Hydrogel balls: instructions, prices, reviews

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Hydrogel balls, or aqua soil, were originally created for growing plants. Which of the mothers and when the idea came up to use them as a toy for children is not known. But now hydrogel games have become very popular with mothers and children. What attracts these balls?

Description

Hydrogel balls - small peas of bright color. They are similar in size to peppercorns. Their diameter is about 2 mm. But after the balls have lain for some time in the water, they swell and increase tenfold. They become soft, elastic and pleasant to the touch. They can be reduced by laying in a sunny place.

Under the influence of its rays, they gradually lose their bright color. Therefore, they can be used a certain number of times. Then you need to buy new hydrogel balls.

Instructions

Hydrogel is sold packaged in small plastic bags with Zip-Lock fasteners. This is convenient because the plastic fastener makes it possible to reuse the package. Hydrogel peas will not fall out and get lost. Usually in oneThe package contains granules of the same color. But there are sets in which there are multi-colored hydrogel balls. The price of one package is 25 rubles.

Hydrogel balls are poured with water, previously placed in a bowl. Water should be much more than hydrogel. Do not be afraid that your balls will be lost and you will never see them again. After 6 hours they will become noticeable, after 12 they can be played. And they will completely swell in a day. Then their diameter will be from 10 to 12 mm.

It is not recommended to touch the balls before swelling, otherwise their structure may be disturbed and they will fall apart when dried.

Usually each sachet yields a 3 liter jar of beautiful shiny balls.

How to use hydrogel balls

Create a sensory box. Any plastic bowl or bowl will work for this. Its size should be such that the balls, after swelling, fit freely in it. But it will be inconvenient for a child to play if the dishes are very large.

Pour the hydrogel into the bowl. It will be interesting for children to play with them, to try them by touch. But at first they will not cause much interest.

Fill the balls with water and leave to swell for a while. After 3-6 hours, you can go with the child to the bowl and see how the granules behave. The child will see that they have increased in size, but have become translucent. You can try to take them in hand. After 12 hours you can play with them.

Inventory

Use differentstrainers, plastic holders, spoons.

Plastic bottles with a wide mouth, auxiliary materials for unfolding (bowls, flat surfaces with indentations) are needed to accommodate the elongated balloons.

How to play

Checking the temperature of the water, whether it will be cold for the child's hands.

• The balls can be removed from the bowl with your hands. They are quite slippery and elastic, easily slip out of the hands of the child. So he has to put in some effort. This is of interest to the baby, because the balls become as if alive. Often they fall out of their hands and jump on the floor. Collecting them, he also develops his fingers, learns to coordinate movements, develops fine motor skills of his hands.
• You can take out the granules with a plastic spoon or strainer. The second method is better because the balls are removed without water. Spread on the surface, examine. You can immediately put them in a plastic bottle. This activity develops agility and coordination.
• You can play balls without taking them out of the water. The child sorts out the granules, pours from one hand to the other.
• Colorful sets of balloons will help you learn colors. To do this, balls of different colors are placed in separate bottles.
• Place small toys in a bowl with granules, mix. The child with his eyes closed tries to find them among the granules and guess their name.
• If children are starting to count, hydrogel balls can be used to develop these skills. The child takes out the balloons and counts them.
• Eatspecial sets in which balls are attached to a set of dyes. They color the water with it, pour out the balls and watch how the color of the granules changes.

Safety rules

When playing with hydrogel balls, you should not leave the child unattended. Make sure he doesn't put them in his mouth or swallow them.

If this happens, see a doctor, taking samples of the balls with you. There is an opinion that they are harmless. It is known that chewing and ingestion of this substance does not lead to death or acute poisoning.

There is information that unpainted hydrogel balls are used for weight loss. To do this, eat a small amount of balls. In the stomach, they swell and create the effect of satiety. Then the balls are destroyed and excreted from the body. During the experiment, some of the test subjects felt nausea.

But it's not worth risking a child's he alth. Moreover, they play with colored granules. Wash your hands well with soap and water after playing.

Use of hydrogel granules in floriculture

Aqua soil, which is supposedly sold for growing plants, has a bright, catchy color and regular shape. This is calculated on the fact that attractive hydrogel flower balls will be bought faster than gray and nondescript ones.

90% hydrogel is a hydro-primer created for decorative purposes. It is not intended for growing plants. Therefore, they die in such "soil". The life span of plants depends on the plant's stamina. But balls can be usedfor transporting flowers. The granules will give moisture to the plant, and it will not spill out of the dishes.

If you are away from home for a couple of weeks, you can put hydrogel balls in the soil to the plants. They will take water and then give it to the plants. But they won’t be enough for a long time, so you shouldn’t expect that the balloons will take care of the flowers for a month or more.

Real plant hydrogel is not painted in bright colors. Do not give it its original shape. In Western countries, the hydrogel is produced and used. But there it is gray inconspicuous color. Its creators focus on suitability for growing plants.

Reviews of young mothers

Moms of young children leave the most rave reviews about hydrogel balls. They note that games with them hold the attention of kids much longer than other toys. They even leave the children to play (which is not worth doing), while they go about their own business. How many pellets were eaten during these activities is unknown. But since hydrogel balls are tasteless, we can assume that a little.

Parents talk about educational games they do with their children. This is more useful. Hydrogel can be especially useful for children with developmental problems.

Reviews are negative

Some users report that flowers "planted" in hydrogel balls soon disappeared or their condition worsened. Others attribute this to the fact that colored hydrogel granules do notdesigned to grow flowers.

Some users doubt whether the brightly colored Chinese-made balloons will harm the he alth of the child. There are no statistics or other information about the dangers of the balls. Therefore, each parent decides whether to buy these toys for their child.