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I kept seeing pics of these DIY sensory balls made from balloon and water beads, (Orbeez) and I wanted to make some because Liam and I love squishy sensory object.
It was super easy and inexpensive. Now, obviously if you or your child have a latex allergy this isn’t a good craft for you. For the rest, get your kiddos, and your supplies and enjoy.
NOTE: You can usually ALWAYS find water beads at the Dollar Tree. They have them in the candle section for use in flower vases.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
- Water bottle(s)
- balloons
- water beads
- funnel
- water
So the first thing you will need is a water bottle, or two, depending on how many balls you want to make. Next, you will need water beads and a funnel. Add approximately 150 water beads to your bottle(s).
Now you will add some water. You will want to add about 1 cup to 1 and 1/4 cups of water. I used distilled water because the more pure the water, the bigger your water beads will grow.
Next comes the boring part. Waiting for your water beads to grow. Some say wait over night, but honestly, your beads will grow in a few hours. you’ll know when they are ready as they will range in size from chick pea to cherry size.
I drained the remaining excess water from my bottle before I went to the next step. Now this part was a bit tricky. You need to blow up your balloon partially. What worked for me was stretching the mouth part out, and blowing it up a couple inches, then wrapping the excess balloon around my finger.
Now you want to place the balloon over the water bottle. This next part is fun, and your kids will probably enjoy this part. Simply tip the bottle upside down and start letting the water beads fill the balloon.
**Hold your balloon on the bottle so it doesn’t pop off**
Let your kids gently squeeze the bottle to get the beads to fill the balloon. Once the bottle is empty, pull off the balloon.
Now, let the air out if it, and tie it off. I used two knots since we would be squeezing them so much.
That’s it! Simple, DIY, sensory toy! Perfect stress ball too!
Now, if you want it to look cooler, I suggest trying to find clear latex balloons.