science experiment with glue and borax

How to Make Bouncy Balls

Looking for a fun and simple science activity  that’s sure to entertain the kids?! In this quick, five minute experiment, little chemists mix up their own homemade bouncy balls.

Making bouncy balls is a hands-down science favorite for kids!  And for more kid-approved science, check out our awesome 30 Science Experiments in our shop!

Getting Ready

To prep for this activity, I gathered:

• 1 tablespoon of borax (found in the laundry section of the grocery store)
• 1/2 cup or warm water
• 2 tablespoons of  white glue (Elmer’s school glue works the best)
• 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
• Food color (optional)

Making the Bouncy Balls

The first step to making the bouncy balls was to prepare the borax and water mixture.  My 5 year old daughter measured out 1/2 cup of warm water and 1 T of borax. Then she gave the mixture a good stir to dissolve the borax.

Next, she prepared the bouncy ball mixture by combining the glue and cornstarch.

The measurements are a little forgiving so we found it easiest to use a 1/4 cup measuring cup filling it halfway with glue (2 T) before adding the 1 T of cornstarch.  Using a measuring spoon to measure the glue turned out to be more messy than estimating the 2T of glue in the 1/4 cup wearing cup.

She stirred the glue and cornstarch until they combined using a kid-sized butter knife.

Then she added a couple drops of food coloring to the glue/cornstarch mixture and gave it a little stir.  She was hoping to get a swirled bouncy ball but it turns out the food color really gets mixed thoroughly when forming the ball.

This is good to keep in mind when choosing to mix colors: complementary colors probably will end up looking muddy.  If you want a multi-colored ball, it’s best to divide the glue/cornstarch mixture and add the color individually.  Then add each color to the borax water separately and, when the glue mixtures begin to firm up, add them back together and roll into a ball.

Now my daughter was ready for the fun and gooey part.  She poured her glue mixture into the borax water and let it sit for about 10-15 seconds.  The glue mixture started to harden and could be removed easily with a fork.

She immediately grabbed the gooey blob and squished it between her hands. The blob was still a bit sticky but as A rolled in between her hands the stickiness disappeared.

Note: If your ball still feels sticky give it a little dunk in the borax water and it should firm up.

Once the ball was formed, it was ready to bouncy.  Although it didn’t bouncy nearly as high as the super bouncy balls she was familiar with, my daughter still had a ton of fun throwing it around the house.

Note: If let to sit, the ball will become flat on one side. Simply rolling it between your hands should make it round again.

If you plan to keep your ball, you should store it in an airtight container as it will dry out and crack.

The Science Behind It

When the glue was added to the borax water, the glue became firm and bouncy. That’s because the borax reacted with the glue causing the polymers, or long chains of molecules, in the glue to stick together and form an elastomer.

To understand how polymers act, think about how cooked spaghetti behaves. When fresh cooked spaghetti is strained, the pasta strands flow like a liquid, slipping and sliding over one another.  After a few minutes pass and the water has drained off the pasta, the strands start to stick to each other a little.  The pasta becomes a bit rubbery.

If you leave the pasta for even longer, the spaghetti strands will really stick together and the spaghetti will be one solid rubbery chunk that bounces!

Polymers , long strands of molecules, behave in a similar way as the long strands of spaghetti.  If the long molecules slide past each other, the substance acts like a liquid (like the liquid glue).

If the polymers stick together in a few places, then the substance will be a rubbery solid, an elastomer (like the bouncy ball).

When the glue mixture was added to the borax, the borax acted as a cross-linker, hooking the glue’s molecules together to form the rubbery bouncy ball.

The cornstarch was added to help bind the molecules together so the ball would hold its shape.

The ball can bounce because of the cross-linked polymers.  Since the long polymer chains are flexible, when the ball hits the ground, it is able to momentarily deform or squish.

The polymers also make the ball elastic meaning it tends to retain its shape. Once the ball hits the ground and becomes flattened, the elasticity causes the ball to return to its round shape and pushes the ball back into the air.

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Awesome! love this and look forward to using other ideas!

Thank you, Mary!! I’m excited that the bouncy ball activity is helpful. 🙂

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Chemistry is great for making many useful products. It’s also good for making stuff that’s just fun to play with. Let’s make some slime!

1. Place 1 tablespoon of water in a small plastic cup. Add ¼ teaspoon of borax.   Mix until as much borax dissolves as possible. This is your borax solution. If you would like your slime to be a certain color, add one or two drops of food coloring to your borax solution. 

2. Place 1 tablespoon of water in another cup and add 1 tablespoon of Elmer's glue. Stir with a popsicle stick until the glue and water are thoroughly mixed. This is your glue solution .

3. Slowly pour all of the borax solution into the glue solution, and stir with a clean popsicle stick. You should notice a sudden change in the solutions. 

Your slime is done when you can pick up your popsicle stick and most of the slime comes out on the stick.

4. When you have some nice thick slime, pull it off the popsicle stick and move it back and forth between your hands. The more you play, the less sticky it gets. 

5. Try pulling the slime very slowly to see if it stretches.

6. Form the slime into a ball and see if it bounces. You could put it over the bottom of an upside down cup and watch it slowly flow down.

7. Try flattening your slime into a pancake and then holding it from one edge to see what it does. 

 What to expect

As you stir the borax and glue solutions together, the mixture becomes thick. It also attaches to the popsicle stick. When you pull slowly, your slime will stretch. However if you pull quickly it will break. Slime will slowly flow making it seem like a liquid, but it can also bounce which makes it seem a bit like a solid. 

What’s happening in there?

What makes slime so thick and stretchy?  

The glue has long flexible molecules in it called polymers. These polymer molecules slide past each other as a liquid.

Borax in water forms an ion called the borate ion. When the borax solution is added to the glue solution, the borate ions help link the long polymer molecules to each other so they cannot move and flow as easily.

When enough polymer molecules get hooked together in the right way, the glue solution changes from being very liquidy to a rubbery kind of stuff that we call slime!

What else could you try?

Water is an important ingredient in slime. Water helps the polymer molecules slide past each other so that your slime can flow. If you let the water evaporate, your slime will end up like a solid piece of plastic.

Try making other samples of slime with different amounts of water and compare them to your first piece of slime. In each sample, follow the instructions to make the slime that you followed before, but change the amount of water you add to make the glue solution.

• Do not add water to the glue. Use only 1 tablespoon of glue to make the glue solution.
• Add two tablespoons of water to 1 tablespoon of glue to make the glue solution.

You may choose to give each sample of slime a different color to help you tell them apart.

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3 Science activities you can do with Borax

January 30, 2017 3 min read chemistry experiments science activities

Borax is an old-school laundry booster that many of the slime recipes use. But what do you do with the rest of the box when you are done? 

You could get all retro and add it to your next load of laundry, but what fun is that? Today, we are going to share with you three science activities that use Borax - ones that you will want to do over and over again until the whole box is gone!

Trust us, your kids will thank you, even though their socks are a bit dingier.

#1 - Borax Slime 

To mix up a batch of Borax slime you will need:

• Glue (Elmer's white or clear gel will work)

If you want to glitz it up a bit, grab some food coloring and glitter. 

First, mix 4oz of glue (half a jar) with 4oz of water (half a cup). If you want to add some glam, now is the time to mix in that food coloring and glitter.

Next, in a separate cup mix a quarter cup of water with half a teaspoon of Borax. Add the Borax solution to the baggie and massage the bag for a few minutes until a nice firm slime has formed.

Now, comes the fun part - add the Borax solution to the glue mixture in the baggie. Start massaging . . . keep massaging the baggie for a few minutes . . . keep going until a nice firm slime has formed.

Pull the slime out of the baggie and have fun!

#2 - Borax Crystal Shapes

Once you have a baggie full of slime, you can use a bit more Borax to make some crystals! You will need the following:

• Glass jar (plastic is fine, too, if that's what you got)
• Pipe cleaner

First, take a moment to bend the pipe cleaner into a shape - snowflakes, hearts, your initials, any of those will do. Just  make sure it will fit through the opening of your jar.

Next, attach your creation to the pencil. You can swing the end of the pipe cleaner over it or use a bit of string, but basically, you want the pencil to be able to rest on the edge of your jar without having your shape touch the sides or bottom of the jar.

Now, add hot water until it almost fills the jar, noting how many cups of water it takes to fill the jar. 

Then, add the Borax - one tablespoon at a time - and stir really good before you add another so that the Borax dissolves. Keep going until no more Borax dissolves - this will be about 3 tablespoons of Borax for every cup of water you have added.

Finally, hang your pipe-cleaner-creation in the jar so that it is completely covered by the liquid. Allow the jar to sit undisturbed overnight.

The next morning you will awaken to some crystal growing magic!

#3 - Borax Bouncy Balls

And we save the best for last!! To make these bouncy balls, you will need:

• Food coloring
• Cornstarch 
• 2 Small mixing cups (preferably ones you can circular file afterward)
• Plastic spoon

First, in cup #1, mix half a cup of water with 1 teaspoon of Borax - stir to dissolve.

Next, in cup #2, mix a tablespoon of glue and add a bit of food coloring, so you can tell whose ball is whose. ( And now you see why I suggested using disposable cups! )

Now comes the fun! Sprinkle a teaspoon of the borax solution from cup #1 over the glue mixture in cup #2 - wait for 2 long breaths (about 10 seconds) - and then add one and a half tablespoons of cornstarch.

Then, mix like crazy until it becomes impossible to stir with your spoon. Take the sticky mess out and start to knead it - I promise it will become smooth and solid after about a minute or so.

And your bouncy ball is ready for testing!

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How to Make Slime with Borax and White Glue

You can experiment with proportions to alter the results

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Possibly the best science project you can do using chemistry is making slime. It's gooey, stretchy, fun, and easy to make. It takes only a few ingredients and a few minutes to make a batch. Follow these step-by-step instructions to make this slime recipe with borax.

Gather Your Slime Materials

To get started, you will need:

• Food coloring (unless you want uncolored white slime)

Instead of using white glue, you can make slime using clear glue , which will produce a translucent slime . If you don't have borax, you can use contact lens saline solution, which contains sodium borate.

Prepare the Slime Solutions

Our slime recipe with borax, like many slime formulas, has two components: a borax and water solution and a glue, water, and food coloring solution. Prepare them separately:

• Mix 1 teaspoon of borax in 1 cup of water. Stir until the borax is dissolved.
• In a separate container, mix 1/2 cup (4 oz.) white glue with 1/2 cup water. Add food coloring, if desired.

You also can mix in other ingredients, such as glitter, colored foam beads, or glow powder. If you use contact lens solution instead of borax, you don't need to add water to dissolve it. Just substitute 1 cup of contact solution for the borax and water.

The first time you make slime, it's a good idea to measure the ingredients so that you know what to expect. Once you have a bit of experience, feel free to vary the amounts of borax, glue, and water. You might want to conduct an experiment to see which ingredient controls how stiff the slime is and which affects how fluid it is.

Mix the Slime Solutions

After you have dissolved the borax and diluted the glue, you are ready to combine the two solutions. Stir one solution into the other. Your slime will begin to polymerize immediately.

Finish the Slime

The slime will become hard to stir after you mix the borax and glue solutions. Try to mix it up as much as you can, then remove it from the bowl and finish mixing it by hand. It's OK if some colored water remains in the bowl.

Things to Do With Slime

The slime will start out as a highly flexible polymer . You can stretch it and watch it flow. As you work it more, the slime will become stiffer and more like putty . Then you can shape it and mold it, though it will lose its shape over time. Don't eat your slime and don't leave it on surfaces that could be stained by the food coloring. Clean up any slime residue with warm, soapy water. Bleach can remove food coloring but may damage surfaces.

Storing Your Slime

Anne Helmenstine

Keep your slime in a sealable plastic bag, preferably in the refrigerator. Insects will leave slime alone because borax is a natural pesticide, but you'll want to chill the slime to prevent mold growth if you live in an area with high mold count. The main danger to your slime is evaporation, so keep it sealed when you're not using it.

How To Make Slime

Did you know you can make your own slime or “goop” for a fun learning and play activity? Non-Newtonian liquids are fascinating for all ages and provide a great learning opportunity about chemistry.

Find four popular slime recipes below! With these easy-to-do recipes , kids can learn about valuable scientific principles while they create, play with, and explore four different kinds of slime.

Our hands-on  Slime Science Kit for Kids  is complete   with lab-quality chemicals, containers, and instructions for making the first two types of slime listed below – simple slime  (putty-like texture) and  super slime  (clear & gooey). To make  glooze  (slimy & ooze-like) and  oobleck  (resembles quicksand), simply add kitchen staples, like corn starch, skim milk, vinegar, and baking soda!

Simple Slime Recipe

This version of slime (or Gak) is made of glue and Borax.

What You Need:

• School glue
• Borax ( Sodium tetraborate )
• Food coloring  (optional)

What You Do:

1. In one bowl mix 1 oz. glue (about ¼ of the glue bottle) and ¼ cup water. If you want colored slime, add food coloring to the glue and water mixture. Lift some of the solution out of the container with the stir stick and note what happens.

2. Add ¼ cup of liquid  Sodium Tetraborate (Borax) Solution  (see the recipe below) to the glue and water mixture and stir slowly.

3. The slime will begin to form immediately. Lift some of the solution with the stir stick and observe how the consistency has changed from Step 1.

4. Stir as much as you can, then dig in and knead it with your hands until it gets less sticky. This is a messy experience but is necessary because it allows the two compounds to bond completely. Don’t worry about any leftover water in the bowl; just pour it out.

5. When not in use, store the slime in a plastic bag in the fridge to keep it from growing mold.

What Happened:

The glue has an ingredient called polyvinyl acetate, which is a liquid polymer. The borax links the polyvinyl acetate molecules to each other, creating one large, flexible polymer. This kind of slime will get stiffer and more like putty the more you play with it.

Experiment with different glues to see if they create slime (e.g., carpenter glue, tacky glue, etc.).

You can also make  Super Slime Bubbles  using most of the same ingredients.

Download the free printable to make Simple Slime .

Super Slime

The second type of slime is the same clear gooey kind that you see in the movies. This is the real gooey deal! (This slime is non-toxic, but still keep these chemicals away from unsupervised children and wash your hands after playing with the slime.)

• Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution
• Beaker or jar
• Food coloring (optional)

1. Pour ½ cup of the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution into a beaker, jar, or bowl. If you want colored slime, add food coloring to the PVA solution and stir with a stir stick.

2. Add 2 teaspoons of the Sodium Tetraborate (Borax) Solution (see the recipe below) into the PVA solution and stir slowly.

3. Try lifting some of the solution with the stir stick and note what happens. Once the slime has formed, you can play with it. Just don’t eat it!

4. Your slime will last longer if you seal it in a plastic bag and keep it in the fridge, otherwise it will dry out or mold.

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a liquid polymer and is therefore formed from long chains of connected molecules.

The sodium tetraborate forms hydrogen bonds with oxygen present in the PVA chains. Hydrogen bonds occur when the positive charge of the hydrogen atoms attracts the negative charge of the oxygen atoms within the compound.

The hydrogen bonds link the individual PVA strands to each other, creating a “blob” of slime.

Since hydrogen bonds are weak, they will break and reform as you hold the slime or let it ooze onto a flat surface.

Download the free printable to make Super Slime .

This slimy substance is made from milk.

• Baking soda
• A coffee filter

1. Add 7 tablespoons of skim milk to a cup and add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the milk. Gently stir the mixture until solids have formed.

2. Let the solids sink to the bottom of the mixture and then drain off the liquid using a filter (a coffee filter works best). Let the solids drain for a few minutes.

3. Add ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to the solids and knead together to form a slimy mixture from milk.

When you added the vinegar to the milk, it caused the milk’s protein, casein, which is also a polymer, to separate from the liquid part of the milk and clump together to form solids.

Casein is used in adhesives, paints, and even plastics.

The baking soda neutralizes the acid added, which allows the casein to go back to its liquid form.

Download the free printable for the Glooze recipe .

Oobleck or Quicksand

Make a non-Newtonian fluid that resembles quicksand using cornstarch.

1. In the plastic mixing bowl, combine small amounts of water and cornstarch together to form a mixture that looks like heavy whipping cream and has the consistency of honey. The approximate ratio of the cornstarch to water mixture is 2 cups of cornstarch to 1 cup of water. So if you use all of a regular-sized box of cornstarch (about 16 oz.), you will use about 1½ cups of water. It is best to start with less water and slowly add it until the desired consistency is reached.

2. After making your mixture, gently lay your hand on the surface of the cornstarch-water mixture. You should notice that your hand sinks in the mixture like you would expect it to do. Move your hand through the mixture, slowly first and then trying to move it really fast. Was it easier to move your hand slowly or quickly through it?

3. If your mixture is deep enough to submerge your entire hand in it, try grabbing a handful of the mixture and pulling your hand out quickly. Then try again, this time relaxing your hand and pulling it out slowly. Did you notice a difference?

4. Try punching the cornstarch-water mixture. (Be careful not to hurt yourself on the bowl!) Make sure to hit the substance hard and pull your fist back quickly. Did the substance splatter everywhere or did it remain in the bowl? (If it splattered, add more cornstarch.)

Whenever you gently and slowly move your hand through the cornstarch-water mixture, it behaves like a liquid. But when you try to move your hand through it quickly or forcefully hit the substance, it behaves like a solid. This cornstarch-water mixture behaves similarly to quicksand.

The flow and movement of a fluid are affected by its viscosity, or how sticky and thick it is.

Quicksand and the cornstarch-water mixture are both non-Newtonian fluids. Non-Newtonian viscosity changes with the type of force applied to it.

The viscosity of Newtonian fluids (such as water and honey, which follow Sir Isaac Newton’s law of viscosity) is dependent only on the temperature and pressure of the fluid, not the force applied to it. For instance, warm honey (less viscous) flows much more freely than cold honey (more viscous).

Since the ability of a non-Newtonian fluid to move depends on the force or stress applied to it, these fluids do not act like ones we are more familiar with (e.g., honey or water). A light pressure, such as pouring or gently pressing the cornstarch-water mixture, allows it to move like a liquid.

Download the free printable with the Oobleck recipe .

Other fun home recipes:

Use glue and borax to make a colorful bouncy ball

Sodium Tetraborate (Borax) Solution Recipe

1. Label an 8 oz. plastic bottle “Sodium Tetraborate (Borax) Solution” with a permanent marker.

2. Fill the bottle about ¾ full with water.

3. Add 4 teaspoons of sodium tetraborate to the water and shake until mostly dissolved.

4. Fill the bottle to the top with water and shake again to completely dissolve the sodium tetraborate solids.

More Information about non-Newtonian Liquid

A non-Newtonian liquid is a substance that acts like a liquid in some situations but as a solid in others. Quicksand is an example of a non-Newtonian liquid. It appears to be solid, but if you stand on it, you slowly start sinking as if it were a liquid.

Polymers are what make non-Newtonian liquids unique. A polymer is a long string of molecules that can exist as a liquid or a solid.

The term polymer comes from the Greek words for “many parts.” Liquid polymers act as a liquid until particular chemicals are added, which create links between the molecules.

These links transform the compound into a hybrid between liquid and solid. Since the molecules are now connected, they cannot move as freely, which gives them the strange properties found in slime.

The new compound is called a non-Newtonian liquid.

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How to Make Oobleck

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Homemade slime is a super-fun and educational activity for when the kiddos are bored at home, but there's another substance that'll likely blow their minds even more — oobleck. What makes the concoction so interesting is that it quickly changes from liquid to solid and back again with only a little manipulation from the user. This phenomenon occurs because oobleck is what's known as a non-Newtonian liquid.

Named for the scientist who first described them , Sir Isaac Newton , Newtonian liquids always maintain the same level of thickness and stickiness (also known as viscosity) no matter how much pressure is applied, provided the temperature remains constant. Examples of Newtonian liquids include water, gasoline and alcohol.

Non-Newtonian liquids, however, don't abide by those same rules. When pressure is applied to a non-Newtonian fluid in its liquid state, the viscosity changes, but for this alteration to maintain the pressure has to continue. This is why oobleck can turn from a soupy mixture one second into a solid once it's squeezed and manipulated, and then go back to liquid practically instantly once the pressure is off.

These scientific principles are both important to grasp and fun to see in action. Take a shot at the following recipe, adapted from one published by the world-class research facility Jefferson Lab.

Recipe for Oobleck Using Borax*

Recipe for oobleck using cornstarch*, fun activities with oobleck.

For the borax mixture:

1 tablespoon (15 ml) borax

1 cup (250 ml) of warm water

For the glue mixture:

4 fluid ounces (125 ml) Elmer's glue (school glue or glue-all)

4 fluid ounces (125 ml) of water

1 small, zipper-lock plastic bag

Green food coloring (or any other color)

Measuring spoons

Measuring cup

Mixing spoon

1. In the first bowl, mix the borax and warm water. The borax needs to dissolve completely.

2. In the other bowl, mix the Elmer's glue and water.

3. Measure 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of borax solution and pour into the plastic bag.

4. Add a couple drops of food coloring to the bag.

5. Add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the glue mixture to the bag.

6. Securely close the bag and mix it together by squishing the bag around for about two minutes.

Note: If you want a bigger batch of oobleck, start by adding a few drops of food coloring (and any glitter or beads you wish) to the glue mixture and stir.

Add about half of the borax mixture to the glue mixture and mix.

Keep adding more of the borax mixture until the oobleck comes together. Then start squishing it with your hands.

7. Store oobleck in a plastic bag when not in use.

1.5 cups cornstarch

1 cup water

1. Add a few drops of food coloring to the water and stir.

2. Pour the water slowly into the cornstarch and start mixing. If the mixture feels too runny, add more cornstarch.

3. Once you've got the right consistency, use your hands to pick it up and start squeezing! Store in a plastic bag when not in use.

*Never eat or drink oobleck. Children should only make oobleck when supervised by an adult.

Squeeze oobleck into a ball and notice it becomes hard. But open your hand over a bowl and let the oobleck slide out and it turns back into a liquid!

Place oobleck in a plastic container and start shaking or bump against a table.

Push your hand in the mixture and notice that it goes through easily. Then try to punch it and feel the resistance.

If you drop a light rubber ball from a height into the bowl, you'll see it bounce off the oobleck mixture.

Live Science also suggests you place the mixture on top of an old speaker and watch it "dance."

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Babble Dabble Do

How to Make DIY Bouncy Balls with Simple Ingredients!

June 19, 2022 by Ana Dziengel 59 Comments

Learn how to make DIY Bouncy Balls with simple ingredients from your kitchen! In this easy science project for kids, you’ll use chemistry to make a DIY toy.

When I first started trying science projects with my kids I fell into the “It has to be really complicated to be amazing” trap. You know, the one where we think that we need to invest in some fancy materials to be able to create an appealing science project for our kids.

This post has been sponsored by Dover Publications. All opinions are my own.

Here’s a little secret: The best science experiments for kids can be done with common household ingredients. You don’t need special kits or hard to find materials, though sometimes those are fun to add in to your repertoire, you really just need to raid your pantry. Case in point, today’s simple science experiment featuring polymers: DIY Bouncy Balls.

DIY Bouncy Balls is a project from the book Science Around the House: Simple Projects Using Household Recyclables  by Roz Fulcher and published by Dover Publications . Dover has kindly sponsored this post but all opinions are my own. And they are all fab! I have actually been a big fan of Dover for a long time and my guess is you have too, only you may not even realize it.

Dover has so many titles in print it’s hard to even skim the surface, but what I love most are their science and craft books for kids along with all their reprints of classic math, science and puzzle books. I have waxed poetic about Martin Gardner books in the past, they are all available through Dover. Science Around the House has 57 easy projects and judging by how many post-its I have on it marking projects we want to try, I am positive you’ll find some awesomeness in here!

Okay, so let’s learn how to make a homemade bouncy ball! This is a classic chemistry project that explores polymer science and you only need a few materials from your pantry/craft stash to make them. If you don’t have Borax it can be found in the laundry section of most supermarkets.

SAFTEY NOTE:  Please read this post regarding Borax safety. If you have children with skin sensitivities you should have them wear gloves when making the bouncy balls.

This post contains affiliate links to products.

How to Make DIY Bouncy Balls

• Food Coloring
• Measuring spoons
• Paper Towels

Instructions

Time needed:  15 minutes.

In a cup, mix 1/2 teaspoon of Borax with 1 Tablespoon of warm water. Stir to completely dissolve the Borax. You will probably still have some Borax at the bottom.

In a separate cup mix 1 Tablespoon of white glue with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Add in a few drops of food coloring and stir to combine.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of the dissolved Borax mixture to your glue/cornstarch mixture and stir.

Once the mixture starts to harden, remove it from the cup and quickly knead it with your hands. As it becomes more pliable, roll it between your palms to form a ball. Be sure to add some pressure as you roll it to smooth out the surface.

  Once shaped it’s ready to bounce!  Be sure to wash your hands after playing with these.

• Add a tiny drop of the Borax mixture to the ball once it’s shaped to smooth out the outer surface. This also helps if your ball becomes sticky as you roll it between your hands.
• Rub a little cornstarch on the outside of the bouncy balls for the smoothest bouncy ball surface ever!
• Keep a paper towel handy to dry your hands off while shaping the ball.
• Store these in an air-tight baggie or they will quickly dry out.
• These are best used and played with within a day or two. They will flatten out a bit as they sit.
• Try making a few in different colors! Just be sure to wait on adding the borax water until you are ready to knead them.
• Try using clear glue or glitter glue . I have not tried this but it would be a fun experiment.
• Double it! The recipe is above is halved from the original recipe in Science Around the House . Try doubling the recipe for a super sized bouncy ball!
• Make them glow. Try glow in the dark glue for an extra cool homemade bouncy ball!

The Science

In this project we are using a chemical reaction to make a very strong polymer . In a chemical reaction, two substances undergo a chemical change to form a new substance. The chemical reaction in this project occurs between the dissolved borax (sodium tetraborate) and the PVA (polyvinyl acetate) glue (AKA white school glue).

And what is a polymer? A polymer is a substance made up of long chains of molecules. Polymers are typically flexible materials like plastic or gum. There are two polymers in this project: white school glue and wet cornstarch. The chemical reaction that occurs when the borax mixture meets the polymer mixture causes the molecules in the polymers to crosslink and become even stronger and more elastic in nature.

So this simple science experiment required no fancy equipment or materials but resulted in one awesome project, right? My kids really enjoyed playing with the bouncy balls. In fact my 4 year old kept trying to sneak a few to play with while I was shooting these pics…

I hope you guys check out  Science Around the House: Simple Projects Using Household Recyclables   and some of the other Dover Publications science and craft publications for kids!

For more fun Chemistry Projects for Kids hop over here:

Cheyanne Khurram says

June 19, 2017 at 9:48 pm

We would love to add Science around the house to our library.

Ana Dziengel says

June 21, 2017 at 4:03 am

June 20, 2017 at 6:44 am

Such a fun idea!

Billie says

June 20, 2017 at 6:50 am

June 20, 2017 at 6:51 am

I’d like to have their book Easy-to-Make Zoo Animals Finger Puppets.

June 21, 2017 at 4:02 am

That’s a fun one!

Catherine Yezak says

June 20, 2017 at 6:56 am

What a great idea. I may try it for my Makerspace program at my local library. It would go well with the Games and Songs of American Children by William W. Newell from Dover.

June 21, 2017 at 4:01 am

Yes! It’s a fun and easy project!

Stephanie says

June 20, 2017 at 7:07 am

Other than Science Around the House, I like the Mother West Wind books from Dover

Janet Houle says

June 20, 2017 at 7:20 am

My granddaughter loves making slime and such

She will enjoy this project then 🙂

June 20, 2017 at 7:32 am

Really enjoy all the great ideas on your blog.

June 20, 2017 at 7:35 am

All the Dover books look great and I wouldn’t mind owning any one of them. I think I would like the Science Around the House though.

June 21, 2017 at 4:00 am

It’s a good one 🙂 Tons of easy projects!

Thank you XOXO!

carole says

June 20, 2017 at 7:53 am

My grand kids would love this

Thanks for entering!

June 20, 2017 at 7:59 am

Would love to find a copy of The illustrated Book of Knights by Jack Coggins.

June 21, 2017 at 3:59 am

My son would love that one!

Gene Oswald says

June 20, 2017 at 8:34 am

awesome Experiments! Cant wait to try with grandkids…

Would love to have the Planet Earth Projects… love green things and stuff about our planet…

Vicky D says

June 20, 2017 at 9:45 am

This looks like a great book! I like Fascinating Science Experiments for Young People too.

June 21, 2017 at 3:58 am

That one looks really good!

Sandy Poteet says

June 20, 2017 at 11:20 am

I think Science around the house would be a great addition to our library. We are a museum, and while we strive to stay current and modern, we also want the participants to know how it was to live in the “olden” days, and using things we don’t have to buy would be a wonderful way to show the kids.

June 21, 2017 at 3:57 am

Yes! It’s fun to see how things were done in the past 🙂 My current obsession is this book which has science experiments from the 1800s 🙂 http://store.doverpublications.com/0486258564.html

June 20, 2017 at 12:36 pm

My kids love the Dover activity books.

June 20, 2017 at 4:50 pm

Jessica says

June 20, 2017 at 1:57 pm

All those books from the giveaway sound awesome. From the rest of the Dover catalogue Entertaining mathematical Puzzles would be a hit in our home. Thanks ?

I have that one! It’s good!

Maureen says

June 20, 2017 at 2:24 pm

This is a great idea. I think I would like to have the book Star Girl.

I love science fiction!

Catherine Sparks says

June 20, 2017 at 4:58 pm

Wow, I had no idea the amount of books they publish! There are some really awesome science books on their website I would like to have. Anything that has to do with science would be a wonderful addition to my 2nd grade classroom! Thanks for a great post and for sharing this recipe for bouncy balls. Looks like we might be making some fun bouncy balls this next school year!

June 21, 2017 at 3:54 am

woot woot! Your 2nd graders will have a lot of fun with these!

Colleen says

June 20, 2017 at 5:14 pm

My kids would LOVE to make bouncy balls! I think the Cup and Saucer Chemistry book would be a huge hit in our house.

I need to check that one out too!

Lisa Richards says

June 20, 2017 at 6:18 pm

These look awesome! I would love to have the chance to win Science Around the House! Thanks for sharing : )

Thanks for entering!!!!

Jeanette Nyberg says

June 20, 2017 at 6:35 pm

I find it impossible to pick one book. I love Dover books – it was fun to poke around on their site and see so much cool stuff.

June 21, 2017 at 3:53 am

Carolyn says

June 20, 2017 at 7:02 pm

Lynne Howell says

June 20, 2017 at 8:47 pm

It sounds like a perfect activity with my grandchildren. Are the balls durable and lasting or is their bounce temporary? Should getting it wet be discouraged? I guess I will find out tomorrow when we make bouncy balls. Science Around the House sounds like a spark of curiosity for learning and experimenting with science for children. I would enjoy a copy.

They keep their elasticity but do tend to flatten out after a day or so. Keep them in an airtight bag and if you have some type of mold with a round bottom try and store them in there. I used an old brownie pop mold. Have fun!

Charlotte Armstrong says

June 20, 2017 at 9:42 pm

For my purposes the Beginning Bird book or the dinosaur book would be great but any of them geared for now to younger kids three ( going on twelve) to twelve or so would be appreciated. The bouncy balls are in the picture in the next couple days. Thanks for the recipe.

June 20, 2017 at 9:46 pm

The beginning bird book or the Dinosaur book would be first choices.

June 21, 2017 at 3:51 am

🙂 Those sound good!

June 21, 2017 at 3:52 am

Have fun with the project!

Karen Wallace says

June 20, 2017 at 10:14 pm

The giveaway book sounds awesome! There are so many other great titles to pick from, I would like to add Spot the Differences Picture Puzzles for Kids Book 2, and Our 5 Senses Coloring Book to our library!

Yes! I love spot the differences puzzles!

Lilian says

June 20, 2017 at 10:48 pm

My kids would love any science or experiments book… ❤❤❤

Those are my faves too!

June 27, 2017 at 8:54 am

Sooo many books!! The science of water would be a great addition, my two year old loves to play with water ?

Francesca says

June 27, 2017 at 11:45 am

Super fun science…i love this site♥

June 30, 2017 at 6:06 am

Hi! Planet Earth Project is my pick! ??

Jackie says

June 30, 2017 at 12:10 pm

We would love Science Around the House!

Cheryl says

July 2, 2017 at 8:08 pm

Can’t wait to make these with my preschoolers! We are always looking for new science experiments (that don’t involve food….too many allergies). Would love more ideas like this one.

July 2, 2017 at 8:30 pm

We would love to add Science Around the House to our library. Can’t wait to try making the bouncy balls!!!

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PVA polymer slime

In association with Nuffield Foundation

• Four out of five

A solution of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) can be made into a slime by adding borax solution, which creates cross-links between polymer chains

This experiment is easy to set up, providing the chemicals are available, and should take no more than about 30 minutes. It can be done by students in groups of two or three.

Related resources

• An alternative method aimed at 11–12 years and designed for outreach is offered in the snot section of our Snap, crackle and snot resource . 
• Also designed for outreach,  Year 9 chemistry day  shows how to make bouncing custard.
• Saftefy glasses
• Beaker (100 cm 3 )
• Measuring cylinder (50 cm 3 )
• Disposable plastic cup
• Metal spatula
• Petri dish (or watch glass)
• Water-based felt-tipped pen
• Spirit-based felt-tipped pen
• Disposable plastic gloves
• PVA, polyvinyl alcohol, 4% (or 8%) aqueous solution, 40 cm 3 (see note 3 below)
• Borax, hydrated sodium tetraborate, 4% (or 8%) aqueous solution, 10 cm 3
• Food colour or fluorescein (optional)
• Hydrochloric acid, about 0.5 M, 20 cm 3  (optional)
• Sodium hydroxide, 0.4 M (IRRITANT), 20 cm 3  (optional)

Health, safety and technical notes

• Read our standard health and safety guidance
• Wear eye protection, and protective gloves if handling the slime. 
• Polyvinyl alcohol, (-[CH 2 CH(OH)]n-) – PVA can be high molecular weight (MW), about 120 000, or low MW, about 15 000. If high MW PVA is used, prepare a 4% solution by placing 960 cm 3  of water into a tall 1 dm 3  beaker. Measure out 40 g of high MW PVA and add this slowly to the beaker of water, with stirring. If low MW PVA is used, prepare an 8% solution by placing 920 cm 3  of water into a tall 1 dm 3  beaker. Measure out 80 g of low MW PVA and add this slowly to the beaker of water, with stirring. In each case, heat the mixture gently, stirring occasionally, until the solution clears. Avoid boiling the solution. After cooling, this solution can be poured into suitable smaller containers, which can then be sealed and stored indefinitely.
• Borax, hydrated sodium tetraborate, (Na 2 B 4 O 7 .10H 2 O) – see CLEAPSS Hazcard HC014a . If a 4% aqueous solution of PVA is used a 4% aqueous solution of borax will be required. If an 8% aqueous solution of PVA is used an 8% aqueous solution of borax will be required. Borax solid is now classified as TOXIC because it carries the R60/61 warning – it may cause infertility and harm to the unborn child. The solid and solutions in excess of 8.5% should be labelled TOXIC, but other solutions will NOT carry any hazard warning. Borax solutions as prepared following these instructions do NOT require a hazard label. BUT technicians preparing the solutions need to be alerted to the hazard. CLEAPSS advises weighing the solid very carefully, possibly in a fume cupboard which is not switched on. Pregnant women should avoid handling the solid. Students may want to take the slime home – this should not be allowed.
• Fluorescein – see CLEAPSS Hazcard HC032 and CLEAPSS Recipe Book RB000.
• Hydrochloric acid, HCl(aq) – see CLEAPSS Hazcard HC047a  and CLEAPSS Recipe Book RB043. Best supplied in small glass bottles fitted with teat pipettes.
• Sodium hydroxide, NaOH(aq), (CORROSIVE) – see CLEAPSS Hazcard HC091a and CLEAPSS Recipe Book RB085. Best supplied in small glass bottles fitted with teat pipettes.
• Slime – see CLEAPSS Recipe Book RB000. As per note 4, the slime is NOT TOXIC but students should not be allowed to take the slime home.
• Place 40 cm 3  of the polyvinyl alcohol solution in the plastic cup.
• If supplied, add one drop of food colour or fluorescein dye to the solution. Stir well.
• Measure out 10 cm 3  of borax solution into the beaker and add this to the polyvinyl alcohol solution, stirring vigorously until gelling is complete. This gel is sometimes known as ‘slime’.
• Wearing disposable gloves, remove the slime from the cup and knead it thoroughly to mix the contents completely. Roll the slime around in your hand, gently squeezing the material to remove air bubbles at the same time. Alternatively, place the slime in a plastic bag and mix and squeeze the mixture from outside the bag.

Source: Royal Society of Chemistry

The apparatus set-up for making slime out of PVA and borax solution

Test the properties of your slime in the following ways (tests 6–8 below are optional):

• Pull the slime apart slowly. What happens?
• Pull the slime apart sharply and quickly. What happens?
• Roll the slime into a ball and drop it on to the bench. What happens?
• Place a small bit of slime on the bench and hit it hard with your hand. What happens?
• Write your name on a piece of paper with a water-based felt-tipped pen. Place the slime on top, press firmly, and then lift up the slime. What has happened to the writing and to the slime? Try the same again, this time using a spirit-based pen. Does this show the same effect?
• Place a very small piece of slime in a Petri dish. Add the dilute hydrochloric acid dropwise, stirring well after each drop. When you notice a change, record the number of drops added and your observations.
• Now add dilute sodium hydroxide solution to the same sample used above in 6, stirring after each drop. When you notice a change record the number of drops added and your observations.
• Can tests 6 and 7 be repeated time and time again to give the same results?

Teaching notes

Tell students to keep the slime away from clothes as it can produce permanent stains. The slime can be stored in an air-tight container, such as a plastic bag with a twist-tie. It is advisable to dip the slime in some water before storing, to keep it from drying out. Slime gets dirty from handling and may become mouldy after several days. When this happens you should throw it away. Do not put it down the sink because it clogs the drain.

Slime-type materials are available under a variety of different brand names, and can be found in many toy stores. Slime is sometimes described as a reversible cross-linking gel. The cross-linking between the polymer chains of polyvinyl alcohol occurs by adding borax, Na 2 B 4 O 7 .10H 2 O (sodium tetraborate).

PVA glue contains, amongst other things, the polymer polyvinyl alcohol (also called polyethenol). Polyvinyl alcohol has the structure:

The structure of polymer polyvinyl alcohol (also called polyethenol), which is contained in PVA glue.

Borax forms the borate ion when in solution. This ion has the structure:

The structure of the borate ion, used in making slime out of PVA.

The borate ion can make weak bonds with the OH groups in the polymer chains so it can link the chains together as shown below. This is called cross-linking:

Cross-linking between borate ions and the OH groups in the polymer chains of PVA

Slime is a non-Newtonian fluid that is dilatant, ie under stress, the material dilates or expands. Other well known stress-thickening materials are quicksand, wet sand on the beach, some printer’s inks, starch solutions and ‘Silly Putty’. Dilatant materials tend to have some unusual properties:

• Under low stress, such as slowly pulling on the material, it will flow and stretch. If careful, you can form a thin film.
• Pull sharply (high stress) and the material breaks.
• Pour the material from its container then tip the container upwards slightly, the gel self siphons.
• Put a small amount of the material on a table top and hit it with your hand, there is no splashing or splattering.
• Throw a small piece onto a hard surface; it will bounce slightly.
• Adding acid to the slime breaks the crosslinking producing a liquid with lower viscosity. Adding alkali reverses the process and the slime should be regenerated.

Various types of slime have been manufactured. In this investigation you use the polymer polyvinyl alcohol, which is reasonably cheap and is readily available from suppliers because it is widely used as a thickener, stabiliser and binder in cosmetics, paper cloth, films, cements and mortars. In ethanol solution polyvinyl alcohol solution dries to leave a thin plastic film that is useful in packaging materials, especially as it is biodegradable. PVA glue can be partially or completely hydrolysed to give polyvinyl alcohol.

For further information on slime, visit how products are made .

More resources

Add context and inspire your learners with our short career videos showing how chemistry is making a difference .

Additional information

This is a resource from the  Practical Chemistry project , developed by the Nuffield Foundation and the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Practical Chemistry activities accompany  Practical Physics  and  Practical Biology . 

The experiment is also part of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Continuing Professional Development course:  Chemistry for non-specialists . 

© Nuffield Foundation and the Royal Society of Chemistry

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Enjoy fun science experiments for kids that feature awesome hands-on projects and activities that help bring the exciting world of science to life. Crazy Putty Using some everyday household items such as borax, water, PVA glue and food coloring, make some crazy putty that you can squish in your hands, mould into shapes or even bounce on the ground.       The PVA glue you use is a type of polymer called polyvinyl acetate (PVA for short), while the borax is made of a chemical called sodium borate. When you combine the two in a water solution, the borax reacts with the glue molecules, joining them together into one giant molecule. This new compound is able to absorb large amounts of water, producing a putty like substance which you can squish in your hands or even bounce.     Science Kids ©  |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |  Updated: Oct 9, 2023 Science Bob Experiments Science Fair Ideas Science Q&A Research Help Experiment Blog more in 4-5 years Experiment while making a bouncy ball. Amy Huntley is a former science teacher and Mom that runs a great blog where she shares activities that she has done with her family. This exploration of polymers and bouncing balls  caught our eye and we were happy that Amy would share it with us. We’ve adapted it just a bit. The fun part is experimenting, and it is easy to make several of these and change up the recipe and check results. Note that this will not make a bouncy ball like you get at the grocery store, but ours bounced over a foot high and the ball has quite a unique feel to it. You will need: Borax (found in laundry section) corn starch glue (clear glue makes a see transparent ball and white glue makes an opaque ball) 2 small mixing cups a stirring stick (plastic spoon) Label one cup ‘Borax Solution’ and the other cup ‘Ball Mixture’. Pour 4 ounces (120ml) of warm water into the cup labeled ‘Borax Solution’ and 1 teaspoon of the borax powder into the cup. Stir the mixture to dissolve the borax. Pour 1 tablespoon of glue into the cup labeled ‘Ball Mixture’. Add 3-4 drops of food coloring, if desired. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the borax solution you just made and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to the glue. Do not stir. Allow the ingredients to interact on their own for 10-15 seconds and then stir them together to fully mix. Once the mixture becomes impossible to stir, take it out of the cup and start molding the ball with your hands. The ball will start out sticky and messy, but will solidify as you knead it. Once the ball is less sticky, continue rolling between your hands until it is smooth and round! “My boys loved making these “bouncy” balls. They are not super bouncy like the plastic super balls that became popular when I was a kid, but they are pretty bouncy and fun to play with. We discovered that on the carpet, they have a lot more bounce then they do on the kitchen floor. ” These are also “temporary” bouncing balls and will lose their elasticity within a few days as they dry. Keeping your bouncy ball in a sealed bag will increase its bouncy lifespan. The original “Super Balls” got their amazing bounce ability from compressed rubber under thousands of pounds of pressure. How does it work? This activity demonstrates an interesting chemical reaction, primarily between the borax and the glue. The borax acts as a “cross-linker” to the polymer molecules in the glue – basically it creates chains of molecules that stay together when you pick them up. The cornstarch helps to bind the molecules together so that they hold their shape better. Make it an experiment You can turn this activity into a true experiment by adjusting the amount of borax, glue, and cornstarch to get the highest bounce. You can also experiment to discover the best way to get the bouncy ball to keep its bounce over time. Have fun! Get bouncy Bouncy Ball Kits at the Science Bob Store. Check out Amy’s blog by clicking HERE . More Images & Video More from my site ADS (these ads support our free website) Share this page. Skip to main content Skip to header left navigation Skip to header right navigation Skip to site footer Kids Ministry Dedicated to helping Kids Ministry leaders in their mission of making disciples Science Experiments: Bouncy Balls & Creation · Before the Activity: o Think about the days of creation. What are some of the first things that God created? o Do you think that God meant to create the earth round? Why? o Today we will study the story of how God created the world. · Bible Story Connection: o God Created the World (Genesis 1:1–2:23) o Connection Point: In this activity, kids will get to create a ball. God also created a great big ball, the earth! God created a beautiful world, and kids can choose how they create their ball. · After the Story/Activity: o What connections do you see between making our bouncy balls and how God created the earth? o Will our bouncy balls last forever? Will the earth last forever? o Do you think that God was creative in the way that He made the earth? How? Reader Interactions Leave a reply cancel reply. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Science Fun Snot Slime Human Body Experiment In this fun and easy human body science experiment, we’re going to make slime to enjoy and investigate while we explore and understand snot and its importance.  Green (and yellow if you like) Food Coloring Clear school Glue Sandwich Baggies or Bowls Measuring Cups Borax Powder Instructions: Mix 1/8 cup borax powder with 500 ml warm water. It’s actually fine should some of the borax powder stays undissolved. Allow the mixture to cool down to room temperature. Using a different bowl or a different sandwich baggie, mix 2 spoonfuls of the clear glue into 3 spoonfuls of water. White Elmer’s school glue will create opaque snot (more booger than snot) and clear glue gel will generate translucent slimy snot that is a little stickier and more similar to snot. Mix two or three drops of green or yellow food coloring into your glue mixture. Now mix in a spoonful of your borax solution into the glue mixture. Mix if you have combined your ingredients in a bowl or squish together if within a sandwich baggie. Keep mixing or squishing your mixture until it forms into slime. Remove from the bowl or baggie and enjoy! EXPLORE AWESOME SCIENCE EXPERIMENT VIDEOS! How it Works: Snot can be called mucus, phlegm, and many other disgusting sounding things, but it is very important. Humans make about a quart of snot a day (which you swallow most of!) and we need it to warm the air we breath, keep the lining of our noses moist, and to protect our lungs. Snot is a slime that humans need to stay healthy and survive.  Make This A Science Project: Try making slime with different activators like saline solution and liquid starch. Try making a quart of slime to visualize how much a human makes each day.  EXPLORE TONS OF FUN AND EASY SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS! SUBSCRIBE AND NEVER MISS A NEW SCIENCE FUN VIDEO! previous experiment Next experiment. January 5, 2012 Playing with Polymers A creative chemical challenge from Science Buddies By Science Buddies Key concepts Chemistry Polymers Ratios Mixtures Introduction Have you ever wondered how fun toys like Silly Putty, Gak and Slime are made? It's the properties of polymers, certain kinds of large molecules, that make these products bouncy, slimy, stretchy, breakable, hard, soft, sticky, moldable—and just plain fun to play with. Polymers are found in a variety of materials that have a broad range of properties. Materials made from polymers can be found in nature, such as amber and natural rubber, or generated synthetically, such as nylon, silicone and all plastics. The unique physical and chemical properties of polymeric materials can change depending on the amount of each different ingredient used to make them. How will changing the ratio of ingredients affect how a polymeric material feels and behaves? Background You can make a polymer-based material similar to Silly Putty at home by mixing together water, borax and Elmer's Glue. Elmer's is made up of polyvinyl acetate, which is a synthetic polymer. A polymer is a long molecule that is mostly made up of many similar repeating units. In the case of polyvinyl acetate, each repeating unit contains an acetate group. Borax, which is a white powder made up of sodium tetraborate, can react with this acetate group. Specifically, one molecule of borax can react with acetate groups on two different polyvinyl acetate molecules (such as those from the glue), creating a bond between the two polyvinyl acetate molecules. Borax cross-links the polyvinyl acetate molecules together. The more cross-linked molecules, the larger the polymeric material that is made from the reaction. Additionally, as more cross-links are made, the more the polymeric material becomes less liquidlike and gains solidity. Materials Three zip-top bags Water Elmer's white school glue Borax (also called 20-Mule Team Borax household cleaner) Measuring cups Measuring tablespoons and teaspoons Two glass jars with lids Permanent marker Gloves, latex or similar style exam glove (optional) Goggles or other eye protection Preparation •    Children should wear goggles or other protective eyewear, and adults should supervise and use caution when handling borax because it can irritate eyes. •    In one glass jar add three tablespoons of water and three tablespoons of Elmer's Glue. Tightly secure the jar lid and shake it until the glue is fully diluted and no gooey clumps remain. Label this jar "Solution #1: 50 Percent Glue." •    In the second glass jar, add one half cup of warm water and one teaspoon of borax. Again, tightly secure the lid and shake it until no particles of borax remain and the solution is clear. Label this jar "Solution #2: 4 Percent Borax." •    The polymer material made in this activity can be sticky, so it should be kept off of clothing, wood and other rough surfaces that can be hard to clean. Also, the 50 percent glue solution and the glue–borax mixtures should not be poured down a drain because they can form clogs. Dispose of them in plastic bags. Procedure •    Take the three zip-top bags and label one "A," the next "B" and the third "C." •    From the jar containing Solution #1 (50 percent glue) add one tablespoon to bag A, two tablespoons to bag B and three tablespoons and one teaspoon to bag C. After adding Solution #1 to each bag, carefully set the bags so they will not spill over. •    From the Solution #2 (4 percent borax) jar add three tablespoons to bag A, two tablespoons to bag B and two teaspoons to bag C. Seal the bags closed. •     What are the ratios of the two solutions that were added to each bag? Which bag contains the most glue, and which contains the least? •    With the bags sealed closed, use your fingers to squish the mixtures around in each bag, mixing together the ingredients within the bag. Some bags may require more mixing than others. What do you observe happening within each bag? How are the resultant polymeric materials in each bag different from each other? •    After a mixture has formed a sticky glob, you can take it out of the bag. What physical properties can you describe for each material you've made? Are some materials runny, slimy, sticky, hard, soft, bouncy, etcetera? •    After investigating them, if you want to save your polymer products for later, put them back in their zip-top bags, seal them and store them in the refrigerator. •     Extra: Are there other ways to change the recipe in order to change the physical properties of the polymeric product? Try changing the percentages of glue in Solution #1 or of the borax in Solution #2 to see how that changes your product. Can you optimize the recipe in a new and different way to obtain different types of products? •     Extra: The protein gelatin found in Jell-O is also a polymer. What experiments could you conduct to explore the physical properties of other polymers, such as gelatin? Observations and results Did each bag have some solid product (a polymer material) take form inside of it after mixing? Did bag C contain the solidest polymeric material, and did bag A contain the most liquidlike one? Elmer's Glue contains polyvinyl acetate molecules, which are long polymer molecules that are tangled with each other. This is what makes glue viscous, or thick and sticky. When borax (sodium tetraborate) is added to polyvinyl acetate and cross-links the latter's molecules to each other, the glue solution becomes more viscous. As borax cross-links more and more of the glue molecules together and they become more viscous, an increasingly larger and solid polymeric material is made from the reaction. The bag with the least amount of glue, bag A, should have been the most liquidlike, whereas the bag with the largest amount of glue, bag C, should have been the solidest. Store-bought Silly Putty and Slime are not made using polyvinyl acetate, but rather from organosiloxane polymers or polyvinyl alcohol to increase their durability. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing . By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. Cleanup The 50 percent glue solution and the glue and borax mixtures should not be poured down drains as they can form clogs. Dispose of them in plastic bags that you can throw in the garbage. More to explore " The Page That Dripped Slime " from Bizarre Stuff You Can Make in Your Kitchen " Silly Putty: Synthesizing a Polymer " (pdf) from Louisiana State University. " Making Things out of Polymers " from Polymer Science Learning Center, University of Southern Mississippi. " Bouncy Polymer Chemistry " from Science Buddies This activity brought to you in partnership with Science Buddies How to Make Slime – Elmer’s Glue Recipes How to make do-it-yourself slime using elmer's glue and borax. Print this Experiment Expert slime makers agree that Elmer’s glue makes the best DIY slime. However, there are some tricky variations that can turn your slime from just ho-hum to amazing. Steve Spangler shares his best recipes to make slime stringy, snotty, runny, gooey, bumpy or even magnetic. This popular version of do-it-yourself Elmer’s slime is easy to make, clean (mostly), and a great tool for studying the properties of polymers. Experiment Videos Here's What You'll Need 8 oz (240 ml) elmer's glue, borax (laundry section of a grocery store), large mixing bowl, 9 oz (266 ml) plastic cup, measuring cups and spoons, paper towels, zipper-lock plastic bag, dinner plate, food coloring (optional - but more fun), adult supervision, let's try it. Mix approximately 1 tablespoon of borax with one cup (237 ml)  of water. Stir it so the borax dissolves completely. In the large mixing bowl, add as much white glue as you’d like. Just leave enough room in the bowl to add borax solution. Add water to the mixing bowl with the white glue. Use the same amount of water as glue.  Hint:  If you used a full 8 oz (237 ml) bottle of glue, just fill it with water, swirl it to mix any extra glue, and pour it in. That’s the perfect amount of additional water. Wash your hands!  (You don’t want dirt and germs in your new slime before you’ve even made it.) It’s time to get messy in the name of science. Use your hands to mix the water and the glue solution in the bowl. If you want colored slime, now’s the time to add a few drops of food coloring. Not too many because a few go a long way here. Mix it together with your (clean) hands so the color is even throughout the mixture. So you’re probably thinking, “This is way too sticky to be slime.” It is because you haven’t added the final ingredient yet. Add just a little bit of the borax solution at a time and keep mixing as you do. Adding the borax gradually gives you the consistency of slime you want in the end. It may take several additions to get it, too. Keep kneading and working the goo until it has a smooth consistency throughout. It should start sticking together a little like bread dough. When you get the slime you want, take it out of the bowl and play with it – uh, that is, explore its properties – on the plate or in the baggie. Be careful to not get any on the carpet. The food coloring will stain fabrics. If you want to mix in alien eggs or any other surprises you’ve worked up, here’s where you add them. When you’re done learning as much as you want with your slime, just bag it up and throw it away in the trash. Luckily, you’ve got lots of Borax left to make it again and again, too! How Does It Work The solution of school glue with borax and water produces a putty-like material that’s elastic and flows very slowly. The glue is actually made of a polymer material. In simplest terms, a polymer is a long chain of identical, repeating molecules. You can use the image of tiny steel chains to understand why this polymer behaves the way it does. Each link in a chain is a molecule in the polymer and one link is identical to another. When the chains are in a pile and you reach in to grab one, that’s what you get: one. If you dump them on the floor, they’re not connected to each other so they spread out everywhere like water. The strands flow over each other like the liquid glue in the bowl. Something caused a change, however. Let’s say you toss a few trillion tiny, round magnets into the pile of steel chains. Now when you reach in to grab one strand, you grab hundreds because the magnets have linked the strands together. If the molecules stick together at a few places along the strand, then the strands are connected to each other and the substance behaves more like a solid. Sodium tetraborate is the chemical in borax that linked the polymers in the glue to form the putty-like material. This process is called cross-linking. Take It Further The only way to make a thicker or a runnier slime using white glue is to add more or less borax solution as you mix it together. You can’t just add water to make it runnier. This means you can make a variety of test consistencies of slime in several cups and figure out proportions of ingredients for the one(s) you need or like best. Then all you do is scale-up the formula to the quantity you want to have/need. This slime flows and the speed of the flowing depends on the viscosity of the mixture. A thick, gooey slime has a high viscosity and flows slowly. A low viscosity slime spreads out evenly and fairly quickly. Place a glob on a fingertip or the corner of a desk to determine the viscosity of your slime. You know what to do to change it, too. If you make a batch that you absolutely love, you can keep it in the fridge for a little while. The reminder to wash your hands before and after making and using your slime is to keep dirt, germs, and goobers out of it for as long as possible. Eventually, it will have to be tossed into the trash, however. It is very easy to make more, though! Do You Recognize This Goo? The blob you made reminds a lot of people (mostly older people, too) of a toy that was very popular in the last half of the 20th Century. Binney & Smith, the makers of Crayola, bought the rights to Sill Putty ® in 1977 and it’s still on the market today. In 1943 James Wright, a chemical engineer, was attempting to create a synthetic rubber to help the war effort during WWII. He was unable to achieve the properties of rubber he was looking for and put his creation on the shelf. He did entertain friends with it and after the war, a salesman for the Dow-Corning Corporation used the putty to entertain some customers. One customer saw that the putty had potential as a new toy and “Silly Putty” was introduced in 1950. In 1957, after being advertised on the kids’ shows “The Howdy Doody Show” and “Captain Kangaroo”, Silly Putty became a toy fad. Recently, new uses such as a grip strengthener and an art medium have been developed for it. Silly Putty went into space on the Apollo 8 mission and has seen the inside of the Smithsonian as well. The polymers in Silly Putty have covalent bonds within the molecules, but hydrogen bonds between the molecules. The hydrogen bonds are easily broken. When low amounts of energy are slowly applied to the putty by twisting or pulling it, only a few bonds are broken and the putty stretches or “flows.” When higher amounts of energy are applied by yanking quickly and hard, there are many hydrogen bonds that break, causing the putty to break or tear. The same thing applies to the slime you just made, too. Try it! Related Experiments DIY Slime - The Real Recipe It’s one of our most frequently asked questions… How do you make real slime? Ask any special effects artist about slime and you’re sure to […] Magnetic Slime There’s a good chance you’ve (1) already worked with magnets and (2) made slime many times. It’s a good bet you haven’t done it at the same time, […] Edible Slime Slime is a staple of Halloween, chemistry, and science, in general. What could be better than stretching a glob of goo between your hands or […] Better Than Glue Slime - It's Shaker Slime Making slime is super easy if you know the secret recipe. Too much or too little of either solution and you’ll get something that looks […] We all know that playing with slime is one of the best things in the world.  But, what do you do when you’re done.  You […] DIY Slime - Slime Party Welcome to make-the-best-slime-in-the-world boot camp with a spooky Halloween twist. Ask any special effects artist about slime and you’re sure to hear the term polyvinyl […] Browse more experiments by concept: Open-and-go lessons that inspire kids to love science. Sign up now for tons of free lessons like this one, sign up now for a free trial through june 30, 2025. get tons of lessons. What do fireworks, rubber, and Silly Putty have in common? What could you do with powders that cause different colored flames? Unit Reading Assessments, the challenge. When you drop Mystery Science Goo, it splats. Suppose you wanted a goo that bounced when you dropped it. That's our challenge for you. We want you to make a goo that bounces. Start with the Mystery Science Goo recipe. Think about the properties of this goo make it splat. What do you need to change to make it bounce? Discuss with your friends. Then check out our ideas. Bouncy Goo — Our Ideas We decided Mystery Science Goo needed to be firmer to bounce. So we experimented with adding powdery stuff to the recipe to make firmer goo. Here are our three new recipes: 1 Tbsp talcum powder, 2 Tbsp of glue/water solution, & 1 Tbsp of borax solution 1 Tbsp cornstarch, 2 Tbsp of glue/water solution, & 1 Tbsp of borax solution 1 tsp salt, 2 Tbsp of glue/water solution, & 1 Tbsp of borax solution Try all three and compare the resulting goos. Which one bounces highest? For more information on goo recipes, visit the Page that Dripped Slime on the Bizarre Stuff website. chemical reaction Image & Video Credits Mystery Science respects the intellectual property rights of the owners of visual assets. We make every effort to use images and videos under appropriate licenses from the owner or by reaching out to the owner to get explicit permission. If you are the owner of a visual and believe we are using it without permission, please contact us —we will reply promptly and make things right. Featured Reviews Chemical Reactions & Properties Of Matter Chemical Reactions Activity Prep This lesson develops the idea that chemical reactions create new materials that have useful and interesting properties. The Great Goo Experiment is a two-part activity. In Part 1, students experiment by combining different substances and watching for reactions. In Part 2, students mix glue and borax solution in clear plastic bags to observe the reaction, which creates "Mystery Goo." I have a Mystery Pack printout Print 15 copies teacher-only resource 1 copy 1 roll 2 bowls 16 bags 1 container 1 teaspoon 1 cup 1 set 8 tablespoons 30 plates 32 straws 150 toothpicks 8 tablespoons 30 bags 8 teaspoons You will need access to water for this activity. We suggest students work in pairs and two pairs of students share supplies at a group table. Homeschool students can work on their own. Plan Your Time You may want to divide this activity into two sessions. Part 1 (testing substances) takes 15 to 20 minutes. Part 2 (creating goo) takes another 15 minutes. Begins at Step 12 . To make the baking soda solution, use your 1-cup container to mix 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon baking soda. To make the glue mixture, mix equal amounts of glue and water in a mixing bowl. This glue mixture will be enough for both parts of the activity. To make the borax solution (for up to 32 students), in the other mixing bowl, mix 8 teaspoons borax powder with 4 cups warm water. It is okay if all of the borax powder doesn't dissolve. This borax mixture will be enough for both parts of the activity. If you are splitting the lesson between two days, just keep the mixtures covered so they don’t dry out. Prepare the Straws Students use straws as pipettes for transferring liquid from a Dixie cup. Regular-length straws cause Dixie cups to tip over and spill. To prevent this from happening: cut each straw in half. lay the straws side by side with their ends squared up. eyeball ½ inch away from the cut edge and lay a ruler down at this point. draw a line across the straws using a permanent marker, as shown below. Prepare the Testing Supply Cups for Part 1 Count out 6 cups for each group of 4 students (or homeschool student). W for Water S for Baking Soda solution B for Borax solution G for Glue/water mixture V for Vinegar (If you use paper cups, be aware that vinegar will leak through some brands after an hour and a half. Plan accordingly.) Put 1 tablespoon of the corresponding supply in each cup. Prepare the Mystery Goo Cups for Part 2 Using the remaining Dixie cups, you’ll prepare a cup of glue mixture and a cup of Borax solution for each student. * Add 2 Tbsp of glue/water mixture in half of the Dixie cups. * Add 1 Tbsp of borax solution in each to the other half of the cups. Note that for homeschool students, you can always make a larger batch of goo as long as you mix the glue/water mixture with the borax solution in a 2:1 ratio. Separate Supplies for Easy Distribution You may want to set up supply stations for easier classroom distribution. Borax, while safe when diluted, can be a mild skin irritant to some people, especially those with sensitive skin. If you are concerned, you may want to consider having your students wear gloves or use one of our Alternative Goo Recipes here . Share this lesson Student link, google classroom, email parents, extend this lesson, mini-lessons, transcripts. How can we improve it? 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Invite 5 or more friends and we'll unlock all previous episodes as a thank you! Why is the sky blue? Why do we call them doughnuts? Could a turtle live outside its shell? No-spam Policy Any emails you provide are only used to enable you to send an email to your friends. You will see a preview of the email and can edit it before sending. These people won’t be added to any lists, and at most they will receive one follow up email from our founder, Doug. They will never be spammed. For more information, check out our privacy policy . Your membership is expired. The archive of past Mini Lessons is not included in your limited access. Chrome (recommended) Microsoft Edge 495 IMAGES DIY Borax Bouncy Ball -Experiment DIY Borax Bouncy Ball -Experiment Elementary Experimental Science: PVA/Elmer's Glue and Borax Putty Easy Slime with Borax and Glue How to Make DIY Bouncy Balls with Simple Ingredients! DIY Borax Bouncy Ball -Experiment VIDEO 🔆 How to make Slime without Borax #Shorts #subashinijagan Science Experiment: Glue, Food Colouring, Dish Soap, and Glitter ✨ ✨ Science Sisters Episode 1- Project Slime 21. Slime and Goo from PVA and Borax Experiment (a.k.a. Troll's Bogies) Super Glue and Baking soda! Pour Glue on Baking soda and Amaze With Results normal water+cool water+glue experiment COMMENTS How to Make Bouncy Balls The first step to making the bouncy balls was to prepare the borax and water mixture. My 5 year old daughter measured out 1/2 cup of warm water and 1 T of borax. Then she gave the mixture a good stir to dissolve the borax. Next, she prepared the bouncy ball mixture by combining the glue and cornstarch. The measurements are a little forgiving so ... Time for Slime The glue has long flexible molecules in it called polymers. These polymer molecules slide past each other as a liquid. Borax in water forms an ion called the borate ion. When the borax solution is added to the glue solution, the borate ions help link the long polymer molecules to each other so they cannot move and flow as easily. 3 Science activities you can do with Borax First, mix 4oz of glue (half a jar) with 4oz of water (half a cup). If you want to add some glam, now is the time to mix in that food coloring and glitter. Next, in a separate cup mix a quarter cup of water with half a teaspoon of Borax. Add the Borax solution to the baggie and massage the bag for a few minutes until a nice firm slime has formed. Slime Chemistry The polymer chains in the Elmer's glue are long and very straight. The polymer chains can slide across each other easily, making the glue runny and "liquidy" (think of dumping a bunch of fresh-cooked spaghetti out of a pot). This changes, however, when you mix the glue with borax. The borax helps make connections between each of the polymer ... Make Slime with Glue and Borax Fill one small cup with water and add a spoonful of the Borax powder and stir it up. Then set it aside. Fill the other small cup with about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the glue. Add three tablespoons (20 ml) of water to the glue and stir. Add a few drops of the food coloring and stir it up until mixed. Now the fun part…Add one tablespoons of the Borax ... How to Make Slime with Borax and White Glue Mix 1 teaspoon of borax in 1 cup of water. Stir until the borax is dissolved. In a separate container, mix 1/2 cup (4 oz.) white glue with 1/2 cup water. Add food coloring, if desired. You also can mix in other ingredients, such as glitter, colored foam beads, or glow powder. If you use contact lens solution instead of borax, you don't need to ... Simple Science Experiment: DIY Bouncy Balls Try this simple science experiment with common household materials! Turn glue, borax and cornstarch into DIY Bouncy Balls.Complete instructions here: http://... How to Make Slime Instructions. In the mixing bowl, thoroughly mix 1/2 C water, 1/2 C glue, and a few drops of food coloring. Add 1/2 tsp baking soda and mix completely. Add 2 tbsp contact lens solution and stir vigorously until the mixture starts pulling away from the edges of the bowl. How To Make Slime with White Glue and Borax 2. Add ¼ cup of liquid Sodium Tetraborate (Borax) Solution (see the recipe below) to the glue and water mixture and stir slowly. 3. The slime will begin to form immediately. Lift some of the solution with the stir stick and observe how the consistency has changed from Step 1. 4. The Super-Easy Guide to Making Homemade Slime This is where you can let your creativity shine! Prepare the Borax Solution: In the second bowl, dissolve 1/2 tablespoon of borax in 1/2 cup of water. Stir until the borax is fully dissolved. Combine and Marvel: Slowly add the borax solution to the glue mixture, stirring as you go. Watch as the ingredients magically bond to form your very own ... How to Make Oobleck 1. In the first bowl, mix the borax and warm water. The borax needs to dissolve completely. 2. In the other bowl, mix the Elmer's glue and water. 3. Measure 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of borax solution and pour into the plastic bag. 4. Add a couple drops of food coloring to the bag. 5. Add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the glue mixture to the bag. 6. Bouncy Balls! Play around with the amount of glue and borax you use in the experiment. Be sure to only change one variable (either the water temperature, the amount of glue, or the amount of borax) so you can draw conclusions about which variable is responsible for the bounce! ... 2020 Science Extension, June. Next. Super Slime! Natasha Chlebuch June 8, 2020 ... How to Make DIY Bouncy Balls with Simple Ingredients! Make Mixture #2: Glue + Cornstarch + Food Coloring. In a separate cup mix 1 Tablespoon of white glue with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Add in a few drops of food coloring and stir to combine. Combine Mixtures. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the dissolved Borax mixture to your glue/cornstarch mixture and stir. Form the Bouncy Ball. EpicScience When solutions of glue and borax are mixed, a chemical reaction takes place forming long chains of molecules. The term polymer refers to this 3-dimensional n... PDF Lesson 1: Goofy Putty Experiment Lesson 1: Goofy Putty Experiment. ESTIMATED TIME Setup: 5-10 minutes | Procedure: 5-10 minutes. DESCRIPTION. Create a new "goofy" substance by mixing a borax solution with glue. OBJECTIVE. This lesson demonstrates the results of a chemical reaction and compares and contrasts the properties of mixtures and solutions. PVA polymer slime Procedure. Place 40 cm 3 of the polyvinyl alcohol solution in the plastic cup. If supplied, add one drop of food colour or fluorescein dye to the solution. Stir well. Measure out 10 cm 3 of borax solution into the beaker and add this to the polyvinyl alcohol solution, stirring vigorously until gelling is complete. Make crazy putty with PVA glue, borax & food coloring Enjoy fun science experiments for kids that feature awesome hands-on projects and activities that help bring the exciting world of science to life. Crazy Putty. Using some everyday household items such as borax, water, PVA glue and food coloring, make some crazy putty that you can squish in your hands, mould into shapes or even bounce on the ... Experiment While Making A Bouncy Ball Procedure: Label one cup 'Borax Solution' and the other cup 'Ball Mixture'. Pour 4 ounces (120ml) of warm water into the cup labeled 'Borax Solution' and 1 teaspoon of the borax powder into the cup. Stir the mixture to dissolve the borax. Pour 1 tablespoon of glue into the cup labeled 'Ball Mixture'. Add 3-4 drops of food ... Science Experiments: Bouncy Balls & Creation o This experiment requires you to use a polymer to create a chemical reaction with the borax. The polymer is found in the glue. The polymer attaches itself to the borax. · Bible Story Connection: o God Created the World (Genesis 1:1-2:23) o Connection Point: In this activity, kids will get to create a ball. Snot Slime Human Body Experiment Instructions: Mix 1/8 cup borax powder with 500 ml warm water. It's actually fine should some of the borax powder stays undissolved. Allow the mixture to cool down to room temperature. Using a different bowl or a different sandwich baggie, mix 2 spoonfuls of the clear glue into 3 spoonfuls of water. White Elmer's school glue will create ... Playing with Polymers A polymer is a long molecule that is mostly made up of many similar repeating units. In the case of polyvinyl acetate, each repeating unit contains an acetate group. Borax, which is a white powder ... How to Make Slime Let's Try It. Mix approximately 1 tablespoon of borax with one cup (237 ml) of water. Stir it so the borax dissolves completely. In the large mixing bowl, add as much white glue as you'd like. Just leave enough room in the bowl to add borax solution. Add water to the mixing bowl with the white glue. Use the same amount of water as glue. What do fireworks, rubber, and Silly Putty have in common? use your 1-cup container to mix 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon baking soda. mix equal amounts of glue and water in a mixing bowl. This glue mixture will be enough for both parts of the activity. To make the borax solution (for up to 32 students), in the other mixing bowl, mix 8 teaspoons borax powder with 4 cups warm water. essay homework paper phd project resume review study thesis