Try this. Seriously.

So here's the deal, folks. I'm still without power at my house. No air conditioning, no refrigerator, no hot showers, and no Internet. It's enough to make a girl cry, if I wasn't so worried about messing up my mascara. I'm joking, of course, it is nearly impossible to put makeup on in a dark bathroom. But I'm really hopeful that power will be back soon. So I can do the things I really and truly love like vacuum.

I've been feeling a bit off kilter with all of this going on. But that's not why I'm posting today. I just had to share a sensory activity that the little one and I tried. While I was at a big box store stocking up for this hurricane, I happened to wander down the artificial flower aisle. Immediately, I thought of Play at Home Mom when I saw these:

Water beads, of course! They are not just for your flower arrangements..... if you ever used them for that. I had never purchased them before this, but I am so glad I did. They came in a variety of colors and were super cheap. Three dollars! These are not recommended for consumption, so if your little wants to taste test everything, you might want to wait until they are a bit older to test these out. 

Also, if you are better prepared than I am, you will most likely read the directions before getting your kiddos all excited to play. In my ignorance, I incorrectly assumed that they would automatically grow the second you added the allotted amount of water. I was incorrect. They kind of just look like this for a long time.  

They need about six hours (or more) to reach their full potential. I let Logan swish them around a bit, and I'm guessing he would have been content just playing this way. But we were headed out, so I put this container out of the reach of my curious kitties and we went on our way.

When we came back, it was as if magic had happened. I added a bunch of containers and scoops and you know, stuff, and Logan jumped right in.

These beads can stain hands, if you are concerned about that sort of thing. They are also slippery, so be careful not to step on them if they accidentally make it to the floor. But, all of those things aside, I really recommend you try these out.

It is some serious fun.

Often, just trying them with your hands simply isn't enough.

And of course, once your standing in there, it only makes sense to try and sit in them.

Have you ever heard of water beads or had any playful experiences with them? I'd love to hear about it!

Edited: These water beads are a polymer that retain water. To learn more about these beads you can check out here:  www.waterbeads.net 

Also: Check out Play at Home Mom for even more ideas on water bead play! I love the light box idea!