Aquabeads Animal Buddies Review

Reviewed by Alice Dixon

My two children really enjoy creative activities. They love toys which let them design and make something. They have been creating designs with Aquabeads for a couple of years now and so were very happy to receive a refill pack of more beads.

Aquabeads are small craft beads which can be placed onto a board. When sprayed with water the beads magically stick together so the design can then be taken off the board and will stay held together.

The Aquabeads Animal Buddies pack is ideal for a Christmas stocking gift this year. The set is packaged in a small cardboard box that would easily fit into a stocking. It’s also a star shape making it look quite festive. The box is colourful and attractive showing the animal designs which can be made. There are a lot of Aquabeads sets available including starter sets which include the design boards to place the beads onto and a small water bottle for spraying. The Animal Buddies pack is only a refill set therefore a board will need to be purchased separately unless the child already uses Aquabeads and has one.

This particular refill pack is also a theme pack, so the correct beads are included to make the themed designs. This set is animal themed. Inside the box are 600 beads in 15 different colours. Some of these are star beads which my children love the most. Star beads are shiny beads that look like tiny jewels. They make the designs really sparkle. There are also two template sheets, one double sided, showing the pattern to make each animal. With this set children can create lots of animals such as an elephant, a parrot, a rabbit, a dog and many more. My son was very excited to start with his favourite animal – the lion. Of course, children can use their imagination and make any animal or completely different design with their Aquabeads. That’s one of the things I love about this toy. Children can get creative. I’ve also found that it really is a calming, mindful activity. My son spends a long time working on his designs and feels so proud of what he’s made. He has then displayed some animals in his bedroom using plastic stands that also came in the set. There is also an instruction sheet included with the set which explains how to use the beads if you are new to Aquabeads.

Another reason why I would recommend Aquabeads Animal Buddies as a Christmas present is that they are very easy for a child to play independently and aren’t messy. Unlike other plastic beads that require ironing, Aquabeads stick together with only a spray of water so my son can do it himself. One thing we have noticed though is that the designs do need a couple of hours to fully dry. Whilst wet they are a little sticky and the colours run out so be careful of what surface they are left to dry on.

At only £6.99 the Aquabeads Animal Buddies refill is perfect for an extra little present at Christmas or to fill a stocking. They are recommended for children aged 4+ and I think are a great way to keep the kids entertained after Christmas during the holidays. Fantastic to add to other sets too. Once made the animals look so cute and could be displayed or even played with.

Rating: 4/5

RRP: £6.99

This product can be purchased from Amazon here.