Water Beads Scoop and Transfer

A fun toddler activity playing with slippery water beads.

Water beads are magic. Not just toddler magic or kid magic – these guys are so much fun to play with. I could play with them all day everyday. They’re too much fun.

It wasn’t until I actually bought water beads that I understood what they are. Maybe you’re super hip into the world of water beads but I wasn’t. They’re what florists use in arrangements – those soft, slippery gel like balls.

I didn’t realize how teeny tiny they were either. Here’s what they look like before you add water:

Each “round” uses 1 teaspoon from that pouch. We are on our 10th round from just this little bag. Now that’s getting your money worth. I wonder how many batches we still have left to make….?

Water beads do need a few hours of prep time to “plump” up so this isn’t an on-the-fly type toddler activity. But they’re so worth it. Put 1 teaspoon into 4 cups of water and leave them to party/marinade overnight. A few hours later…

…TA DA!!!

We love these guys and play with them all the time around here. But a little warning: You do have to know your toddler audience – they can NOT be eaten. They look tempting and delicious so make sure your kiddo knows not to eat them.

Our water beads activity for this round: Scoop and Transfer.

Materials:
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This was such a simple toddler activity to set up. I filled half the kitchen sink with water – I dyed the water green with food coloring because life is more fun with green water. It doesn’t stain little hands; it’s very diluted.

I dumped the whole bowl into the colored water and added in lots of utensils to scoop with (my favorite being the tiny colanders). My toddler stood at the sink [on his learning tower] and scooped and transferred from the green water back into an empty bowl that I’d set up on the other side of the sink.

It’s a simple activity but it’s the best. My toddler stood there for almost 15 minutes happily scooping and transferring. Bonus: my almost 5 year old neighbor came over and they played this again later that evening for another 15 minutes. Half an hour of happy kid playing all thanks to a tiny teaspoon. Fan.tas.tic.

Water beads are a terrific sensory activity for kids. They’re slippery, silly, easy to play with and even easier to set up. If you need a fun activity for your toddler, you gotta try them out.

If you liked this activity, read my post on 4 Quick Water Bead Activities for even more ideas.