’s or the Elmer's glitter glue that's popular for slime recipe.
These beautiful, easy to make jars are absolutely wonderful for staring at a relaxing … just losing yourself in the swirling glitter for a few moments helps to center oneself. They’ve been called “Glitter Jars“, “Calm Down Glitter Jars“, “Calming Glitter Jars“, “Calming Glitter Bottles“, “Mind Jars" , or “Time-out Jars“.
Whatever they are called … or however they are made (there’s a few variations) they are truly wonderful for helping kids settle down and relax. The idea is that by the time the glitter settles at the bottom the viewer would be calmer.
Creating these at home, school, or in therapy with a child would be a perfect, simple hands-on activity that they could take home as a great tool to help center them. Whether they tend to be anxious or hyperactive … Heck, anyone could use this tool to help chill out during the day!