Growing Water Beads – 250g

Like all our favorite educational toys, these Growing Water Beads combine learning and fun. Watch them grow to a hundred times their size when placed in water. The beads transform into beautiful, glass-like spheres, and can be placed in a glass bowl and used as decorations.

Get the most out of the beads by exploring them scientifically

Before you place beads in water:

1. Tell your child these beads might look ordinary but have a unique quality. What do they think it is? How can you best explore the beads?
2. If they do not suggest it, propose putting the beads in a water container. Ask what will happen to the beads once they are wet.
3. Come up with a hypothesis together.

After the experiment, ask your child these questions to spark their curiosity:

1. What happened to the beads? Why did they grow?
2. Why do they shrink when taken out of the water?
3. What happens if we hold a bead over letters on paper?
4. What would happen if we put a seed into the bead?

Answers:

1. The Growing Water Beads contain a substance called a polymer. Polymers are hydrophilic, which means they love water. They can absorb impressive amounts of water, so they grow. This is also why we find polymers inside diapers, where they serve a beneficial purpose.
2. The water evaporates, and the beads shrink back to their original size.
3. The beads are tiny magnifying glasses.
4. You can watch a seed sprout by inserting it into a water-filled bead.

The beads go perfectly with our Water Absorbing Polymer Cubes.