It’s no secret that we love water beads around here. And with our Water Bead Sensory Window being one of our all-time top posts, I would take a good guess that y’all do too 😉
The thing about Water Beads is that even though they are a ton of fun, they aren’t something that can typically be done with kiddos that still mouth things. In fact, the most common question I get from readers when we share a water bead play idea is – is there a solution for the little guys? With these Taste-Safe Water Beads there most definitely is!
How to Make Edible Water Beads
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Items Needed:
- Boba Tea Pearls (large tapioca pearls)
- Food Dye
- Shallow Plastic Heavy Duty Bin
- Scoops and Toys
You can also purchase your Boba Tea pearls already colored and skip out on dying. We did this for our Edible ABC Slime and the colors turned out fantastically vibrant.
DIY Water Beads Directions:
When it comes to making these, it can be a bit of a process if you plan on making multiple colors. To make every color of the rainbow took me about an hour from start to cool-down, but I was definitely able to do other stuff while doing this.
1. To start, fill a small saucepan with water, add in food dye, and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and add in 2-3 handfuls of tapioca pearls. Allow that to boil until they begin to float and start looking transparent. If you are unsure if they are done, take one out, rinse it under cool water, and squish it. It should be squishy but still firm enough to hold shape.
3.Once the pearls are floating, drain and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. I got lazy and skipped this with our last color (red) and while it didn’t stain our hands, it did eventually bleed into all the other colors. So rinse them really really good.
4. Set aside to cool and repeat for every single desired color. Once cooled play!
In total we made about 1/4 of the bag.
These are so bright and vibrant, they are a fun activity on their own. We didn’t even really add in any toys, just some scoops.
The kids played for at least an hour just scooping…
…and pouring…
…and squishing…
We had too much fun!
Here is a simple phone video of how my little guy (15 months) played with these. It was storming heavily out so the color is distorted a tad.
Easy peasy play 😉
Edible Water Beads
Materials
- One or two packages quick-cook tapioca pearls
- Water, as called for
- Food dye in rainbow colors
Tools
- Saucepan
- Spoon
Instructions
- To start, fill a small saucepan with water, add in food dye, and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and add in 2-3 handfuls of tapioca pearls. Allow that to boil until they begin to float and start looking transparent. If you are unsure if they are done, take one out, rinse it under cool water, and squish it. It should be squishy but still firm enough to hold shape.
- Once the pearls are floating, drain and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. I got lazy and skipped this with our last color (red) and while it didn’t stain our hands, it did eventually bleed into all the other colors. So rinse them really really good.
- Set aside to cool and repeat for every single desired color. Once cooled play!
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Thank you for the safer option for water beads. My question to you is, how long do they last? Are they a one day activity or can they be stored in the the refrigerator for a few days? I would appreciate any feedback that you have.
Thank you!
I would really keep this to a one day activity.
I love this but i can imagine my 17mo tipping the whole box upside down 🙁