Water beads are a popular type of sensory play for toddlers and kids in preschool and kindergarten, however they’re often simply as enjoyable and beneficial for older kids as well. Playing with water beads can be extraordinarily relaxing and therapeutic, and there’s one thing about them that keep kids occupied for hours. From sensory bins, to emphasize balls, to DIY foot spas and more, these water bead actions for kids are easy to setup and mix sensory play with fine motor development in such a enjoyable way!
What Are Water Beads?
Water beads are small polymer pellets that develop when they’re positioned in water. They are slimy and squishy, making them a popular type of sensory play for kids. Playing with water beads can be extraordinarily calming, and a few people use them to create relaxing at-home spas.
Water beads are non-toxic and biodegradable, however they’re inedible. They ought to by no means be positioned within the mouth or ingested as they could be a choking hazard and can potentially hurt the digestive tract. Children ought to by no means play with water beads unless they’re being unsupervised.
If your child accidentally swallows water beads, be certain to hunt medical consideration immediately.
How & When to Dispose of Water Beads
While unused water beads can final for fairly a whereas of their original packaging, they can attract mold as soon as you’ve hydrated them and your kids have performed with them. If you see black spots in your water beads, it’s time to toss them away.
When it involves disposing of your water beads, watch out to not pour them down the drain, and by no means flush them down the toilet. This can trigger a back-up in your plumbing system, and it can even be harmful to wildlife if water beads are pushed out into the environment via your sewer system.
The best way to dispose of old water beads is to toss them into the garbage, however you can add them to plants and vases as well. Potting soil contains the identical polymer used to make water beads, making them plant-safe, and also you can add them to a vase with freshly cut flowers to make a colourful floral arrangement!
9 Water Bead Activities for Kids
1. SENSORY BIN
One of the best water bead actions for kids is to fill a sensory bin with water, add your water beads, and let your kids dig their hands in and play. Water beads are slimy and squishy, and it may be extraordinarily relaxing to run your hands through a tub of water filled with them. This sensory play table is a nice option as it’s the perfect height for youthful kids, and it comes with a lid so that you can safely retailer materials to make use of one other day (just be certain to check for indicators of mold!). If you don’t have room for a sensory table, any big bin like this one will do!
You can improve your child’s sensory bin expertise by giving them cups, scoops, tongs, tweezers, and something else they can use to maneuver and manipulate their water beads. Amazon has a nice all-in-one water bead option, which incorporates an inflatable sensory bin, water beads, and tons of equipment your kids will enjoy playing with!
2. SORTING
If you’re looking for water bead actions for kids that assist develop fine motor skills, sorting is a nice idea to try. These fine motor scoopers and tweezers are the perfect accent for the job, and your little one can practice color recognition and/or counting as they separate water beads into different colors.
3. ADD SHAVING CREAM
If you’re not against water bead actions for kids that are a tad messy, that is a enjoyable option. Grab a big baking sheet, spray a decent quantity of shaving cream, and let your kids add water beads for the final sensory experience! You could make this extra of a fine motor/educational exercise by asking your child to pick particular person beads up with their thumb and index finger and arrange them into shapes/letters.
4. DIY STRESS BALL
If you’re looking for water bead actions for kids who a little older, making stress balls is certain to be a hit. Start by including hydrated water beads to a water bottle. Next, blow up a balloon and, whereas holding it closed so the air doesn’t escape, pull the neck of the balloon overtop of the water bottle. Pour the water beads into the balloon and take away the balloon from the water bottle, permitting the air to escape. Tie a knot across the neck of the balloon and viola! You have your very personal DIY stress ball, which is tremendous enjoyable for kids to play with.
5. FROZEN WATER BEADS
After your child has completed playing with their water beads, take away the water from the bin, pour the water beads right into a Ziplock bag, and pop them within the freezer overnight. Frozen water beads offer a barely different sensory expertise as kids scoop, tweeze, and sort them. It’s additionally actually enjoyable to try and smash frozen water beads, however beware that they have a tendency to interrupt down as soon as they’re defrosted, so you’ll want to toss them within the rubbish as soon as your child is completed playing with them.
6. WATER BEAD SLIME
If your kids like slime, I Can Teach My Child has a tremendous easy and enjoyable water bead slime recipe you could make with solely THREE ingredients!
7. LED LIGHT PLAY
A flat light panel offers a nice way to bring your favorite water bead actions for kids to life. Add your water beads to a transparent bin and place it on top of your light panel, after which add different toys into the bin so your child can create their very personal world of make believe. For example, you can use all blue water beads to create an ‘ocean’ after which add miniature fish, sharks, etc.
8. DIY FOOT SPA
My daughter was gifted an Orbeez Foot Spa a few years ago, and it was such a hit. You could make your personal with water beads and a common foot spa, otherwise you can merely use a big bowl and water beads for a DIY at-home spa expertise the entire household will love!
9. FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS
Water beads were initially designed to be used in floral preparations as they assist management water absorption whereas including a little colourful flare. If you’re looking for water bead actions for kids who’re older, try your hand at making homemade centerpieces together! You can use actual or fake flowers, and provides them as gifts to household and friends.
Whether you’re looking for boredom busters for your kids to enjoy at home, or want sensory actions for the classroom, I hope this assortment of water bead actions for kids inspires you!
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