Orbeez Stress Ball
These stress balls are SO MUCH FUN!! We’ve made a few different stress balls over the years, and these water bead ones are my absolute FAVOURITE. It’s really fun to see the Orbeez expand, and the bumpy texture when they’re finished growing is so cool! You’ll probably want to squeeze these stress balls harder than other types of stress balls, so they might not last as long. But it’s super cool to see the water beads through the balloon when you’re squeezing them! Making a DIY stress ball is a fun and creative activity to do with kids of all ages. Best of all, they’re super simple to make! Stress balls are a great sensory toy that help reduce anxiety, and the bright colours of the Orbeez will lighten any mood.
Check out our Orbeez Stress Ball video tutorial:
*Note: Scroll down for the step-by-step photo tutorial.
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Here’s what you’ll need:
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Clear Balloon (12 inch) Water Beads (Orbeez) Funnel
What are Orbeez?
Orbeez (also known as water beads) are small, round polymer beads that absorb water and expand to 100 times their original size. They were originally created to keep moisture in plants, but now you see them all over Pinterest being used for kids sensory activities.
What type of balloon works best?
If you don’t want to buy clear balloons, you can use any other colour balloon – you’ll still be able to feel the water beads in your stress ball, you just won’t be able to see them. You can kind of see the Orbeez when using a white balloon, especially if you shine a flashlight through as you squeeze your stress ball.
What if I don’t have a funnel?
If you don’t have a funnel, cut the top off a water bottle and use it as a funnel. You could also roll a scrap of paper into a cone and insert it in the end of the balloon.
How long do Orbeez stress balls last?
These stress balls should last about 2 weeks – but that’s not a guarantee. They’re really fun to squeeze and they get squeezed a lot harder than other stress balls (just because it’s so fun to see the water beads in the stretched balloons!), so they may not last that long. We made two Orbeez stress balls and one of them lasted a month, and the other one only lasted 24 hours. We squeezed our first one like crazy and by the next day it had a tiny pin sized hole in it. I could hear water bubbling out of the tiny hole when I squeezed it and my hands were getting a little wet, so I threw it away. Balloons become fragile over time and you really don’t want to clean up a water bead mess if it pops in a drawer somewhere. So make sure you keep track of your Orbeez stress ball and don’t forget about it!
Orbeez stress balls are SO MUCH FUN! These DIY stress balls are so simple to make, and are so enjoyable and cool to play with! These Orbeez stress balls definitely work as a stress reliever, with their bumpy texture and the satisfying squishing sound they make when they’re squeezed. The bright colour of the beads against the clear balloon is so pretty, especially when there’s light shining through.
Here’s even more DIY stress balls:
How to Make a Stress Ball
Playdough Stress Ball
Stress Ball Made with Rice
Oobleck Stress Ball
Our book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!
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