What kid doesn’t like bouncy balls? Did you know you can make your own bouncy balls?
My kids, from little to big could spend hours bouncing around the little rubber balls all day – well until either I yank them away in fear of my toddlers choking on them, or until my older kids break something with the ball.
If your kids are bouncy ball fans, have we got a geeky kids project for you!
How to Make Your Own Bouncy Balls
Who knew you could make these thing?? Sure, you could head on down to the Dollar Tree and pick up a pack of 4 for $1 but what fun is that?
With a few ingredients and some quality time with the kids – you will have your very own custom made bouncy balls. BONUS: your kids will get a great chemistry lesson.
The bouncing ball in this activity is made from a polymer. Polymers are molecules made up of repeating chemical units. Glue contains the polymer polyvinyl acetate (PVA), which cross-links to itself when reacted with borax.
Bouncing Polymer Ball Materials
Ready to make your own bouncy balls? Let’s get started! Here is what you will need:
Here’s a list of materials you need to gather to make bouncing polymer balls:
- 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
Gather your geeky project supplies, and let’s make a bouncy ball!
Click Here To View The Instructions
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