We have had so much fun using water beads. They really do provide a mesmerising sensory experience for the children. They are super smooth balls that have been soaked in water and have absorbed it. Running your hands through the cool beads as they bobble and bounce is quite captivating and I can assure you, as adults it will be hard for you to resist temptation of getting stuck in too!
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When children are playing with the water beads they will need supervision by a responsible adult. The beads are not edible so its paramount that we keep a close eye. If your child/ren are still keen on putting things in their mouths - it may be an idea to wait a few more months until they stop.
If you have ever used the smaller water beads you will be able to appreciate the size of them once they have fully expanded - this was the size of the giant water beads on arrival. Roughly the same size as a marble.
Frozen Water Beads
I put them into soak over night like I would normally do with the smaller beads but when I woke up the next morning and came to check on them they looked like this:
As you can see they had soaked up quite a bit of water but still had a way to go before they were completely full. I topped the water back up and it was around 3 days before they were completely good to go.
You can get these Giant Water Beads here - UK/US
This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. If you use the links, I may earn a commission at no cost to you.
When children are playing with the water beads they will need supervision by a responsible adult. The beads are not edible so its paramount that we keep a close eye. If your child/ren are still keen on putting things in their mouths - it may be an idea to wait a few more months until they stop.
If you have ever used the smaller water beads you will be able to appreciate the size of them once they have fully expanded - this was the size of the giant water beads on arrival. Roughly the same size as a marble.
Frozen Water Beads
I put them into soak over night like I would normally do with the smaller beads but when I woke up the next morning and came to check on them they looked like this:
As you can see they had soaked up quite a bit of water but still had a way to go before they were completely full. I topped the water back up and it was around 3 days before they were completely good to go.
You can get these Giant Water Beads here - UK/US
I left the giant beads in a shallow pool of water and placed down a thick blanket to catch any spillages. It meant too that as/if the balls got squished and any was dropped outside the tray it was a quick and easy clean up.
As always I popped it down on the floor and just waited for the children to discover it. I absolutely love how one of them will excitingly spot the invitation and call the others to come over and see.
I had 2 and 6 years olds playing very contently along side one another for this activity. My 2 year olds (almost 3) do not put things in their mouths anymore but full supervision was given at all times.
They played wonderfully along side one another. Talking through what they were doing. Laughing at each others discoveries and the younger children were watching the older children and attempting what they were doing too.
It was a lovely 40 minutes where the children played contently, exploring the medias and learning from one another.
When I have shared our activities with water beads in the past - I am often contacted by people saying they can't bare to use them anymore because their children squish them up and break them.
With an adult mind - yes this can be perceived as annoying. You've brought these beads, knowing you can reuse them and once they have been turned to much - they're no good.
Water beads are not expensive. I am all for frugal living but when a child squishes a water bead - they are exploring cause and effect. They are doing an action that is causing something in their hand to completely change.
The discovery could be made by accident when a child is feeling the water bead or it could be something they do on purpose. Roll with it. Allow them to explore cause and effect hands on. Encourage their curiosity knowing that the mashed water beads in some shallow water will in fact create another wonderful sensory texture to explore.
Lets take a look at these Giant Water Beads in Action:
They were fascinated submerging their hands into the mushy goo. Grabbing handful and allowing the 'mush' to filter through their fingers. Over and over again they did this.
You can get these Giant Water Beads here - UK/US
You can get these Giant Water Beads here - UK/US
After around 40 minutes they were ready to come away and wash their hands. The boys are still just 2 years old and their attention spans can be rather fleeting. I have found that sensory play really captivates their interests and holds them at an activity for longer. Here are some of our most recent sensory play activities:
If you get round to doing this activity or trying out water beads - I would love to hear from you. You can find me across all the social media channels!
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