Fan of viewing bottles - Sensory tubes also as a scent bottle
Author: Sharon Wing
Play leader and mother
It's been a while since I first saw them in a webshop, these Sensory Tubes. Tubes in which you can put all kinds of stuff to take a good look at them and to play with them (sensopathically). At first I clicked away. You can also do this perfectly well with an empty transparent half-liter bottle and why would I buy expensive tubes for that? 
Still, these Sensory tubes stuck in my mind and a few days later I looked at them again. And a bit later again, and again... What I hadn't noticed the first time was that the tubes are quite large (31 cm), so for a child these tubes are easy to handle and they offer a lot of space to look at things. There are also closed and open lids so that you can put liquids and small objects in them, but you can also work with scent. Toys with scents are almost non-existent and you can't make them yourself with an empty plastic bottle. My interest was certainly aroused!
I was very happy to try out these tubes for Toys42hands. Are they worth the money? And what can you do with them?
When I opened the box I found 4 clear tubes, 12 lids and a manual. The Sensory tubes are not ready-made toys and for a moment I had a moment of: 'What is fun about this?'
This moment was very short, because what fun it is! The simplest materials change into something special when you throw them in a tube and then shake, roll, tilt or turn the tube.
First I threw some puffed rice in the tube and let my toddler daughter play with it. The rice falls and rolls over each other when you roll the tube and this gives a very nice effect, it also makes a nice sound. My two-year-old daughter was less impressed by what she saw than I was, but she did have a great time playing with the tubes. She puts the tubes upright, which works very well thanks to the sturdy flat caps, and cooks with them, or plays with them together with her cuddly toys.
I wondered for a moment whether the tubes were not a bit too big to use them with scents, wouldn't you need a lot of scented material in such a big tube? However, this is not the case, the tube is narrow and the scent can only come out on one side, so you can even smell things that don't smell strongly. You also move the tube a lot while playing, so the scent is released again and again. It is also very nice that you can simply wash the tubes, so you can use them again and again with different materials.
I am enthusiastic about the tubes, they are nice and big and sturdy, easy to wash and can be used for many things. Especially in institutions or at schools it is a nicer and more convenient material than an empty bottle. Also if your child is a big fan of a viewing bottle I would definitely consider buying this set, you can really do more with it. You do have to pay attention to screw the caps on the tubes properly, this can be a bit difficult (on the other hand, your child will not just loosen it). The set is recommended for children from two years old, but if you let your child play with it supervised, even babies can enjoy the beautiful effects.
It is also advisable to play with the tubes under supervision when you put liquid in the tube, I personally think this gives the most beautiful effect, but if the tube falls it can happen that the cap (partly) comes loose, causing it to leak.
