Here’s an unusual gift idea for a niece or nephew about whose age you aren’t super in-the-know. These Jelly Beadz (also sold as Orbeez) are hours of fun. Here are some of the things we loved about Orbeez when I recently tested it out with my daughter.
Jelly Beadz: Unique gift idea and fun indoor activity for big kids
It’s fascinating to watch
One of the things I really enjoyed about jelly beadz is watching them expand as we placed them in the tub of water. These water beads expand 100 times their weight in water. It is absolutely so much fun to watch them expand, and I am not just talking about my kid, we were both in awe.
Great sensory toy
If you have a kid is sensory and loves to touch everything, this is a perfect toy for to get. The beadz have a unique feel that will make you want to play with them endlessly. They are soft and squishy but not slimy, it is a really unique feeling
Many Different Activities to do with Jelly Beadz
Orbeez Spa Day
My daughter filled a clear tub with a generous supply of them in order to create a spa experience for herself. She loves the feeling of the slick balls in warm water when she pushes her feet into the tub. I tried it, too!
When she is feeling very pampered, she drags the tub in place beneath her chair at the dinner table so that she can eat with her feet submerged in the tub. I understand if you would not allow this at your house.
Our “spa kit” is a plastic file tub from Amazon and the Jelly Beadz we have are this generous pack.
One teaspoon of these beads, after a couple hours in water, grow to be one quart of glossy balls.
Orbeez sells the same stuff pretty much and has a variety of tools to use with them, including a foot spa thing, but this file tub DIY solution worked well, and when we’re not using the tub, at least it serves other purposes.
Here are some other activities you can do with jelly beadz
- Water beads on the light table.
- Water beads with water balloons.
- Making Artistic Bottles filled with Jelly Beadz
- Water beads mixed with shaving cream (super-sensory)
- Hop in Water beads in the bathtub or pool. (parent supervision necessary)
Great for All Ages
Since big kids don’t often get access to sensory bins, these beautiful squishy marbles are so much fun for them. We had a high school student stopped by recently to drop off my son, and I sent her to the bathroom to check the “spa” out. She loved it.
She and my daughter loaded a syringe for infant medicine with a rainbow assortment of balls and then squished them. That’s a whole other level of mess fun.
Check out this fun Video Review! There is a wide assortment of Water Beads available on Amazon: Check Prices Here!
