Simple and stimulating jelly bean games and activities for kids
Parents and childcare educators alike understand that for kids to be kept busy, they need creative outlets that stimulate their minds.
One of the most popular ways to do this? With activities that help kids learn and recognise shapes, colours, and numbers.
At MyLollies, we love helping parents discover simple ways to use our customised lollies in their day-to-day learning activities! And one of our favourite treats to use? Jelly beans!
While commonly found in our lolly bags, these colourful classics are also a great way to get kids involved in colour and number recognition!
Assorted jelly beans come in a mix of colours and flavours. You might also be wondering, are jelly beans gluten free? Yes! We have an ever-growing collection of gluten free lollies, too.
Lollies + learning: what can I do with jelly beans?
One area of development that parents and educators can extend their support to their little ones is their fine motor skills.
Fine motor skills pertain to children’s ability to use their small muscles, particularly their hands and fingers. Examples include picking up small objects, drinking from a cup, turning a page of a book, or scribbling with a crayon.
Parents and childcare educators play a significant role in helping children develop these skills during their most formative years.
Looking for ways to help challenge your child’s fine motor skills? These jelly bean activities are not only fantastic for littlies, but super easy to organise.
Here are some of our favourites!
Matching game
Setting up this matching game is so easy! You will need just a few things: white paper, coloured markers, and of course, a large assortment of colourful Allens jelly beans.
- Step 1: Use your coloured markers to draw big dots all over the paper
- Step 2: Ask your kids to play a dot matching game, by picking up a jelly bean and placing it in the corresponding coloured circle
This colour-matching game can be made more interactive by challenging children to call out mistakes: try putting black jelly beans on a yellow spot, and watch as they rebuke your move!
This can also help with counting skills, as at the end of each round, ask kids: “How many red jelly beans are on the red spot?” Sounding out numbers is a great way to get kids familiar with counting.
Rainbow experiment
Who says jelly beans aren’t for the science laboratory?
Enthral your Young Einsteins with this simple yet exciting experiment! Just a note though – this one is best suited to kids aged 8 and above.
All you need it:
- 1 cup of vinegar
- 1 cup of water
- 2x paper plates
- Timer
Arrange all the jelly beans on a plate with alternating colours. Kids can choose to use all the colours, or pick out their favourites. Make sure you pick at least three colours to really see the cool effects!
Then, let the kids choose one of the liquids (either water or vinegar) to start with.
Start the timer and gently pour the chosen liquid into the centre of the plate and wait and see until it hits the jelly beans.
Do the colours begin to disperse?
Ask inquisitive kids to describe what they see – they’ll love trying to explain their observations!
Once the colours meet together at the centre of the plate, stop the timer.
Then, repeat the experiment with a fresh set of jelly beans but this time, use the other liquid.
Ask kids to closely observe what happens, and encourage them to verbally explain the differences between the two liquids.
How do you play the jelly bean game?
Use Bean Boozled jelly beans for this thrilling game!
The premise is simple: each pack comes with 10 weird and wild flavours PLUS 10 lookalike yummy flavours!
Play in teams of two and pair up your colours.
One person takes the first version of the colour, and the other takes the second. Both place the jelly bean in their mouth, while their audience watches for the instant moment one of them realises they’ve picked up the weird and wacky flavour!
The catch? Both colours look and smell the same – it’s only when you take that first bite you realise if you’re the loser in this draw!
Are you brave enough to take on the Bean Boozled challenge? We recommend filming reactions for maximum laughs you can watch again and again.
This game is recommended for older kiddos – little ones might not appreciate the challenge!
How do you keep jelly beans fresh?
Jelly beans have an impressively long shelf life. Unsealed, they could last beyond a year!
Once you get them home, we recommend storing in those airtight candy jars or heavy-duty zip lock bag. Stored properly, they should last for 3-6 months.
Will jelly beans melt?
If you live in a warm or humid climate, you might find that storing in the pantry leads to slight melting, which means jelly beans are sticking to each other!
In this case, you might like to move them to the fridge. Ensure they are still well-sealed and free from moisture and they should keep well. You might like to take them out of the fridge for a few minutes before you enjoy your sweet snack.
Need bulk jelly beans for any kind of activity, event, or sweet craving?
We know that jelly beans will always have that special spot on your sweets list.
And what better way to get the most out of them than with bulk buys?
MyLollies offers a wide range of wholesale candy to pick, including the old-time favourite jelly bean and others like lollipop, licorice allsorts and chico lollies.
Whether you need lollies for your upcoming birthday, as a wedding favour, or mini bags for a corporate event, we’ve got Australia’s sweetest range of lollies, and seriously low prices.
Visit our online lolly shop and discover a range of delicious candies, lollies, and chocolates.
Live locally? You can also visit our lolly warehouse Melbourne. Alternatively, view our variety of lollies online and shop now for fast delivery Australia-wide!