DIY Project Water Bead Timer
This water bead DIY timer is a super easy project that is fun and a great sensory project. You only need a few materials to pull it off and the kids will be playing with it for awhile. It doesn’t really keep time such as a sand timer would, it’s just fun to watch them go from one bottle to the other. The kids have been running through and flipping them every time they walk by them.
What you need:
Water beads – I picked these up at the Dollar Tree in the flower department. Three colors for a dollar. Although you can find them online or in the toy department at Walmart.
2 empty bottles such as the Nestle Pure Life little bottles. I found these at Walmart.
Hot glue gun – This part should be done by an adult.
Put the beads in one bottle but don’t fill it up all the way. Place the other bottle on top and glue them together. You could also use duct tape or other way of securing them together. If doing in a class room setting or letting the children make them, I would suggest using duct tape instead of hot glue.
And that is all there is to it. You can then turn it up and watch the water beads flow from one bottle to the other one at a time. It is really pretty neat to watch. Sometimes they get stuck but a quick tap will get them moving again.
We also made a video of the creation process as well as how it works! Sorry for the shaky camera… The camera girl (me) drinks lots of coffee. I’m talking I only get about three hours of sleep and I wish I could buy coffee in IV form and drag it around with me on one of those iv stands on wheels.
Also as a note, she adds water in the video as a way to preserve the water beads a little longer. They did absorb the water and grow even bigger making them fill the bottle completely and some of the other bottle meaning it couldn’t empty completely. I would suggest if adding the water as she did to not fill the bottle as full as you would if you were not adding extra water. Just like maybe 2 thirds full would do good.
