Water Beads & Pool Noodle Slide

Put together a water beads and a pool noodle slide sensory activity in the bathtub for a lovely sensory play activity that is easy to clean up!

Water beads are a fun item to play with! We like to play in the bathtub, to contain the beads in one place. This time we had Valentine’s Day-themed bin and added a pool noodle to the tap, to use as a slide for the beads!

The kids found it fascinating how the bead runs down the noodle and tried to catch it. We turned on the water too and compared the pace of the bead with and without the help of the water.

I placed some heart-shaped holders and spoons in the bin for added fun. Spooning the beads into the holder can be tricky, but great for hand-eye coordination skills to develop.

The beads did not stay in the bin for long and that led to squishing the beads until they broke- a great idea to develop the small muscles in the fingers. And also another type of texture altogether.

We had to fish the small pieces out of the bath with the sifting net, and we placed them into a bag in the fridge to see what happens.

Great sensory fun, in the bath, making cleanup a breeze! Side note: Do not let the beads go down the drain as they can harm the environment. Scoop it out and let it dry out before tossing it into the bin.
How do your kids play with water beads?