The Explorers: Water Bead Fun (Summertime - Fun Time)

SURFIN' U.S.A.

 “Surfboard Musical Chairs”: Today, we revisited one of our favorite Clubhouse games. We spread out surfboards that were made out of foam board (we made those many summers ago at Clubhouse) on the floor and then put on some Beach Boys music ("Surfin' U.S.A." of course) and danced around the surfboards when the music played. When the music stopped, we found a surfboard to stand on. With each stoppage of the music, a surfboard was removed and we were encouraged to share surfboards. The game continued until all surfboards were removed.

Sensory Project “Water Beads”: This is the ultimate sensory fun on a hot summer day or any other day of the year. Kids of all ages love the feel and touch of the water beads and even adults can't stop playing with the beads. It's a colorful as well as soothing activity and we could have played for hours.

What are water beads? Water beads are actually meant to be used in flower arrangements to add color and shine. They come in many different colors and can be found in stores like Dollar Tree, Michael's or  can be ordered online. They look like very small beads at first and have to be soaked in water (for up to 12 hours) to grow. Then they look like marbles but are soft to the touch. They don't dissolve when popped but then turn into something that resembles Jell-O. We made enough water beads to fill two big bins and then added sea creatures, shells, containers, spoons, etc. While exploring the water beads, we worked on sharing toys and a space and to come up with different play ideas.

Here are some interactive play ideas:

• Look for small shells that are hidden in the water beads with a friend.
• Collect water beads of one specific color in a container.
• Fill a bottle with water beads.
• Add shaving cream to the water beads.

Caution: Water beads look a little bit like jelly beans so make sure kids understand the rule of not putting them in their mouths, especially when exploring water beads with very young children or children who like to explore objects with their mouths.