FLUBBER
Mixture 1:
~ 1 1/2 cups very warm water
~ 2 cups Elmer’s glue
~ Food coloring
Combine in a small to medium bowl and stir with a clean spoon.
Mixture 2:
~ 3 teaspoons Borax
~ 1 cup very warm water
Combine in a large bowl, stir until dissolved (or almost dissolved) with a clean spoon.
Pour mixture 1 into mixture 2. Because of the science behind this recipe, the borax combines with the
PVA in the glue and makes a polymer. You could do nothing at this point and it would turn to Flubber
after a while. But what fun would that be? Your kids will want to stick their hands in immediately and
start mixing. It will take a few minutes, but eventually all of the water will be absorbed, and you will
have Flubber!
Borax (sodium borate) is a mined substance, just like salt is mined, and occurs naturally in the Mojave
Desert, Chile and Tibet. Borax is only slightly more toxic than salt, and in some countries it is used as a
salt substitute. Caffeine is 14 times more toxic than Borax! Flouride is more toxic, too. Breathing Borax
powder is not a good idea, so don’t let your kids handle the powder. But once it is in its polymer form, it
is completely safe.