Water beads are the perfect (almost mess free) answer for anyone looking for a sensory activity (and when we say anyone, we mean children and adults)! Water beads promote learning and development in all content areas of the classroom.  From fine motor exploration to science, color, sensory, and creative art – the ideas of how water beads can be used is endless. We here at PRC decided to try out some water beads just for fun and fell in love with their relaxation and stress relieving attributes. Check out the process for making them below. We bought Jelly Beadz from Amazon (roughly 1 pound or 30,000 beads for $18).

You will need:

Water Beads, Water, a medium to large tub, paper towels

1. Start by pouring a handful of beads into the tub you are choosing to make your beads in (remember, even though it may not seem like many beads, once they grow they could very well outgrow your tub! That’s where the paper towels come in handy.

2.Fill your tub about halfway with water.

3. Let the tub sit overnight or for at least 4 hours while the beads absorb the water. Check to make sure there isn’t much      excess water in the bottom of your tub. (If so, they may need more time or the water can be drained with a strainer).

4. Start playing!

That’s really all there is to it! Remember, these beads are not edible! They will last roughly 3 or 4 days before needing to be tossed or separated onto paper towels to dry out. Note that these beads will not release water but the water will evaporate and they will return to original size. They can be used again later!