The first thing to decide is how large you want your water beads to be. Most water beads will inflate to around 9-12 mm each. These water beads will be fairly small—not quite the size of a marble. Other water beads will inflate to be much larger—possibly around 2 inches in diameter. Most purchasing options will only include water beads of the same size, but some choices offer a variety of different-sized water beads.
Another thing to decide is how many water beads you need to buy. Water beads are often sold in high quantities, sometimes with as many as 50,000 water beads in each package. Larger water beads may only be available in counts of 300 or so. Keep in mind that you do not need to inflate all of your water beads at the same time—you can inflate some and store the rest. Some water beads will even come in tubs or bags that can be resealable to keep your beads safely and effectively stored.
As you continue to think about which water beads you want to buy, you’ll likely want to have a good idea of how you plan to use them. Are these going to be for children to play with? If so, you probably want the beads that offer the highest level of durability for long-term play. Water beads can occasionally break, but some will offer more strength and break less often than others. If you’re planning to display your water beads in a vase or table setting, durability is probably less important to you than how the beads look. In this case, you may be more concerned about the brightness of the colors provided.
Something else to think about if the water beads are going to be played with is what other tools or supplies you’ll need to create your play setting. In addition to having some sort of base to hold the water beads, you may want some tools that allow your children to pick up or maneuver the water beads. Most of the sets on this list won’t include anything like this, but there is one set that does, and we’ll make sure to point it out to you once we get there.
These beads are made with non-toxic materials for the safety of children and the environment.
These water beads are great for centerpieces, floral designs, weddings, homes, plant decorations, vase filler, showers, parties, and more.
These beads are made with non-toxic, environmentally friendly materials and are designed to not easily break or fade, with high elasticity and good toughness.
These beads come in six different colors: red, blue, yellow, green, orange, and transparent.
These beads encourage sensory exploration. When fully expanded, they will create a smooth tactile experience.
These beads are also great for candles, cut flower arrangements, centerpieces, and more.
Water beads are already a great sensory activity, but the tools included with these water beads will be even more helpful as your children seek to develop fine motor skills.
Each piece of this kit, from the water beads to the interactive tools, is made with materials that are non-toxic and safe for both children and the environment.
When fully expanded, these smooth and squishy water beads will keep children happy and busy for hours.
These water beads can expand to up to 2.2 inches in diameter once soaked for 24-36 hours.
These bands create a soothing tactile experience and are a great learning tool and aid for developing fine motor skills.
A: It depends on which water beads you purchase. Some water beads will expand rather quickly—perhaps in as few as four hours. As a general rule, you’ll be waiting a little longer for your water beads to expand. It’s normal for beads to take between 24 and 36 hours to grow to their full size. Once expanded, most water beads cannot be shrunk, but some can be dried off with a tissue and then re-expanded when they come in contact with water. Typically, water beads can be stored indefinitely as long as they are kept in an airtight container, but you’ll want to keep watch over them to make sure that they don’t develop any mold.
A: Water beads are made from a combination of water and water-absorbing polymer. These polymers are made to stick together and form long chains that can expand as they come into contact with water. Generally, they are made with material that is non-toxic and environmentally friendly, and they feature high elasticity that will allow them to stand up to long-term use.