Review and Giveaway Eco-Orbies: The Eco-Friendly Water Bead With SO MANY Uses (10 Winners, US though June 8th)

From the first moment I saw water beads at the fair I was entranced. Here were these really neat little tiny "seeds" that were smaller than a seed bead or sesame seed, and when put into water, they grew to the size of marbles! They felt neat and looked really GREAT in a vase with flowers or with an ornamental bamboo shoot growing in them.  I could just never bring myself to buy them as they were so expensive.

Now I've found a company called Eco-Orbies who creates the same water marble in great colors at a fraction of the cost, and they are eco-friendly and made here in the US.  They come in nine different colors: Pink, Coral, Blue, Green, Clear, Purple, Orange, Yellow and Black.  You can buy them in a 5 gram package (multiple packages can be used together to create great patterns), and when added to water, they make about 2 cups of water beads.

I received two colors to try out for a Eco-Orbies campaign with Karma Media: Blue and Magenta.  The boys and I were so excited, we forgot to take a "before" picture to show how small they are, but here is the finished Eco-Orbie:

Now, I LOVE these colors together, and they have been out on my table for a little over one week.  In that time, they have been played with, sorted, have nourished cut flowers, and a few have floated in the fish tank. ;)

Visitors have enjoyed looking and playing with these little gems.  Who said sensory objects were only for toddlers?  I think we've had more adults play with these (and found them relaxing) than the kids.  

Possibly the neatest thing I've discovered with these Eco-Orbies is that you can use a few sprays of your favorite perfume or essential oil to have a gentle and pleasing smell instead of a candle.  Each time the water beads shrink, I can add them to water and re-hydrate them and add a new scent.  I love this feature!

Hydrating the water beads (also called water pearls) is EASY and fun to watch.  For each package, put two cups of water in a bowl (I used a large glass measuring cup so the kids could watch as the tiny beads grew), add the beads and let them sit.  It should take about six hours to fully grow. 

When you are done, DON'T throw them out!  Let them dry on a cookie sheet and store them for later use. They take up almost no space at all and can be used over and over!

Other great uses for these Eco-Orbies: they are safe for beta and gold fish tanks, they can be used with dirt to grow wheat germ and herbs, they can be added to the garden to provide extra nourishing water to the roots, they can be used in vases for flowers instead of marbles, they can be used for event centerpieces, in classrooms for projects or sensory time, use as gifts, use in a pot or glass to add color to a desk or bookshelf, for growing/germinating seeds, and even for growing plants without dirt.  For more great uses, see the Eco-Orbies website. 

Eco-Orbies (Various Colors Available) Water Beads  
 by Eco-Orbies
 5 gram package (makes about 1 qt of water beads)  ~ $4.00Find Eco-Orbies on Facebook

Edition Reviewed: Blue and Magenta Eco-Orbies - I received this product through Karma Media in exchange for my honest review.

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Want to win some great Eco-Orbies yourself? 10 lucky winners will each win a package of Eco-Orbies!  Open to residents of the United States, through June 8th.
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