Using rice as a filler in your stress ball is even easier than using flour. The texture is really neat and slightly crunchy. They feel (and sound) so cool when you squeeze them! RELATED: How to Make a Stress Ball with Flour
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What type of balloon works best?
Any standard 12 inch balloon, either rubber or latex, will work best. (It should show the size of the balloons on the package.) I found the polka dot balloons you see in the photos at the dollar store. I don’t recommend using a balloon that’s smaller than 12 inches because it ends up being really small and hard to squeeze.
What kind of rice should I use?
You can use any type of uncooked rice to make your stress ball: long grain rice, short grain rice, brown rice, or even barley or buckwheat in your stress ball. We used minute rice instead of regular rice. They were slightly prickly and made a really neat crackle sound when we squeezed them.
How long do they last?
A rice stress ball should last about 2 weeks to 3 months, depending on how often you use it. Stress balls made with balloons don’t last forever. The balloon will get fragile over time and will eventually break.
What if I don’t have a funnel?
If you don’t have a funnel, you can use a water bottle instead. Simply cut it in half and discard the bottom. You can insert the mouth of the water bottle into the balloon and use the open end as your funnel. Easy peasy!
You can see the edges of the rice poking through the balloon in the photo below. It’s such a fun and strange sensation to squeeze these ones!
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