Water beads will not dissolve in water and are not sticky (unless you try the edible water beads – those do get sticky as they dry).
A few things to keep in mind about water beads… Either store them in a sealed container with a little bit of water, or if they do dry out, simply soak them in water for 8 to 12 hours to rehydrate them.
Cohesion refers to the fact that water sticks to itself very easily. One example of this is the way that water beads up on waxy surfaces, such as leaves or waxed cars. Surface tension makes these water drops round so they cover the smallest possible surface area.
Water beads are an exciting product that is great for decorating, watering plants, and even for kids activities and play. They look really cool and they are fun and easy to use. Water beads (also called Orbeez, water pearls, water crystals, gel beads, etc.) are polymer crystals that look like little beads.
The non-toxic water beads are called jelly beads, water orbs, hydro orbs, polymer beads and gel beads. The clear colorful beads can be dried out and reused. Because they look like candy, children may be tempted to swallow them. Children also have put them in their ears.
Water bead instructions for Packets: Add 4-5 cups of cold distilled water (or 5-6 cups of tap water) to a large, flat container to achieve uniform color and size. Empty the entire packet into the water evenly. After 6 hours, pour the beads into a strainer or colander to drain any excess water.
Orbeez absorb water and release moisture when it is hot, so they can be used to reduce water use in plants.
Orbeez are a superabsorbent polymer that can absorb and retain extremely large amounts of liquid relative to their own mass. These SAPs are then formed into a ball for that waterball look.
Orbeez are a super absorbent polymer because they absorb water too. But S.A.P. is not the only type of polymer there are many more. The most popluar kind of polymer is sodium polyacrylate, but orbeez are not made of that kind of polymer.
The scientific explanation behind this magic is that Orbeez are super absorbent polymer beads made of acrylic acid, sodium hydroxide and water, to which color pigmentation is added to give more variety of nuances. It is the water molecules that make Orbeez grow.
Do NOT store in water; drain well before storing. To wash, put in a colander or strainer and pour in a bit of soap. Foam soap works well. Use a water sprayer to spray off the beads and allow to dry some before storing or play again.
The short answer is yes, water beads are the same as Orbeez. Orbeez is simply the registered trademark for the product, and water beads are the generic version. Both are made from a super absorbent polymer which expands multiple times its original size when exposed to water.
Method 1Growing Orbeez from a Packet
- Purchase a package of Orbeez in-store or online.
- Open and pour the package of Orbeez into a container.
- Add 1 cup (240 mL) of warm water for every 100 Orbeez.
- Soak the Orbeez in the water for at least 4 hours.
- Strain the Orbeez to remove the extra water from the bowl.
How to Grow Orbeez
- Open one packet with safety scissors. Pour the Orbeez seeds into a bowl.
- Leave to soak for 4 hours or overnight.
- Once Orbeez have reached their full size, drain out the remaining water.
- Grown Orbeez can be stored in a sealable bag or plastic container to keep them from drying out.
Drain after 6 hours. Shelf Life: Water beads can be stored almost indefinitely if they are kept in an airtight environment with low humidity. We have used some that were stored for over 2 years and they performed just as well as new ones.
Since the Orbeez are really slippery I like to use a sticky slime so that they pellets will stick to the slime more. They are soft and squishy so fair warning that the Orbeez will fall out from time to time. Make sure you play with your slime where it's ok for them to fall on the floor or table.
Here are 10 ways to play with water beads. The easiest way to play with water beads is to place them in large bin and let your little one play with them. You can place funnels, cups, scoops, in the bin for them to explore with. Add shaving cream to water beads for some super fun messy sensory play!
