Recipe:Make Your Own Rubber Ball

We are always looking for fun ways to learn, and being able to use items from around the house makes it even better! Here is a recipe to make your very own rubber ball. Study chemical reactions as well as basic physics with this fun project, suitable for all ages.

First, you need to gather a few basic supplies:
Rubber Ball Recipe
•borax (found in the laundry section of the store)
•cornstarch (found in the baking section of the store)
•white glue (e.g., Elmer's glue - makes an opaque ball) or blue or clear school glue (makes a translucent ball)
•warm water
•food coloring (optional)
•measuring spoons
•spoon or craft stick to stir the mixture
•2 small plastic cups or other containers for mixing
•marking pen
•watch with a second hand
•metric ruler
•zip-lock plastic baggie

Next mix water and borax, add food coloring if desired, and measure out your glue:

Dump the borax and water into the glue and watch the reaction!

After about 15 seconds stir the mixture until it becomes impossible to mix any more:

Now here is where it gets a tad messy. Take the mixture and roll it in your hand. It will be very sticky at first, but don't worry after about 2 minutes it will start to form a rubbery texture. Roll until you have a round ball and then test it out by trying some of the experiments here!