Orbeez

Have your kids introduced you to Orbeez?

Orbeez- say what?  Yes, i was thinking it was some cool new product i was not aware of.  In reality it is the bio gel beads you use to decorate vases for floral arrangements (many people use them inside their vases for their wedding centerpieces).  They are now advertised as Orbeez to appeal to the younger consumers (or parents of the younger consumers).  

Here is an ad I found on You Tube.  

They start off as tiny beads and when soaked in water for about 6-8 hours they swell into water filled balls. 

Kids love playing with them.  So much so that some even bring them to school in a zip lock bag filled with a bit of water and place them on the desk.  It actually is a cool sensory experience.  It is the new stress relief squishy ball.  

I went to the dollar store and got the flower beads- sorry Orbeez makers, but you can't beat $1 each or 4 for $3.  Maybe one day I will shell out the money for your cool looking contraption that spins out Orbeez like a little factory.  For now, my 3 year old is more than happy playing with the flower beads.

I decided to make it a fun experience by getting a long shallow clear bin and filling it up with 4 packages of beads and lots of water.  Let me tell you that 4 packages gets you lots of water balls...LOTS!  

While in the water, you can barely see the balls.  They become invisible as they blend in with the water.  When you put your hands in the water you can feel the balls and it is so much fun to scoop them out. I gave her a strainer and she would transfer them from the the bin full of water to pails. She counted them, she bounced them, put her feet in them (spa day) and pretended her toys had to go through all the balls.  

The best is becoming a magician and making the balls disappear by adding water and making them appear again by dumping the water out.

You have to check out this cool video of how it works...better than my amateur video.

  

Steve Spangler is a great resource for science experiments, and that video inspired us to try it out.

I got the storage bin from Target and it is the best bin to use as a sensory/water bin.  It is long, shallow and clear.  It also has wheels to pull it around your house or outdoors.  

You have to try this out!  Lots of fun for kids...heck i even enjoyed playing with them.