Water Beads for Babies at Play

Water Beads and Glass Gems

It’s been forever since I brought out the water beads and I thought it had been long enough!  So, I set up a fun invitation to play that included these wonderful beads.

• Red glass gems
• Blue water beads
• Tongs
• Spoon

I placed it all inside a plastic storage box to attempt to contain the mess.
J explored each bowl for a bit, than immediately stepped in the bowl of water beads.  And that is where he spent most of his play.

He did get his hands in the squishy beads too.  I mean they feel so fabulous, you just have to touch!  He didn’t really play with the gems this time.  I’ll have to mix them together next time to give him a different sensory experience. Plus, we’ll be able to talk about hard vs. soft and the different textures of the gems and beads.

A few things about water beads:

• You can find them in the floral section of any craft store.  I bought mine at Walmart for $5 a package.
• They start out as tiny little beads.  They become these big, cool, soft, beads after being soaked in water for a few hours. 
• They are not environmentally friendly, so I don’t throw mine out when we’re done. Instead, I lay them out on a paper towel in a box, and set them in a dry place.  I put mine on top of our kitchen cabinets.  After a few days they will return back to their original tiny size and can be reused over and over again.

Have you ever played with water beads? They really are fantastic. My husband comments about how cool they feel every time I bring them out.  Truly, they are fun!