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    Home » Sensory Activities

    DIY Stress Balls

    Modified: Jul 14, 2022 · Published: Jun 27, 2019 by Vicky · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

    1056 shares
    • 58

    Do you or your kids ever feel stressed? Well, have I got the solution for you - DIY Stress Balls! Okay, so maybe my solution won't remove all stress from your life, but it should help you lower your stress levels a bit. And hey, every little bit helps, right? These stress balls are super fun to make with kids and there are many options to personalize them. Best of all, they feel amazing when squeezed and they make a great fidget toy.

    These DIY Stress are fun to make with kids and there are many options to personalize them. Best of all, they feel amazing when squeezed and they make a great fidget toy.
    Jump to:
    • Why these DIY Stress Balls are awesome
    • Supplies needed
    • How to make a stress ball
    • Related posts

    Why these DIY Stress Balls are awesome

    I was inspired to make these DIY stress balls after my daughter got a stress ball making kit for her birthday. I had no idea how easy it was to make our own stress balls, and once we ran out of materials from her kit, we bought our own so we could make some at home.

    These DIY stress balls with balloons are easy to make with some basic supplies, many of which you probably already have at home.

    Supplies needed

    • clear latex balloons
    • small funnel
    • colorful beads
    • water beads
    • water
    supplies needed to make stress balls

    How to make a stress ball

    Kids can easily make these stress balls themselves with some supervision. Make sure you don't do this with younger kids as the items might pose a choking challenge.

    Place the small funnel over the opening of the balloon and hold to make sure the balloon doesn't fall off. Start dropping beads through the funnel.

    child dropping beads into a funnel

    Fill the balloon up about halfway with the beads.

    balloon filled with beads

    Now it is time to add the water beads. Keep in mind that these water beads will GROW, so you don't want to add too much. Less is more.

    adding water beads to a balloon

    Next, we will be adding water to the balloon. We added 2 tablespoons of water to the balloon.

    pouring water into a balloon

    You should add enough water to the balloon so that all of the beads are covered. Tie the end of the balloon.

    balloon filled with water and beads

    Now comes the hardest part...the waiting.

    homemade stress ball

    Within a few hours the water beads will start to grow.

    make your own stress ball

    When left overnight, the real magic happens. The water beads will have soaked up the water and expanded to fit the balloon. The color of your diy stress balls will depend mainly on the color of water beads you use. For more fun with kids, make this DIY Paper Mache Beehive.. We decided to do single color water beads in each balloon, but a mix would be lovely too.

    diy stress balls

    These balloon stress balls really feel great. My kids love squeezing them and working those small muscles in their hands. Squeezing them is also a wonderful sensory activity.

    squeezing a stress ball

    As kids squeeze the diy stress balls, the water beads will break up more and more which will give them a cool, squishy consistency.

    squeezing a DIY stress ball

    These homemade stress balls are so easy to make that you will want to make a bunch just to have some around whenever you are feeling a little stressed. Not that moms ever feel stressed.

    diy stress balls

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    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Cynthia Nicoletti says

      June 29, 2019 at 6:59 am

      Wow didn't realize how easy these are to make. Thanks for posting. These are great for kids and stress.

      Reply
    2. Amanda says

      June 28, 2019 at 8:07 pm

      This is such a great activity for my anxious seven year old. Will definitely add it to our summer to-do list.

      Reply
    3. Rachel says

      June 28, 2019 at 9:53 am

      My daughter made one of these at a birthday party. It was a good favor.

      Reply
    4. Jennifer Brock says

      June 28, 2019 at 12:08 am

      I need these in my life!!!!! They look like such a fun and easy craft

      Reply
    Vicky from Mess for Less

    I'm Vicky, the founder of Mess For Less, which I started in 2011 to share easy, family-friendly recipes. With over a decade of experience as a home chef and recipe developer, I love creating meals that bring people together. I also design play and learning activities for kids, using my background as a former teacher with a Master’s degree in education. Learn more about me.

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