Water Bead Sensory Play for Kids: Find the Hidden Shamrocks!

Hunt for hidden shamrocks in this awesome St. Patrick’s Day sensory play for kids! Add plastic shamrock pieces to green water beads for fine motor and sensory fun.

Engaging in sensory play for kids is such a fun way to learn! This water bead sensory play themed for St. Patrick’s Day is a great way to talk about the colors of the holiday and hunt for shamrocks, all while using those fine motor skills!

*This post contains affiliate links.

Shamrock Water Bead Sensory Play for Kids

Water beads are so much fun to play with, and are so versatile, they are one of our favorite sensory materials for kids. While we have used tapioca pearls as edible water beads in the past, these are traditional water beads (typically used for floral arrangements) which are great for kids who no longer put items in their mouths.

What you need for this sensory play for kids activity:

- green water beads
- teal water beads
- clear water beads
- large bowl
- small containers
- fine motor tools or scoops
- plastic shamrock necklace (can be found at dollar or party stores)

What to do:

Prepare the water beads for play by soaking in water for a few hours. When you buy these, they will be very small and feel like plastic, but expand to these larger beads after soaking. They have a great texture and slippery feel, and kind of bounce around, making them really fun for kids!

Cut a plastic shamrock necklace into pieces, making individual plastic shamrocks to add to the water beads.

Bury the shamrocks in the water beads and add some tweezers and fine motor tools to the bowl. We like to use these fine motor tools, excellent for getting little hand muscles ready for handwriting!