Water beads are a fab sensory activity for all ages. I've yet to come across a child who doesn't have a blast playing with them.
They are easily bought off online shops and you can buy them in a whole host of colours which makes them great for doing 'themed' play.
Using water beads as part of a theme is a great way to teach children about the world around them and to learn more about a story or celebration.
I set up a polar animal tub using white and blue beads and added some ice cubes and shaving foam along with some polar animal figures.
The kids had great fun exploring the different textures and using their imaginations to play with the figures. It was great for Leo, 3 yrs to learn the names of some of the animals too.
Simply just playing with the water beads though is as fun. Adding spoons and cups, jugs or bowls for the children to use are great tools for motor practice and are useful for sparking their imaginations. Ella and Leo had great fun filling up an ice-lolly silicone mould and pretending they were in an ice-lolly cafe. They used the measuring spoons to measure how many table and teaspoons it took to fill the bowls and Leo liked filling the cookie cutters to make shapes.
Water beads are not recommended for babies or children who may be inclined to put them in their mouths but they are still able to play by using them in sensory bags.
To do, add some coloured water or shaving foam to a zip lock bag and add the beads to them. Tape the tops of the bags with Duct tape. A great tummy time activity or for keeping little ones entertained while in the high chair.
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