Water beads joy

My twins had a great time using water beads on the DIY light box I made for them recently! I'd like to give another special thanks to Kara of Kara's classroom for the wonderfully useful post she made about her DIY light box. I never would have made one if it were not for her.  We love our light tables from constructive playthings and use them for so many things daily, however messy play is really challenging and stressful on them. The DIY light box I made makes messy light box/table play very simple and stress free!! There is no way to ruin it and it has a nice side around the edge of the lid so that nothing falls off or spills.

If you have not already done so, please check out these two awesome posts on this blog!

• The perfect DIY container light box
• Light Tables 101 (featuring 101 ways to use a light table)
• Water Beads posts on this blog

In the middle section of the photos below, there are pics of color changes that occurred when we placed water beads over translucent color circles. They did a lot of transferring them from container to container.

They always love how silky and smooth water beads feel. They love sliding their hands across them and bouncing them too!! Water beads are always so much fun to play with!

Graham and Parker were very impressed that the blue water beads mocked a chameleon when placed on top of translucent color circles! too cool!

In came the comic book muscle guy and car.....

look a speck of glitter!

Parker played with the water beads for an additional 10 minutes longer than Graham..

life is full of hidden art

If you look closely enough, you can see art nearly anywhere you look!

LED tealight in the middle of the table with a glass of water in front of it.

just a simple glass of water becomes art with light behind it.

color lessons with Alpha Pops

matching the pops and discussing color

citiblocs become art ;)

makng a wooden spiral with the citiblocs

adding on some other blocks

translucent color chips on top of the table become art on the dirt under the table when the
sunlight hits them, reflecting the color on to the dirt! See all of the color on the dirt? It is from simple translucent color chips we got at lakeshore learning. We use them for many different things.

Graham and Colin used playdough and playdough tools on a tree to create some pretty neat art! We had a playdough and chalk playdate at the park and this is what they came up with on their own!

They had a really great time and it was their own idea!!!!

so into their art!  (BTW it removes easily from the tree with no damage)

They spent a lot of time on their art and kept going back to it

Parker, playing chase with a new friend at the park

Balloons with LED lights inside of them inside of a play tent

They had so much fun in the tent with the glow balloons that it was impossible to get a good photo!

drawing with highlighters is a favorite of Graham and Parker!

A close up of some glass bead gems we use in every day play becomes art!

a very artsy view of our marble run with close up

these squishy balls look awesome, they make a great artsy photo!

a close up of our light table stacking tubes looks so pretty

Some translucent stirrers we use on the light table looking very artful in this close up

Magna tiles always look very artsy!

I had an idea after we used these translucent color chips at the park for a playdough/chalk playdate

I got out the scotch tape and the translucent color chips and started making strips of bingo chips

when the sun shines through, they create a rainbow in the room!

So simple, yet so fun and pretty! 

introducing "cascading rainbow sun catchers"

Starbucks tazo passion tea

cake pops, yum

we love cake pops!