I made bean bags for kids in my GS's autism classroom. I wanted something that was organic (eatable) in case one of them chewed through the fabric. I tried a variety of beans, etc. We have a very humid climate and also again the fact that they might end up in someone's mouth. I put the beans in water over night to see what happened. The best result was the pearl barley that is sold in the grocery store. There was no change after being soaked in water.