the other day my kid came home from school super excited – his teacher had sent him home with his own bag of flubber! i’d heard of this fun playdough-type of thing, but had never made it nor held it in my own hands. my own excitement came when i saw that she’d also sent home the recipe! i couldn’t wait to make it at home – i already had everything i needed!
some water, glue, borax, and food coloring is all you need. mix the glue, water, and food coloring in one bowl. in a separate bowl, mix hot water and borax. when you mix the two together, a magical thing happens – it turns into this smooth elastic-y substance that i can’t quite describe – though it does remind me a lot of “B.O.B.” on the monsters vs. aliens movie! are you curious to know for yourself what this stuff is like?! try it yourself – your kids will love it!! here’s the recipe!
what you need:
3/4 cup cold water
1 cup Elmer’s glue (over here on amazon – that’s an aff link)
liquid food coloring (over here on amazon – that’s an aff link)
1/2 cup hot water
1 teaspoon borax (you can find this in a box in the laundry aisle or on amazon here [aff link] – though as per disclaimer and comments please make your own educated decision! )
directions:
step 1: in bowl 1 – mix together the cold water, glue, and food coloring. set aside.
step 2: in bowl 2 – mix together the hot water and borax, until the borax is completely dissolved.
step 3: slowly add glue mixture to borax mixture. mix well. pour off excess water.
***UPDATE: i just want to reiterate that i got this recipe from my son’s preschool. we tried it out and my kids absolutely loved it! i’m thrilled that so many others have loved it as well. having said that, i’ve received many comments expressing concern about borax. some helpful, others extremely rude, the latter of which i will not publish. for those expressing concern about borax, my understanding is that it is not harmful and is different than boric acid. nonetheless, i am by no means an expert and assume that you will do your own research and use it as you see fit. some people have offered suggestions in the comments section and some have even provided links. feel free to look at those if you like, but just because i have “published” the comments does not mean i endorse them one way or another. having said all this, i am going to continue to use it with my children as they love playing with it. i will do my best to respond to comments as i can but in some cases, i simply do not know the answers.***
Now that looks like great fun!
sure is!! 🙂
I have been making this for years with my Prek class. they love it!!!! I have them mix the ingredients themselves in a plastic cup. I love hearing all of the wows when it turns into flubber. I will continue to do this with them an suggest that others do this as well. My daughter who is a 5th grade teacher loved it so much that she also does it every year with her 5th graders and she gets the same wows that I do!
Does look like fun; I’m a nanny; I’m wondering if it hardens with all the glue in it. If so, how long does it last before it hardens?
Ann, I keep mine in a resealable plastic bag and it lasts a long time! only if you leave it out in the air for an extended period will it dry out. Hope that helps!
can i use baking soda instead of borax??
No. Borax makes a special kind of solid known as a Newtonian solid, baking soda would just make a goopy mess.
Yes you can. You can also substitute salt for sugar in any recipe.
Hey April 🙂 Not to be a smart-alec, but just for your info, I think you are referring to a non Newtonian liquid. A Newtonian solid is a geometric math term referring to a specific s-pattern shape. Flubber is classified as a non Newtonian Liquid and also a Maxwell material.
My apologies, non Newtonian fluid*. It’s been a while and I’m not sure if this is actually classified as a liquid as not all fluids are.
Hey Wise Guy:
The mention of using Baking Soda instead of Borax has some plausibility to it. They are both alkaline and they are both powders. Don’t be so mean.
cornstarch may work
Cornstarch does not work. My sons teacher used cornstarch and it was pretty much plaster. We made flubbed at the Infianspolis Children’s Museum and they used borax.
I think Wise Guy’s comment is a funny joke, not something mean.
You can use liquid starch instead of borax 🙂
If you want to use baking soda, you will need to add contacts lens solution but make sure in the ingredients it has boric acid.
Can you use liquid starch instead of borax it has the same effectkoo
can’t wait to make it!!!! lol!
Hi, I was wondering if it stains the bowl, like if i were to use say, a glass or ceramic bowl. thanks!
I used a glass bowl and it didn’t stain…
Do you have too use borax
yes, or a substitute for it such as corn starch, baking soda, or baking powder.
Will the Elmers glitter glue work?
Mel:
When I am making this with children I babysit, I have found that is does not matter the type or brand of glue used, but that it will act as a adhesive substance to make the flubber solid. Once I even had to use Elmer’s wood glue, and I thought the results were even better!
P.S. Glitter glue might make the flubber contain glitter, which will be pretty cool.
Yes Elmer’s glitter glue should work and give your flubber a radiant sparkle!
Yes glitter glue works!
It does work, and it makes it look pretty cool! you can add darker tones on blue and purples and make it like a galaxy themed; I did that with my students and it was so much fun to create as well as play with!.
yes, glitter glue makes glitter flubber
I don’t see why not, I would think it would just make it prettier and glittery! If you tried it, update and tell me how it worked out! ????
Yes! It does work, it doesn’t matter what Elmers glue it is(white glue , clear glue,or glitter glue) in fact it doesn’t have to be Elmers glue it can be different brands of glue to!
I use it with my PK also but the only thing I use is glue and liquid starch.
I remember this with my kids, glue and liquid starch. Do you remember the ratio of glue and starch?
Thanks, Linda
I have used those ingredients to, but i put shaving cream in it to make it fluffier.
Hi there,
I’m a toddler teacher so did you leave the flubber in a big mound and let the kids play with it that way? Or did you divy up the flubber?
Thank you!
Hi
I am really struggling to make this work. It seems too watery and doesn’t turn into the substance you mention, or in the pictures. Any advice?
Thanks
I am sort of the opposite. Mine is almost rock solid and won’t fold together and doesn’t stretch at all. It just breaks, breaks, and breaks again. Any idea of what I did wrong or what I can do to fix it?
I’m also having issues making mine work… Have done it 3 times now & each time I have just got a thick slush… Do I need to let it stand a while or should it change straight always?
It is a chemical reaction between the glue and borax to create a polymer. Make sure that the borax is completely dissolved in the warm water before mixing. If the ratios are off, then you will end up with extra water left over.
Hey, what quantities do you use of each ingredient in a plastic cup? That does sound like the best way to do it in a class 🙂
Thanks
Add a straw to the fun! Blows huge bubbles
How much does this recipe make ??? for about how many children? I taught an enricument class every monday for the month of January and think this would be a fun project for the kids.
How do you divide it up with the kids cups? Mix a big batch and divide? About how much?
I want to do this in cups individually as well. Can you give the measurements you use?
Does this stuff turn out like play dough or slime? I want to have my students create the first letter of their name and just need to know if it is moldble. Thank you!
I would say more like slime. I don’t think you’d be able to use it to form letters. I do have a great play dough recipe on my blog though, if you want to look it up in the “search” box! 🙂 Hope that helps!
So how would you keep it from losing its texture do you put it away or trash it afterwards
If you keep it in a ziplock bag, when kids aren’t playing with it, it will last months.
I’m going to give it a try for when my grandies come over to visit. I’ll just make sure they don’t eat it. Is it like play dough or softer
This sounds like a great idea and I’m just wondering if you would share the amounts you use of glue, water and borax if the kids are making it individually in cups.
Thank you!
Hi! I teach art at an elementary school camp and was hoping to have my students make this individually. How much of each ingredient do you have each of your Pre-K students use?
Thank you,
-rae
I love this. Fun for all ages!
Thanks, Megan!
I appreciate all the comments regarding health/safety, my main concern for my child. I wish you would delete the rude comments from the haters like Jeanie. It is not about how many fingers and toes your child was born with. Birth defects happen from prenatal exposure, not playing with silly putty. There are however some concerns about the toxicity of Borax and I for one think that my child will be just fine without silly putty since it isn’t worth the risk.
borax is old fashioned brand ant killer
Boric Acid is the is the old fashioned brand ant killer, Borax is a brand of detergent (old fashioned)sodium tetraborate, is a boron mineral and salt that’s mined directly from the ground
The difference between the two is: Boric acid is produced when borax is reacted with another acid (like sulfuric or hydrochloric acid). The result is an acid structure (pH of 5.0), rather than alkaline, as borax is (9.3 pH).
No it is not that is boric acid big difference. It is laundry detergent! You are mixing up the two. Boric acid is used for killing ants roaches and other pests.
I use borax in my pool and laundry never had any problems.
do u use washable or nonwashable glue
This is actually true….we had an ant problem a couple years ago. Once we found out if they were looking for oil or sugar, we mixed borax with jelly or peanut butter and set it where our dogs couldn’t eat it, and within a few days, the ants had died
Yeah when mixed with sugar (we use brown sugar) in small amounts! Since it kills ants I’m not sure I’d use it for kids who may put this stuff in their mouths??
I am sorry BUT.. Jeanie was not rude in any way form or fashion; I think you need to read it again please. :/
where does it say jeanie???
a great substitute is JUST using the glue food coloring and your favorite liquid laundry soap we love using the gain in this because of the scent NO WATER
How much detergent do you use? I just tried both ways and the detergent one is so thin we can’t use it. The borax one is perfect. The grandchildren are loving it!
Are you using liquid gain?
There’s wayyy more chemicals in your liquid detergent that a child should not be touching (there’s even a warning on it to keep away from kids and not get it on your skin) many of the chemicals in laundry detergent are toxic and/or carcinogenic.
Good to know! Does it have to be laundry detergent or can it be liquid dish detergent?
I think a lot of people are confusing Borax with Boric Acid. They are not the same thing, although Borax is one of the ingredients in Boric Acid. Borax kills ants by drying them out, not by poisoning them. It is not toxic to humans. It is used in day cares and schools all over the world because it is safe. So many people like to jump to conclusions, when in fact, they need to do research before making any comments. I say, disregard the ignorant comments, they mean nothing, because they are incorrect.
I wouldn’t say it’s not toxic, most chemicals in the home are toxic to children.
Robert Davies:
I would not label borax as a chemical. While it technically is a chemical (because it is formed between a reaction of multiple chemical elements, in this case sodium and boron) it is not something cooked up in a laboratory. It’s a naturally occurring mineral that is actually mined out of the ground, just like the salt you put on your food.
I use Borax all the time at work, Its completely harmless and all natural….. We use it in warm water to scrub exposed brick in renos that we do….. I dont even wear gloves its fine
Borax is safe for pets and children. It was suggested by my Vet as a natural way to kill fleas. Because it is a type of salt that dries bugs out. It is sold as a laundry aid (it softens the water as Salt does) which in turn makes it easier for your detergent to remove dirt. If you have hard water. Which most of us do.It is SAFE for your pets and kids. Ask a doctor or a vet. They will tell you the same thing.
I’m not normally moved to comment on these sorts of things … in fact, this is the first time ever. I gave up reading the comments after the first 10 minutes or so.
I’m pretty sure that the borax or boric acid isn’t an active ingredient in this process, but is used to prevent biological attack of the end-product while in storage, so could probably be left out altogether if necessary, with the result that the flubber may not last as long. It is the same ingredient used in some papier mache recipes for the same reason. If that is not correct though, you could try contacting some hotline or other to see what it is in commercial preparations for. There is a lot of scientific info given later in the page, but if you don’t have the expertise to understand it, it’s not much use. I have a science degree but not one in chemistry, organic or inorganic so it was pretty useless to me.
I get it that most of you just want to express your opinion and reassurances, which is great, and as I am in Australia too, it’s good to know where to get the glue etc. However, anyone with negative comments should leave them if they feel they must to advise people of their concerns, Anyone who shares those concerns can then do the research and just not make the stuff if they agree that their kids are being poisoned! I see no need to be abusive or for carrying on the argument for ever. Look at what it’s all about ….. A home-made flubber recipe! Just don’t make it if you don’t like it!!!!!! How about some perspective?
Learn science. Borax is key to the process happening here.
This is not boric acid. Borax is sodium tetraborate, and is base, not acid. It’s relatively safe to use. I use it all over the house, and in my laundry.
As with all things, supervise your kids.
borax is an active ingredient in this chemical reaction… it makes the glue into a polymer that is able to easily and act in this way.
source: Chem Class in 2013 and http://askville.amazon.com/glue-borax-chemically-react-make-goo/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=1613548 “The borax is acting as the crosslinking agent or “connector” for the glue (polyvinyl acetate) molecules. Once the glue molecules join together to form even larger molecules called polymers, you get a thickened gel very similar to slime. If you’ve tried this recipe (formula) before using blue starch (instead of the borax) with mixed results, you won’t be disappointed with this one. Works everytime! If you have access to a chemical supply house, try a 4% solution of polyvinyl alcohol instead of the glue for a less rubbery polymer and one that is transparent showing off the color better.”
As long as you give your children semi-safe materials (because nothing is 100% – kids ARE kids!), just supervise them. As a Biochemistry major, just make sure they don’t eat it.
I laugh when I see that Boric Acid is confused with Borax.
It’s the result of one person saying something they think is right and then others repeat it because they assume it is right. People need to know things for themselves, instead of assuming others are right. As a pre-med student, Stupidity is not a curable disease.
Absolutely, Mair!
I’ve made some myself but not with Borax. I thought it was unsafe, also, so I personally found another recipe but I’m thinking of trying this one for myself.
I’ll keep y’all posted!
I don’t believe the amount of borax in this recipe would cause any harm to anyone. We used borax as a washing agent in our clothes when I was young and we never had any problems with that. I am sure we were exposed to much more borax over the course of my youth than your child would be. However, erring on the side of caution is certainly a right for you. Just wanted to speak about my experience with borax
Borax, also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate, is an important boron compound, a mineral, and a salt of boric acid.
Borax, sodium tetraborate decahydrate, according to one study, is not acutely toxic. Its LD50 score is tested at 2.66 g/kg in rats, meaning that a significant dose of the chemical is needed to cause severe symptoms or death. The lethal dose is not necessarily the same for humans
Thanks to all of you for expressing the pros and cons on borax. I am a grandmother who visits weekly with projects for the kids. I’ve heard their mother mention a concern about Borax, and although many of you can say you were never hurt by using it, this mother-in-law doesn’t want to cause any concern. As for the ages of children putting things in their mouths, remember that many of the readers are moms, not teachers, so the ages could be varied. I do most things while the youngest is napping, but wouldn’t want to take any chances of something ending up in her mouth or eyes. (If it were my own kids, I think I would just go with the testimonials of the experienced and et them have fun!)
please let your grandchildren taste the stuff in a tiny quantity such as a tip of a fork dipped into it, then touch the tongue on the bottom edge of the tines….and they will not have any idea to ingest it after that.
When I was small, scissors were available, we roller skated on sidewalks without knee guards, and climbed trees then jumped down. We scrambled over rocks by the seashore and caught chipmunks in Havaheart cages then let them go…we were not saved from scraping our hands and knees in a fall from a two- wheeler bike. Learning from experience is a good thing.
Borax Ingestion of 5 to 10 g by young children can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea, shock and death. 4.2 grams equals a teaspoon (amount of borax in recipe) so your child would have to consume the entire batch, plus a bit more to be affected by it.
Oh dear so I didn’t know where to comment so hopefully this will leak through.. Everyone is having such a huge issue with the borax… Get over it- THERE’S GLUE IN IT. sigh anyways. If you think your child will drown, don’t leave him/her alone in pool. If you think your child will die from some awesome looking “putty” stuff, don’t leave child in premises of awesome looking “putty” stuff.
Enough said. Get over it or don’t make it.
On a lighter note-this looks super cool and I could bet my 1 year old will love it! Thank you!
Amanda
I say unless your child is allergic to borax let him or her have fun exploring the wonders of science with this harmless project.
this stuff is so cool I think I made this once in school awwwwwwwwwwwsome!!!!!!!!!! =^)
Mine turned out kind of rubber instead of gooey like i expected it o be.. did i do something wrong?
Umm mines turned out the same. Wondering where I went wrong
Reading below I think it’s the glue. I’m in South Africa and we don’t get Elmers. I used normal school grade glue
Zaakirah, I’m in SA as well. Did you use Ponal glue?
Hey, I’m in SA too, which glue worked?
Zaakirah, Elmers Glye is what’s called PVA glue and i would assume that most “school” gkue wiuldbbe similar. But its very possible you guys have some different formulation. Ask around for PVA glue. Wood glue is also usually PVA, so check for that too. Luck!
Quick question: have you had any staining from the food coloring (hands, clothes, etc)?
I haven’t tried the recipe yet myself but as the staining goes.Red is more likely to stain then any other color.
My daughter made this with my grandkids and used green food coloring in it. I think it would have been better left natural because it *does* stain their fingers. My grandkids put pieces of it into empty film canisters or medicine bottles and then forcefully stick their fingers into the container, very effectively replicating the sound of flatulence. Needless to say, they find this quite entertaining because as we all know, if you are 5 or 6 years old there is nothing in the world funnier than a fart.
Thank you for this recipe . Its nice to put a new spin on play time . The grandkids
I used modge podge instead of glue. Is that why it didn’t work?
Probably, because modge podge is a more heavy duty kind of glue, so it probably doesn’t have the same consistency as glue
Borax is a soap Boric is a posin but as with any type of substance a child can put in their mouth a parent and or guardian should be there to watch the child and be responsible do not leave them to their own devices because the safest toy can become the deadliest. Be responsible-nonphone-no tv-no internet!!!!!
Boric acid is not a poison it is used to clean out your eyes, it’s in many eyedrops and virtually all contact solution. I know that Borax and boric acid are not the same but just wanted to shed some light on the subject. That being said if large amounts of almost anything are injested they can be toxic, even water! I love this idea for my grandchildren Thank you!
Is there a way to make it more stretchy without tearing easily? More glue maybe?..
The longer you work it with your hands the more pliable and stretchy it becomes.
I think is a great little thing to play with our children
🙂
Can I use boric acid instead of borax?
It sure is fun but borax is poison. A good replacement for borax however is potassium carbonate. This is also a salt and also forms combined with a fatty acid a SOAP. But does not have the harmful properties of borax.
Current research has shown that borax is toxic. (Yes I am talkiing about sodium tetraborate better known as borax (E285): a salt as the result of a chemical reaction between sodium and boric acid.) In combination with a fatty acid borax is SOAP. The SOAP has an emulsifying effect so that oil and water do not separate. Hence, borax is often used as an emulsifier in cosmetics. Current research has shown it can go through damaged skin and is harmful to liver and kidneys. Under current (EEG) legislation, it is classified as a category 2 dangerous substance. That is, it can harm the unborn child, and is harmful for fertility. In any case the use of borax In Netherlands is therefore prohibited in cosmetics since 2009. In America however, this is not the case, and on the internet as well as in several books you’ll still find many recipes in which borax is used as emulsifier. Let us all use potassium carbonate instead of borax and not risk the health of our beloved children!
Always one in the bunch….. well my kids and I still have all our fingers and toes. The mixture worked great!!! thanks for sharing your fun for myself and 5 kids rainy day fun.
Has anyone in Australia successfully made this ? I have tried 3 times, & it has looked like scrambled eggs each time . I used PVA glue or Aquadhere as we don’t have Elmers glue in Australia. Please help as I would love to use it with my Kindy children….thanks
I’m not in Australia but in NZ, we don’t have elmers glue either. The same thing happened when I used normal (school grade) PVA. I have found that art grade PVA works perfectly. I order mine from Office Max, they are in Aus as well so maybe you could get it from there.
Di
Check out Officeworks. Our local store sells Elmer’s. I think I found this exact glue there the other day.
Hope yours has it too.
You can find elders glue in woolworths, in the stationary section. Just Made it and worked out well
Di,
I have been buying Elmers glue from Woolworths for a few years now, so you can get it in Australia 🙂
I have just picked up some Elmer’s School Glue from Woolworths (In Australia). It is in the stationary ISle if that is at all helpful.
This looks like a cool thing to make for the kids, def try it out with my 21/2 yr old, I have seen elmers glue here in Australia,seen it in woolworths as people have been saying. the people on here are complaining that borax is harmful….Ive made a similar recipe to this year many years ago, and it was great, for people who think this product is gonna make your kids fingers and toes fall off, still have all mine( i think). Its an awesome thing to make great recipe thankyou
Di and Mel…that’s what the web is for…order it from a school supply website or even an office supply!
I’ve used cheap glue and had no problems.
We can get Elmer’s at Officeworks, off to buy some today to try!
In Australia – Elmers glue is available at officeworks . I have made this for our playgroup and the kids love it and so do the big kids.
cheers
You can get Elmer’s glue at Officeworks stores in Australia.r
Officeworks sells Elmer’s Glue 🙂
You can buy elders glue at officeworks in Australia
http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9926681
MSDS for potassium carbonate doen’t look good
https://www.omsi.edu/sites/all/FTP/files/kids/Borax-msds.pdf
MSDS for borax looks safer than Potassium carbonate
We’re all still intact here, too! I’ve seen high school biology teachers do this for years at my school. I’ve not heard about any flubber-related poisonings. Thank you for the recipe!
I just made flubbedrfor the first time for my 7-year-old daughter and her friend. What a hit! I happen to have borax at home because home chemistry is my hobby. Borax is also called sodium tetraborate. You can find it naturally on alkaline lakeshores. The stuff you buy in the laundry section is chemically identical but made in a factory. It’s a mild alkaline (opposite of acid) and so has cleansing properties. That’s why it has been used in laundry detergents for eons. Now much fancier, stronger, more effective laundry powders are available, making borax sort of an old-fashioned (but more natural) laundry option. My degree is in microbiology and immunology, and I raised my daughter from infancy trying to protect her from chemicals (making things like natural insect repellents, etc). But I am perfectly OK with the small amount of borax in this recipe. I might be more cautious with small children who might eat the flubber, but even so with the amount of borax in the recipe being so tiny I don’t think it would be cause for serious concern. Just my two cents.
I resent the comment “there is always one in the bunch” from Jeanie. She appears to express it in a derisive manner. I am sorry Jeanie that there is one (I bet more than one!) Mom in the bunch that asks questions and understands what her children eat and play with. I know the idea is that we should all be zombies and never ask questions, but I for one reject that notion. I am way too intelligent to be a zombie.
Are you sure? Just asking the question…:)
WOW, sorry but your intelligence is not “Shining” through.. just sayin’ 😉
You are waaaaaaaaaaaay overthinking what she said versus what the original poster said. People spout off with little knowledge all the time and she addressed it. Much like you did here.
Does it bounce?
Yes
What isn’t poision anymore my mom washed my clothes in borax her mother washed her clothes in borax and I’m 61 and in good health, i wouldn’t recomend you eat it, but don’ eat play douh either…..Play with your kids more ofter and observe what they are doing. Time spent with your child. They also say don’t eat school paste…….
I like how u said that Rhonda!! I work at a preschool and we made this in our ages 2-3 toddlers class and they loved playing with it!! There is not enough BORAX in this homemade flubber to hurt u unless u let your kids eat it all!! So there really is no need to get all upset about this unless u are a parent that keeps your child in a bubble!!
I like my bubble dang it! Lol
I think you should check your data on sodium carbonate ” anhydrous” . Unless your gonna have your kids play with this and wear a respirator! I think I will take my chances and just wear rubber gloves if it bothers me that much about age old borax.
For questions about the safety of Borax, go to http://momsaware.org/household-general/139-borax-friend-or-foe.html Or, just Google it!
I don’t think a preschool would give parents a recipe that could “poison” their kids, as poisoning could result in a loss of jobs or being sued. Also, no one has complained about the effects of using this.
Borax and boric acid aren’t the same thing. Boric acid is a poison, borax is not. Here’s a helpful link.
http://www.crunchybetty.com/getting-to-the-bottom-of-borax-is-it-safe-or-not
Really? They use to put boric acid in your eyes when you got pink eye.
Joyce
I remember my mom dissolving boric acid in hot water and letting it cool to warm to bathe our eyes when we had pink eye. i just had my 70th birthday and not poisoned!
As a preschool teacher for almost 30 years, I have made lots of flubber. Recently we have had mixed reports about whether or not Borax is safe for young children. There is a wonderful substitute that works as well…liquid starch (the kind used for ironing clothes). Just mix the two (glue and the starch) and you will have a great flubber concoction
To all of you saying to use Sta flo ironing starch as a “safer” alternative to the tiny amount of borax in this recipe, maybe you should read the ingredients on the bottle. It lists borax as well as a few other ingredients, chemical perfumes, etc… I would rather have a little borax than borax mixed with all of that extra stuff.
As someone stated already…If there were any actual proof that this stuff causes any kind of harm..you better believe they would have pulled it a long time ago.
Borax is acutely toxic in the same manner that salt is (in rats, it’s 4500-5000 mg/kg of body weight, which is A LOT). Ingested in moderate quantities, it causes gastrointestinal upset and nausea. Bottom line: While it may be listed as “poison” on the box, it’s only toxic at very, very high levels. (Like salt, baking soda, and even water is.)
As long as it is used under very close supervision – NO INGESTION IS DEFINITELY PREFERRED – I am going to research a cornstarch alternative for my own kids I will try to comment if it works… I don’t want them putting something on their hands that I don’t want in their mouths.
This looks like a lot of fun, but not really worth risking a diarrhea outbreak in my kids!? Yuck!
This is a typical case where the dose determines the poison. I am a chemist,, and try to represent my decisions factually., So here is my attempt at explaining why this post is uhnder-informed. Most things (including most ingredients in any hair, food, or cleaning products, NATURAL OR NOT) could kill you in their concentrated form. RAnyone ever been told to pour coca cola on your battery to clean it off? That beacause it has nitric acid, in a very low dose, as an ingredient. Nitric Acid, similar to Borax, is deadly. Yet a littlle nitricin your soda just preserves it. PLEASE feel free to message with questions.
Deb, you seem like a knowledgeable person, so I would like to ask you if there is anything that could be added to the ‘Flubber’ recipe to make it taste bad, in order to discourage children and animals from eating it? Not that eating it would necessarily be life-threatening to them, but just to err on the side of caution? For example, a large quantity of table salt might make it taste unappealing, but is there anything that would make it taste absolutely awful and make someone want to immediately spit it out, without affecting the putty-like, bouncy consistency of the Flubber?
yes, you can add pepper sauce in small quantities without messing up the recipe. it tastes nasty and doesn’t hurt the kids…but I have to wonder how old these children are that are using the flubber. If they are still young enough to go tasting everything new then they are too young to play with this product.
Speaking to susan regarding pepper sauce, would NOT put that in because even if child doesn’t taste it, at one time or another they will rub their eyes. The pain caused by that would be terrible.
In re: borax, versus boric acid, I’m 63. Every person my age I’ve spoken to has grown up with clothes washed with Borax as an additive. No monsters from that use!! Google Ronald Reagan/20 Muleteam Borax. Kinda cool.
You don’t have to write many papers as a chemist do you? If so PLEASE get proof-readers.
Would the results be the same with Elmers Clear glue?
Borax, also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate, is an important boron compound, a mineral, and a salt of boric acid. Powdered borax is white, consisting of soft colorless crystals that dissolve easily in water.
Borax has a wide variety of uses. It is a component of many detergents, cosmetics, and enamel glazes. It is also used to make buffer solutions in biochemistry, as a fire retardant, as an anti-fungal compound for fiberglass, as a flux in metallurgy, neutron-capture shields for radioactive sources, a texturing agent in cooking, and as a precursor for other boron compounds.
Just made this using Sta-Flo instead of Borax! Turned into a mix between slime and putty! Instead of using borax and water just added enough sta-flo until it was the consistency I wanted. The more you add, the less sticky it gets. No need to pour any water off the top. Lots of fun… thanks!
This is copied from nytimes.com
Potassium carbonate is a white powder used to make soap, glass, and other items. This article discusses poisoning from swallowing or breathing in potassium carbonate.
This is for information only and not for use in the treatment or management of an actual poison exposure. If you have an exposure, you should call your local emergency number (such as 911) or the National Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.
I think you might want to look into things before you give advice seems that potassium carbonate is more toxic.
Borax is a naturally occurring mineral. Not poison. In this small amount (1 teaspoon) shouldn’t be a problem. Its not related to boric acid, which is what I believe you are thinking of.
Arsenic is also a naturally occurring mineral. Your point?
Thanks for the additional information, it is up to the parent to research and draw their own conclusion. Appreciate the additional information, the children in my family will love it and I will do my research to decide whether to use an alternate ingredient.
Maybe your kids shouldn’t eat it and they’ll be fine. I don’t see it as harmful as long as the children don’t eat it or put it in their faces lol. Some people
so were can we get potassium carboate ???
I would not use that… http://www.inchem.org/documents/icsc/icsc/eics1588.htm
Without the borax you would not get the reaction. Potassium carbonate will not work in the sligtest as the borax here is not being used as an emulsifier.
This Flubber is being created by cross linking a polyvinyl alcohol(found in the glue) with a boron compound such as borax. Borax has extremely low toxicity, and is used in quite a few processes. The gelation process entails formation of a borate ester that crosslinks the chains of the PVA. Borate esters form readily by condensation of hydroxyl groups and the B-OH groups. In this reaction the borax is completely used up.
No, boric acid is NOT borax. Borax is Sodium tetraborate decahydrate or Na2B4O7·10H2O while Boric acid is H3BO3. The 2 chemicals are completely different is almost every way. Borax is a base with a high PH value, while Boric acid is acidic with a high PH value.
So people, before you freak out because there is chemicals in something and bash the post, do your research. If you really want to get deep download the MSDS or Material Safety Datasheet for the chemicals used. Because like people said EVERYTHING is toxic at the right amount.
Thanks for the info, I was wondering if the borax acted as a catalyst or was an actual component of the finished product. It sounds as if the borax is actually bound into the finished product making it no longer available chemically–if that is so then most if not all of the concerns about toxicity would be moot. (Sort of like; very toxic sodium metal and even nastier chlorine gas when properly combined are no longer toxic, but instead essential to life.) Perhaps rinsing the finished polymer to remove any leftover borax would be all that is necessary?
Man!!! Smart people are so dumb. Did you for one second while doing your resource on what Norway does, EVER think about, ONE thing! The chemical reaction MAY just MAY…. REACT into…… dare, I say it…..something non toxic. Silly monkey.
And that looks safe??? http://www.inchem.org/documents/icsc/icsc/eics1588.htm
this is borax it is a laundry detergent not an ant poison or an acid
http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/02/34/00/00/0002340000368_500X500.jpg
U have borax and boric acid mixed up. Borax is laundry detergent.
Hi gang. Borax is a poison only when ingested in large amounts. Although breathing it will cause inflammation of the sinus membrane, if cleared out it will cause no permanent damage. Please read the downloadable PDF Material Safety Data Sheet from 20 Mule Team Borax Corp available online at https://www.omsi.edu/sites/all/FTP/files/kids/Borax-msds.pdf . It has a lot of information not available on the product packaging. I have used it exactly as Katie explains and have had success both in the amounts described and doubled, tripled, and even quadrupled safely. Also check out the OMSI website listed above and the Steve Spangler Science website at http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/glue-borax-gak for better explanations of how the polymer is produced, longevity, storage precautions, etc. Have fun with your Flubber!!!
borax is used in many beauty products so don’t worry
No offense but I bet in oh lets say the year 2019 it will be said that potassium carbonate is harmful in some gosh awful way.
is there a way to store it? how long will it last? would like to make this for the kids in the family for christmas in a cute little gift basket.
I store it in a plastic container. (Old play dough ones)
Just take it out,squish it, and play with it some more because it sometimes feels kind of wet when it is stored. I’ve had it for a month or longer before It slowly disappears from using it.
is this edible
ummm no…
Is this a joke? Seriously…. is it edible????!!! What sort of question is that when the main ingredients are glue and laundry soap???
love it!!!!! that flubber stuff is cooooollllllllll.
I love this thank you for sharing parents who were rude shut it down you don’t want to be told how to parent and with supervision and proper cleaning I am so happy you posted this.
We did it . Make sure u do it in a clear class bowl so the can see the change.
thanks for the glass bowl idea.
http://theliberatedchild.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/why-borax-is-not-safe-for-kids.html
It’s not safe for kids to play with. Just make sure to research the ingredients.
This article is incorrect. She’s confusing boric acid and Borax. The army used truckloads of boric acid powder to kill bugs, not Borax.
One person’s (uneducated) blog post is not the same as a researched article.
Is flubber bouncy?
Yes. We rolled it into a ball and bounced it, then left it on the table and watched it slowly flow into a puddle. Fascinating stuff, and a great opportunity to discuss science with your kids!
Can you just use normal cheap craft glue?
borax is a laundry addative…I taught preschool for almost 20 years..and this was one of our favorite activities…boric acid is used to kill ants NotBORAX
I used PVA and it just looks like liquid please help me
I am a para educator at our schools. Although I help with grades K-12 and lots of special needs children, I am going to make this for ll the kindergarten students. Thanks for the cool idea!
This is fantastic! I cant wait to make it with my grandsons! Thank you for sharing your ideas. We glean so much from this sight. Sorry you had party poopers rain on your parade. Keep up the good work and ignore the haters.
Hi, I just tried this and it didn’t come out smooth, I followed the instructions but my flubber came out stringy. I was so hoping this will work. I am not sure what I am doing wrong, the glue that I used is a pva glue, is this why my flubber flopped? Pls help….
Borax is a detergent made from Boron. Not Boric Acid. Boron is a natural element and is not toxic. It is one of the minerals in granite. It won’t hurt them to play with it, mix it or touch their hands to their mouth after playing with it, even still, we talk about the fact that science experiments don’t go in our mouths in my pre k classroom beforehand.
this recipe is not Borax free!
????????????don’t have glue
i dont have glue
Thank for the recipe! I use Borax all the time. It’s not harmful unless you ate it or somehow got it in the eyes. It’s a natural mineral used to boost laundry detergent efficiency; while natural doesn’t equate to safe, I’d be willing to bet it’s not as bad as some of the chemicals certain people employ in their homes on a daily basis. I wish people wouldo’t comment unless they care to educate themselves first!
Why not just go to toysrus and buy the kit has no borax and works great every time
My kids absolutely LOVED doing this…what a WONDERFUL experiment
I made this for my oldest son about 17 years ago and have been wanting to find the recipe again to make it for my other 7 kids. I know they will like it. Thanks!
Dee, I’m sure they will love it! Even I have fun playing with it 🙂
My daughter and I are so excited to make this today! Thanks for the recipe!
Oooohhhh…this looks like so much fun!!! Can’t wait to make this! My kids and I will love it – and I have a little hunch my hubby will think it’s pretty cool too. 😀
haha, I think he will!
Looks like loads of fun. Does it stain carpet etc? Or, is it for outside play?
great question, kathy! we’ve been using it inside – it doesn’t appear to stain anything, but then i pretty much just have my kids play with it in the kitchen/at the kitchen table. if you were to play with it outside, you’d probably get dirt and things stuck in it, since it’s kinda gooey. i probably wouldn’t recommend playing with it on the carpet, but i haven’t done that yet – if you do try it out, lmk how it goes! thanks!
My daughter accidentally leaned over her flubber and a huge mass of it stuck to her shirt…I mean really stuck! I thought the shirt was ruined! However, I put the shirt in a bowl of hot water and allowed for it to soak, maybe 20 minutes, it disolved the flubber and I used a soft brush to fleck it off the material and it came out perfect!
Just make sure that if it gets on your carpet or a rug, you get it up before it dries! I work with kiddos and they love making this but when it dries it turns into a hard plastic that is very difficult, if not almost impossible , to get out. Have fun!
Sure you’re beyond making flubber by now unless you’re a teacher, or grandmother, but in reading the reviews from another flubber recipe, they said thatWHITE VINEGAR TOOK THE FLUBBER OUT OF HAIR, CARPET, AND CLOTHES… I used the white vinegar to wash my bowls out when I was finished! It worked well… i’m Adding the vinegar tip to the recipe when I make it for my grandkids pre K classes
How should it be stored, and how long will it keep?
great questions, sue! and i can answer them now that it’s been a few weeks since i’ve made it – we’ve kept it in a plastic ziplock bag and it’s been going on 2 weeks now and it’s still working great!
I make this every year with my students and just found a glob from last year in my closet. It’s about the size of a fist and was stored in a ziplock sandwich bag. Shockingly, it still looks the same and has the same consistency. I can still play with it a whole year later! Hope this answers your question. 🙂
I keep it in a ziplock bag in the fridge when the children are not playing with it. I found after a few days in a ziplock bag NOT in the fridge it smelled like crap, literally, and I had to throw it out.
I had no idea it was so easy to make flubber. I’ve played with it, but it was years ago back when I was in elementary school. I haven’t made it with my kids yet, but I am definitely going to after seeing this post. My boys will love this stuff! Thanks for the recipe.
you’re welcome! this stuff is awesome, isn’t it?! 🙂
My four and two year old boys made this today and LOVED it! Super easy and a lot of fun! Thank you for the post!
yay! i’m so glad you made it and that they liked it so much!! thanks for sharing!
This looks like a fun project! Quick question…one of my daughters has very low muscle tone in her hands. I’d love to make this flubber and hide buttons and small objects in it so she can manipulate the flubber by herself. Do you think a small child would need to exert some strength to stretch the flubber? I can’t tell how soft the flubber is just by looking at the pictures, so any opinions would be helpful.
Great question, Adrienne! From what I recall, the flubber was super soft and stretchy, especially when we first made it. The more my kids played with it, the less elasticity it has. Though, having said that, over 2 weeks later they’re still playing with it and it’s still pretty soft and pliable. I hope it works for you!
One way to make flubber easier to stretch is to play with the recipe a bit. I’ll give you an example. I mix equal parts of water and glue in a bowl. Abd then I slowly add the water-borax solution to tge glue-water mixtuer a spoonful at a time, mixing it with my hand until I get the consistency I want. But if I want super gooey stretchy flubber I use 1 1/2 parts water to 1 part glue, or even 2 parts water to 1 part glue. Experiment with it. I know all of this from experience because I am an Early Childhood Educator and have made over 100 batches of flubber in my lifetime and I have experimented with the recipe. Hope this helps.
you being an early childhood teacher would you recommend a toddler and young children to use this with the borax in it…i would love to try but after seeing some hipe about borax being dangerous im a little worried…
I just made this with my Grand-daughter…It is awesome…so cool how it instantly congeals! Thank you for posting.
Yay!! I`m so glad you and your granddaughter had fun with it!!
Can anyone tell me what “borax” is? I’m from Belgium, so we don’t that in our country. And I really want to make this myself. It seems to be a lot of fun!
borax is a white powder that’s commonly used as a laundry booster. here, we can find “20 Mule Team” (that’s the brand name) borax boxes in the laundry aisle. i’m not sure what a good substitute would be, so i hope you can find some somewhere!
Maybe she can order it online?
It is great s ok where do you store the stuff by the way the twins loved it
so glad they liked it! i just store it in a plastic ziploc bag at room temp.
I’ve made this several times using liquid starch instead of Borax and it works great. Perhaps you could find some kind of liquid starch in the laundry isle if you’re having trouble finding Borax.
When I was a kid, we made flubber all the time. The recipe we used was school glue and liquid starch in equal measurements, although I’m sure the recipe could be tweaked to make it more or less pliable. Food coloring is a good idea, although the base mixture was always blue, since the starch was blue, which made certain colors almost impossible, such as red and yellow, as they had a tendency to come out a strange green or a brownish-purplish mushy color. I hope this helps anyone wondering what else works in place of Borax. I will say that the starch mixture starts to become very stiff the more you play with it. I remember that it didn’t seem to take that long before it stopped being gooey and elastic and just kinda snapped apart if stretched, although it wasn’t difficult to form back into a ball. I plan on trying this recipe soon with my son, since his favorite color is red, and as stated before red is not an easy color to make with the starch method. I also wonder if anyone has tried this recipe with gel glue?
Gel glue works just as well! I have made it with glitter glue, as well as using ‘glow water’ to make blacklight reactive flubber.
that sounds so fun! thanks for sharing!
I make this with my pre-K class all the time, but I use liquid starch from the laundry aisle rather than the powder kind. No need to dissolve anything. Just mix equal amounts of glue and starch and add food coloring.
Borax is Boric Acid. I was told that here, in Israel, it is possible to get it in small quantities from the pharmacist. Maybe your pharmacists has it as well?
Borax and boric acid are NOT the same thing. They are similar, but NOT the same. Boric acid is used to kill roaches and other bugs.
It may not be the same thing but there are warnings on the box not to ingest it, etc and it can also be used to kill ants etc by mixing with sugar and water and putting on cotton balls in a small jar.
So can baking powder mixed with sugar. Borax is harmless in small quantities on skin. Hence it is a laundry booster – which will always leave some residue in your clothes, just like detergent. Of course you don’t ingest it, just like shaving foam play. It is assumed you watch your kids I guess. I love making it with my Kindy class.
Chemical formula of Borax is Na2B4O7·10H2O. Chemical formula of Boric Acid is H3BO3. While Borax is a salt component of Boric Acid, you must mix a specific amount of Hydrochloric Acid with a specific amount of Borax to CREATE Boric Acid. Borax is a major component of the children’s play dough called “Slime,” which was made popular by Nickelodeon and sold during the late 70’s as , “Slime.” It is also used in cosmetics, in Asian foods – although it is banned as a food additive in the US, as a laundry booster – the list of uses is extensive.
I lived in Israel, too, and you can’t buy Borax. Boric acid is not the exact same thing.x
sodium borate – you might try the local chemist or hardware store. I read somewhere that Boots stores carry it, but I don’t know if they are in Belgium. Also, you can make flubber with liquid laundry starch instead of Borax.
I think borax is Broxo matic onthardingszout in the Netherlands
No, Broxo matic is Natrium Chloride (NaCl) 99,9 %*
waarvan natrium 39,0 %
vocht (H2O) < 0,05 %
Where as borax is sodium tetraborate. Current research has shown that borax is toxic. (Yes I am talkiing about sodium tetraborate better known as borax (E285): a salt as the result of a chemical reaction between sodium and boric acid.) In combination with a fatty acid borax is SOAP. The SOAP has an emulsifying effect so that oil and water do not separate. Hence, borax is often used as an emulsifier in cosmetics. Current research has shown it can go through damaged skin and is harmful to liver and kidneys. Under current (EEG) legislation, it is classified as a category 2 dangerous substance. That is, it can harm the unborn child, and is harmful for fertility. In any case the use of borax In Netherlands is therefore prohibited in cosmetics since 2009. In America however, this is not the case, and on the internet as well as in several books you'll still find many recipes in which borax is used as emulsifier. A good replacement for borax however is potassium carbonate. This is also a salt and also forms combined with a fatty acid a SOAP. But does not have the harmful properties of borax.
Borax is not boric acid so please don’t misinform the public.
Marianne, please stop simply reposting your post in a copy and paste manner when actual chemists and those with a science background have replied. It is not information for you to respond this way and not post the differences for parents to make a more informed decision–as opposed to one-sided because there are concerns for borax AND potassium carbonate. You state potassium carbonate is safer well the second post states otherwise.
Kevin says:
May 3, 2014 at 9:31 pm
Without the borax you would not get the reaction. Potassium carbonate will not work in the slightest as the borax here is not being used as an emulsifier.
This Flubber is being created by cross linking a polyvinyl alcohol(found in the glue) with a boron compound such as borax. Borax has extremely low toxicity, and is used in quite a few processes. The gelation process entails formation of a borate ester that crosslinks the chains of the PVA. Borate esters form readily by condensation of hydroxyl groups and the B-OH groups. In this reaction the borax is completely used up.
No, boric acid is NOT borax. Borax is Sodium tetraborate decahydrate or Na2B4O7·10H2O while Boric acid is H3BO3. The 2 chemicals are completely different is almost every way. Borax is a base with a high PH value, while Boric acid is acidic with a high PH value.
So people, before you freak out because there is chemicals in something and bash the post, do your research. If you really want to get deep download the MSDS or Material Safety Datasheet for the chemicals used. Because like people said EVERYTHING is toxic at the right amount.
Johanna says:
November 11, 2013 at 9:33 am
This is copied from nytimes.com
Potassium carbonate is a white powder used to make soap, glass, and other items. This article discusses poisoning from swallowing or breathing in potassium carbonate.
This is for information only and not for use in the treatment or management of an actual poison exposure. If you have an exposure, you should call your local emergency number (such as 911) or the National Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.
I think you might want to look into things before you give advice seems that potassium carbonate is more toxic.
Niki, if you haven’t been able to find any Borax in Belgium yet, message me at [email protected] and let me know how I can mail some to you. I have a whole big box of it (I use it in the making of my own laundry detergent) and I’d be more than happy to share some!
A good replacement for borax however is potassium carbonate.
Hey,
I also live in Belgium and I bought some Borax at the pharmacy the other day to treat an ant problem. You just ask for Borax and they transfer some out of their big container into a little pot. I bought a smallish jam jar for €3. Hope this helps.
Borax, also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate, is an important boron compound, a mineral, and a salt of boric acid. Powdered borax is white, consisting of soft colorless crystals that dissolve easily in water.
Borax has a wide variety of uses. It is a component of many detergents, cosmetics, and enamel glazes. It is also used to make buffer solutions in biochemistry, as a fire retardant, as an anti-fungal compound for fiberglass, as a flux in metallurgy, neutron-capture shields for radioactive sources, a texturing agent in cooking, and as a precursor for other boron compounds.
mine came out a little hard any suggestions?
sorry, Christina – I’ve only made it a couple of times and it’s worked out both times for me. I’m not sure what would cause that.
You probably used too much of the borax. The more borax you use then stiffer it becomes. I’ve made this with my science club and they love it!
Is there a uk alternative for ‘borax’?
Hi Kirsty! Check out my response to Niki’s question (a couple comments above). Hope that helps!
You can buy it off Amazon 🙂
Hai Katie, i’ve got a 9 year old son and 2 girls of 6 who i babysit on. I always make something with them. Last week one of the girls had a kind of flubber in a plastic bag, that is made of bathfoam/shampoo and water, but you can’t ever take it out! So your flubber is a really great option!!! But i can’t find out what borax is, here in holland, so please tell me what it’s made for oryou use it fore. Tank you very, very, very mutch!!! Love, agatha
Hi Agatha! There have been a few similar questions – I responded to Niki (3 comments above) and hope that answer will answer yours, too!
Hi, can any one tell me what is borax? I live in Brazil, and i think that we don’t have this…. So sad, because i really wanna make whit my little son! :/
Hi Carol! If you look 3 comments above (Niki’s comment), I’ve answered a similar question. I hope it helps!
Is there an alternative that you could use instead of borax? Borax is toxic- I don’t especially want my kids playing with it…but this would be a great thing if a substitute can be used.
I’ve only been using it a few weeks and I haven’t had any problems using it to this point. Having said that, I unfortunately don’t know of any alternatives. Hope you find one, if that’s what you want to do.
Do you know what the role of borax is in the recipe? If I knew its purpose I could go from there. I don’t want to get all technical for something that’s just supposed to be for a fun afternoon but I really am opposed to borax in everything. :(. It’s a pretty minute amount so maybe I will first try leaving it out.
I have always described Borax as the cross-links. The glue is like spaghetti (but is a polymer-many, parts). The spaghetti slides around but the Borax links the spaghetti together. If you pull the Flubber quickly the links break. If you pull slowly they can readjust. Must have the cross-links!
Washing Soda is used in a lot of home made soaps as a substitute. it is better for those with sensitive skin. Arm and hammer is the most popular brand.
washing soda is Sodium carbonate and baking soda is Sodium bicarbonate
I am not sure how much difference the bi makes.
If you still do not feel safe look at this website… http://www.pennilessparenting.com/2011/01/homemade-washing-soda.html
Now, i do not know if this will work for this.
If you bake regular baking soda it becomes washing soda.
There are recipes for it using liquid laundry starch. I don’t have mine handy, but you should be able to find them with a quick internet search.
I don’t think I would consider it ‘toxic’ especially to play with.
http://www.crunchybetty.com/getting-to-the-bottom-of-borax-is-it-safe-or-not
http://www.crunchybetty.com/getting-to-the-bottom-of-borax-is-it-safe-or-not
Here’s another source for information about borax to help you make your decision if your’re not sure whether or not to use it. Thanks, Danica & Kristina!
hello there is a subsute for borax used a laundry starch!!!! much safer
If you dont like borax you can substitute a half cup liquid cornstarch
You could try cornstarch as a substitute for borax
My daughter had her autistic friend over for their first play date today. Me made flubber. Her friend loved it! She played with it for over an hour. Thanks for the fun experiment.
I’m so glad they liked it! Thanks for sharing!
I found a substitute for the borax that is non-toxic. It is recommended that you us metamucil instead of the borax. I hope this helps and here is the link to the website I found the information on.
http://www.ehow.com/how_7620871_make-nontoxic-flubber.html#page=0
Can I use another brand of glue?
Good question! But my answer is “I’m not sure!” I’ve only made it this one time, but next time I make it, I’ll experiment with another brand. I don’t see why a different brand wouldn’t work?
Any white glue should work since it’s pva, the borax reacts with the polymers in glue and solidifies, the result it’s soft because there’s water and other things in the mixture to dilute the glue and the borax.
I used other brands when I made it with my third grade class. It also looks awesome with clear glue. You can even add glitter!
I’m so going to try it with glitter – thanks Penny!
I have read some other blogs where people have bought up issues with the toxicity of using Borax especially with young children. Does anyone else have concerns?
I’ve made it with ‘eco-washable PVA glue’ and it’s perfect
People in EU countries may have trouble finding Borax as the borate group (including borax) was classified “Reprotoxic Category 2”. The chemical name for borax is sodium tetraborate. So that’s what you’ll need to look for if you’re searching for it.
There are no Borax free solutions, because the Boron is incorporated into the reaction. There isn’t a substitute.
Borax is also sodium borate, Which is not banned in most countries. Places that sell chemistry sets should have it, or you junior/senior high.
My 3 1/2 yr old son and I just made this… It was so easy and quick to make. This is the coolest stuff and it will keep him occupied for hours, I am sure! Thanks for sharing the recipe!!
thanks, Jennifer! So glad he likes it!
You can use liquid starch (like for the laundry) and elmer’s glue and mix (I start off with equal amounts of both and just play with it until it becomes the consistency I want. Liquid starch may be an option for those who can’t access Borax.
is this product anything like silly putty, can it transfer comics from the paper onto the f lubber or does it bounce.. if not like silly putty do you have a recipe for silly putty ..
Thank You B. Baze
Was wondering about being toxic with borax in it? We know how little ones can be curious. I want to make it but am a little worried about that
I’m 13 and my friend and I have been making this since we were 7 and we’ve always loved it
We just made this!!! LOVE IT!!! So do the 5 & 3 year old. I saw in the postings that you store in a plastic bag…. in the ref or at room temp????
Hi Amy! Great question. I’ve just kept it in a plastic bag at room temperature.
We play with this stuff a lot at my preschool. One of the favorite things to do is color on it with colored pens. Most of our pens are the washable kind but not all, but they all seem to adhere quickly to the gak without getting the kids hands messy. Then when you pick up a piece the designs starts stretching. Twist it and it looks like taffy. The ink on the gak fades and mixes to light gray overnight. Gak provides hours of fun and it seems to last for weeks and weeks, just gets a little dryer/ more kind of brittle than the very stretchy state it starts in.
That sounds like so much fun! Thanks for sharing, Jill!
we did this. so fun!!!
awesome! thanks for sharing, Myra!
Can’t find Borax at my place too. Can you help by listing down the ingredients in borax so we can find a similar substitute? That is, if the box says anything. Thanks in advance!
Borax is sodium tetraborate (a natural mineral). Any large chain of store should carry it. I get mine from my local Fry’s ( or Kroger in the mid west) you should also be able to find at Walmart, in laundry isle. Full name… 20 mule team Borax. Good luck:)
Hiya !
Just wanted to let you know that we made this for my son’s third birthday party yesterday ie: making it was a party activity (I don’t believe in party games – always end in tears)
Well, it kept 10 children, ages 18 months to 14, happily occupied for an hour while we adults got to have a chat :))
Fantastic activity – thanks for the recipe !!
That’s awesome, Molly!! Glad they had a good time with it!
Okay, 1 cup of glue??? Can I just buy an 8oz glue bottle or do I really need to measure it? Just curious, I have a giant bottle, but I need to know for sure:D
Hi Heather! I just used 2x4oz bottles of glue – I didn’t actually “measure” them in a measuring cup or anything, I just poured them in. 8oz is the right measurement (the same as a cup), so if you had an 8oz bottle, I’d just use that. If you have a huge bottle of glue, though, then I’d probably measure it out so that you get an accurate measurement. Hope that helps!
This looks fun will try it today. When I was much younger, I worked at a preschool. I would make something similar… Glue, liquid starch (equal parts) and food coloring. But, you Need old shirts and if the girls had long hair you need to pin it back. When your kids play with this do you put them in smocks/old clothes? If it get in hair will I be giving my kids new hair cuts? Thanks for the fun project idea!
i haven’t gotten it stuck in hair yet, haha! but it doesn’t appear to really “stick” to anything that i’ve noticed. i don’t put my kids in their art clothes to play with this – i just ask them to stay in the kitchen (because that’s the rule for a lot of things like this – i just don’t want it all over my house! 😉 )
Hi , is that a Pva type glue ?
great question. i’m not an expert on this, so take the following for what it’s worth, but i *think* that elmer’s glue has a little more to it than pva glue.
I just made this about 5 minutes ago 😉 absolutely amazing! Surprisingly doesn’t turn your hands green, doesn’t stick to anything in a bad way.. it reminds me of jiggly silly putty! Thanks sooo much 🙂
glad you like it, Ashley!!
f there are concerns about Borax why not make homemade playdough.
Surely there is nothing to be concerned about flour, salt, oil, water and a touch of food colouring.
Find a recipe on the web. You and the kids will have fun!
Hi
I tried this 2x with generic glue and all I got was a bunch of dishes and pastel glue! I used a glass measuring cup to measure, and used microwaved water for hot and water from the fridge for cold. I stirred everything until smooth in their own bowls. I tried to pour the water off, there was very little. It’s slightly stringy but very wet. I tried to pour off water before stirring, what am I doing wrong? I really want to make this for my 3 year old but hate to waste more glue!
Thanks
Hi Aisha! I microwaved my water to get it hot, too, and just used cold water from the tap. When we made it, as soon as we mixed the contents of the 2 bowls together, I could tell that it was working and although there was obviously some water still left in the bowl, it wasn’t a huge amount that ended up being drained off. The flubber will be soft and slightly moist at first, but the more you play with it and the more time that passes, it should become less and less moist and soft. I’m not sure what the difference might be in how we make it, except for maybe the glue?
Borax is a 100% natural product and is safe to use in home applications. I wouldn’t eat it by the spoonful, but you shouldn’t be eating flubber. Here is a link to explain what the product is. I hope this helps anyone who has questions or concerns.
http://www.20muleteamlaundry.com/about/what-is-borax/
I am going to use this for physical therapy on my left hand…………..
I asked my high school teacher friend about borax and in Australian schools they’re not allowed to use it. She did have a fabulous tip though…. Psyllium husk (sold as Metamucil in Australia) can be used for this purpose…. gram for gram. Now I can’t wait to try and have suggested it to kinder!
Thank you for posting! I’m going to try this with my 3rd grade students! Do you think it would work to cut the recipe in half or fourths (just thinking about the expense of materials for 20 kids) or should we make the whole batch and then divide the flubber into baggies?
i haven’t tried cutting the recipe, (i don’t see why that would be a problem though) but i do know that it’s totally doable to make a batch and separate it. for 20 kids, depending on how much you want to give each child, you might need to make a few batches.
This looks like so much fun! I think this will be one of the favors for my soon to be 9 yr old party this summer. thanks for the recipe.
Mine didn’t come out right
Hi,
I used this as a project in Sunday School today…..I just eyeballed the measurements in a plastic cup and plastic spoon…..used 2 dishpans and then poured it together…..and then the fun and yuck squeals began. Fun stuff that they could take home in a baggie. Thanks for the recipe!!
When I was growing up, we put a box of borax in our well twice a year to “sweeten” the water. Borax is a natural anti microbial and as long as you don’t eat it by the spoonfuls, is not harmful.
My two year old & I just made this and had a blast. We used dollar tree glue & it appeared to work great (maybe not as elastic as I thought it would’ve, but could be something I’ve done). As to the great borax debate it’s used in laundry soaps, dish soaps, play dough etc. & I’m still alive and healthy so that’s my personal answer to the question. Thanks for the funtastic recipe!!
Hi, We use borax a fair bit in After School Care to make slime, goo etc. We just talk to the children clearly before hand, not to touch your mouth, not play with the borax etc. We then encourage the children to wash their hands after playing with it. Other educators panicked a bit when I told them that we use it, but you wouldn’t eat hand soap either ?! I downloaded the various msds sheets on it and read thoroughly, it is not more dangerous than other products we use, just don;t eat it!
On the actual activity you have shown, looks like comes out different to other recipes I use, I am going to give it a go!
you can also make this using liquid starch instead of the borax we did it with equal parts glue and starch and water mix till thick
I was really looking forward to making this with my boyzz….but now I am nervous about borax 🙁
I looked it up on the FAQs on their website. They don’t suggest contact with children or animals. 🙁 boo.
http://www.20muleteamlaundry.com/about/faq/
If you are nervous about using Borax, you can try liquid starch instead. If you’re like me, and can’t find it ANYWHERE, it’s easy enough to make it yourself (though it does add a few extra steps)
1 tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup cold water
3 3/4 cups tap water
2-3 drops essential oils / lemon juice (for scent – completely optional)
directions:
bring 3 3/4 cup water to a rolling boil. While waiting, add cornstarch to cold water and stir until completely dissolved. Once water is boiling, slowly stir both mixtures together. If adding oils, do this now, and continue to stir for about a minute more. Remove from heat, and let cool.
That’s it!
Happy sliming!
I taught 3rd grade in the past years and have done just this “recipe.” I checked with our district science curriculum department to confirm the ingredients were indeed considered “child safe”….and the were. We have done this for years and is one of the favorite polymer experiment. Am going to do it this summer with my son’s girlfriend’s 2 little girls…can’t wait!
THIS LOOKS SO AWESOME!! I don’t have children, but I plan on trying this out at home and sharing with my friends who do have children!
I have used borax soap powder in the past and found it to be completely safe! ” As a reminder, we recommend you keep 20 Mule Team Borax out of reach of pets and children.” is listed on their website.. People, this is common sense with ANY detergent. You’ll be diluting it with water and glue, I mean really… If you’re THAT afraid, just wrap you child up in Bubble Wrap and call it a day.
I like the way you are thinking. Here is my nickles worth…
The amount *1 teaspoon in a cup of water, with a bottle of glue would seem to me not a big issue. It might be an issue if they ate the whole flubber makings. We as a whole have gotten way too protective of the little ones. They absolutely need dirt and rocks to grow. If this is such a problem for folks ask those who have made it for years, had children while making it, and who think it is fine… They would I am sure tell you the same thing. I would venture to say that most of the parents who are asking and those who deem it totally unsafe are all under the age of 35 or so. There may be a spattering of older folks but that doesn’t mean that they are any more or less helicopters.
This looks awesome. It’s a chemical reaction so as long as the proportions remain intact you should be able to scale the recipe up or down. The MSDS (safety sheets with first aid measures and protection etc…) sheets on baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and borax(sodium borate decahydrate) they are virtually the same in terms of toxicity. Don’t eat it in large quantities, don’t bathe in concentrated solutions and you and your supervised kids will be fine. Just my two cents on the safety of borax. I don’t know enough chemistry to find a substitute.
If you’re really concerned try magic mud. It’s cornstarch and water and combines to form a non-Newtonian liquid. http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/keeping-em-out-of-trouble/20121126/little-scientist-how-to-make-magic-mud-and-silly-putty I can vouch for the mud recipe; we made it all the time as kids, but I don’t know about the silly putty.
Chemistry is fun!!!
thanks for sharing, Virginia!
Just wanted to give some of your parents some peace of mind about the Borax… I have a 1 and 3 year old and asked their pediatrician about the toxicity of it and she said it was perfectly fine to use AS LONG AS ITS NOT INGESTED. so basically as long as they don’t eat it they will be fine. also to wash their hands very well after playing with it 🙂 so flubber away!!
To settle the borax vs boric acid once and for all: BORAX IS HARMLESS. As an archaeology student, I would use BORAX ALL THE TIME as a soaking solution for skeletal material brought in from field excavations. It is a non-corrosive agent that is used as a cleaner and it was very effective in separating the dirt from the bones without harming the organic material of the bones.
There should be no fear in using a cleansing agent that is used by lots of people in their every day lives.
BORIC ACID IS INDEED SOMETHING ELSE.
Wow! This looks fantastic! We have Borax in Australia but not Elmer’s Glue! Doh! Can you tell me what that is? Is the same as PVA glue perhaps?
Hi Sharon Elmers is available at officeworks and I think I have seen it at big w too 🙂
Regarding the rude comments you’ve been experiencing regarding the safety of borax:
Borax is a softening and whitening agent used often in cosmetics. If I’m in a hurry I wash my hair with borax by putting a couple of Tbsp in a small pitcher of water, pouring it over my hair and then rinsing several times, first with hot, then with cold water. Works great. As with all things you place on your skin from baseball gloves to kittens to home remedies, do a patch test and if your skin reacts to the substance, don’t touch it.
Just wondering if clear glue would work or if its better for the food colouring to stick to the white glue?
interesting question – i’ve seen the clear glue but have never used it for anything before. if you do try this out, lmk! i’d be curious to see if it works the same or has a different effect than the white glue.
Does this have a watery feel or a foamy feel? We used to make this when I was younger and had so much fun but I just cannot remember the texture! Let me know!
Hi Megan! It’s definitely not a foamy feel – it’s just squishy. It might feel slightly watery at first because not all the water drained off, but as kids play with it it gets absorbed.
Apple cider vinegar will take this outta hair! Don’t ask how I know lets just say DON’T turn your back not even to wash the bowl out!! Gotta love my little girl!!
Just made this with my kiddos, and they LOVED it! I have a daughter with low muscle tone and this is so great for her to work those fingers with!!! Happy Kids = Happy Mama!
Thanks!
Corina, I’m so glad they like it!! Thanks for sharing!!
In response to your *Update… Borax is every safe and used in most natural, homemade detergents!
The recipe worked out well for us even though we cut it in half. It was very watery at first, but it got drier as the kids played with it. (Don’t use paper towel to blot it dry. They stick. I know now.)
thank you so much for this recipe 🙂 me and the kids are going to try it tomorrow … thank u so much for the post!!!!!!!!!!
We made this today and the kids LOVED it! Thanks for sharing the recipe and helping us create a family memory.
I’m so glad, Melissa!! Thanks so much for sharing!
My son went to a summer camp and they made this. he loved it! however, he fell asleep with it (without my knowledge) not it’s on his bottom sheet, pillowcase, and pajama outfit. Any tips on how I can deal with this?
Thanks!
Try soaking all in warm water…. I would think that based on the properties of the ingredients, all but the food dyes would wash out, but not 100% sure…. Good luck!
I heard using vinegar will remove it
Hi dear,
I want to ask whether any glue will work or just Elmer’s glue for the activity?
Hi dear,
I want to ask whether any glue will work for the activity?
Was just wondering if this “melts” in your hands if you aren’t constantly moving it around. Made this before using liquid starch and my son got himself covered in it lol.
We call that ‘Oobleck’ and it’s a different thing entirely. The point of Oobleck is that it’s runny but when you squeeze it, it feels solid. Flubber actually feels rubbery, a bit like ‘Gak’ (remember that stuff?!?) and is fun for squishing and making fart noises (Joy!) Both are a lot of fun to make but Oobleck is messy so I reserve it for old kids.
“oldER” kids 😉
Could anyone tell me, how flexible it is, could you use it to take a mould of something?
Hi! My father and I just made this and LOVE it! We already had all the ingredients so was super easy!
Thank you for the recipe!
Use a few drops of diluted water color paint instead of food color. Doesn’t stain and will wash off easily with soap and water.
Thanks so much for this even though I think I screwed it up a little my son still have lots of fun. I did pour the hot water with borax into the glue with cold water so I had tons of left over liquid and not so much of a flabber but that is ok. Next time will do it properly.
What amazes me however are some of the comments of people about the poisonous borax. Borax is not boric acid. Borax is safe unless of course you decide to eat the whole box but then the same applies for the glue or liquid detergent or box of salt. All the power to the worried moms to use what they want but do you ever think about the same when you give your kids a coke to drink? Or what kind of preservatives are on the fruits and veggies …did you researched baby carrots for example if not you should guarantee you will not feed those to your kids ever again….but anyway this flabber is great awesomeness for a rainy day when you have a kid at home who just bounces of the wall…lol. Love it and thanks for the recipe ..
We are having a rainy summer day and I made it with my older son (3) while younger brother napped. He LOVES it! Have you had success storing it for repeated uses? Thanks!
that’s great, Casey! yes, we’ve played with the same batch several times and stored it in a plastic ziploc bag after each use. it’s still going strong! 🙂
I can’t help but wonder how borax is safe…I use it to make laundry detergent, which is kept up from my children, but it’s also used as rat poisoning.
Borax powder (as found in the laundry isle) IS INDEED POISONOUS!!!!!! Although in the amount found in this recipe it is unlikely to do more than make your child have a sick tummy, it would still be wise to supervise children with the making and use of this flubber, and ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS keep the box of Borax out of reach! If you suspect that your child has actually ingested any, PLEASE contact poison control immediately!
I should have said that Borax is poisonous IF EATEN. I use it quite safely in the laundry detergent that I make, but would never EAT it. I always wash / thoroughly rinse my skin if I get any Borax powder or laundry detergent on it, and would see that anyone under my supervision playing with this flubber did the same. Borax IS perfectly safe, as long as it’s not INGESTED.
Kate, I have been making this gak/goo/slime with my kids for YEARS and they absolutely love it!! It’s always cleans up well from my granite countertop and my hardwood floors as well as my carpet. Sometime I’ll have to share with you the recipe for our glow-in-the-dark “flubber”….
YES!! i’d love to try glow-in-the-dark flubber!!! 🙂
http://www.online-zeepwinkel.nl/a-26999246/overige-grondstoffen/borax-tetrahydrate-natriumtetraboraat-ogr07/
Here you can buy borax on the Netherlands.
Groetjes van Esther
Looks like lots of fun. I know my kiddos will love it. Thanks for sharing!!
I will admit I was a little nervous reading your post script regarding some individuals concern with the “toxicity” of Borax. So I did a little research of my own…
Yes Borax, sodium tetra -carbonate, is “toxic” in very high doses (probably higher than anyone could handle consuming). As is baking soda, table salt, toothpaste, and numerous other substances we have throughout the home. While “certain studies” state that high rates of oral consumption to certain animals (mice and dogs) resulted in fertility issues with the male subjects, I could not find any statistics or information on a single borax related death or even severe illness due to borax exposure or ingestion. As far as being on the EEG (which is essentially Germany’s FDA) category 2 dangerous substance, all that entails is warning labels stating it “may damage fertility”. Again this was only in the case with animals given high oral doses. It is listed by the MSDS and the NPIC as having a low toxicity and is non-carcinogenic. An infant would have to literally consume this entire flubber recipe to have a “toxic” level a child would need a little more. So I think we can happily make this, allow our children to play and enjoy and not be concerned about the terrible ramifications for our children (unless they decide to eat it all up!). Thanks again.
http://www.anvilfire.com/21centbs/material/33850-usborax-borax.pdf
http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/borictech.pdfhttp://momsaware.org/household-general/139-borax-friend-or-foe.html
http://www.boraxfree.com
According to Dr. Diana Yu, Health Officer for the Thurston County WA Public Health and Social Services Department, Borax is not safe for children to consume or handle. It is toxic and can be absorbed through the skin, especially broken skin (cuts, abrasions, rashes, eczema, etc.) Safer to make your own play dough or goop using the recipes she shares:
http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/admin/news/PDF/HealthNewsBorax2013.pdf
Just curious, does it really matter how you mix the iingrediants?
Interesting question – I have no idea, I haven’t done it any other way. But if you try it another way, I’d love to hear how it goes!
Katie: can’t wait to try this out today!!! And FYI to those who are haters, BORAX is a detergent booster. I use it I make homemade detergent and dish washing powder. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks, Nancy! Have fun with it! 🙂
I made this for my friends baby shower and all of the adults loved it more than the kids 🙂 super easy and super fun
Hello. I am going to make this with my summer camp kids. How many kids do you think one recipe is good for?
It really depends on how much you consider to be “enough” for each kid. Personally, I’d say 1 recipe would be good for 2-3 kids. But you could probably get 4 out of it.
is there any special way i need to store it for later use or do i need to remake it each time.
we just made this last week at girl scout camp and everyone lived. it is NOT harmful in any way. as a matter of fact our older girls were (12-15 yr olds) were helping the younger ones. it is perfectly safe. not consumable but not harmful to play with.
Flubber is cool and I think it looks good in orange how about you???????????
Can you use Glitter Glue? I want to make it today, but I’ve only got a bottle of glitter glue and almost a full bottle of regular glue.
I have no problem with using borax except….I don’t have any. And I’m not going to go out and buy a $4 box of borax just for this, so is there anything else I would have around the house already I could use? Baking soda? Washing soda? Cornstarch? Flour? Powdered dish soap? Powdered laundry soup? Anyone tried anything like that…that are regular house hold items? So I can make is.
I don’t know what you could use, but if you decided to buy Borax it has MANY uses. I use it mainly as a deodorizer. I throw in a scoop with the laundry (we us free and clear so no perfume to do the trick) and everything comes out with out any smells just the way it should!! This is extremely helpful with potty training and if you forget to switch your wash and it smells sour. One box has lasted us 4 years!!!!
I don’t usually leave comments but I had to on this one, as you saved our flubber project today. My kids and I excitedly followed 2 other slightly different, not clear what so ever directions and our flubber failed until we tried your recipe, the directions were so clear (I could follow along even with 5 screaming kids!) I just wanted to thank you for such a fun, easy to follow recipe that truly delivered tons of flubber fun- you hooked me on to your blog 🙂
Jessica, that’s awesome!! I’m so glad it worked out in the end! Thanks for leaving me a comment 🙂 And hopefully your 5 kids weren’t screaming anymore once it all came together 😉
For all those who think they know everything but just come off making themselves look stupid this one is for you:
I personally use 20 Mule Team borax in our laundry detergent, crafts, dishwasher soap and to clean with. Guess what…….none of us have killed over! Its amazing I know but just so you know, borax is harmless unless you intend on opening up a box and eating it all with a spoon. For some of the rude people, I have a spoon you can borrow 🙂 . Boric acid is sold to kill bugs. If you cannot tell the difference between a box with instructions about using it for laundry, dishwashers, cleaning, etc. and a bottle with scull an crossbones then perhaps you should just be quiet. Go back into your safe box and keep your “scientific” (misdirected google) research to yourself.
On another note : Thank you so much for sharing this! My children will love this!
I can’t wait to make this with my 6 grandchildren. We do a lot of crafts together so this will be a hit. I just need to get the borax today. A few wks ago my 9 y/o granddaughter made playdoh and honestly it held together better than what you buy at the store.
The lady who expressed concern regarding the safety of borax was simply expressing an opinion and does not deserve to be attacked or called names like she has been. Read it, use it or throw it away. Simple as that.
I love it, this great! Ppl just need to supervise there kids borax is used on many things, every thing we eat or breathing outside air is toxic ppl like Marianne need to stop preaching. Keep up the great work my kids love it! Thank you!
This was lots of fun with my little girl who is 3. Thanks!
Thanks so much for this, 3 out of my 4 kids loved it. The other one just looked at me like I was crazy to suggest she touch THAT. LOL
I don’t know what happened… I followed the recipe EXACTLY and it won’t ‘harden’ up. It’s completely sticky and glue-like. 🙁
***** I decided to go back and make more of the borax and water mixture and add it to the flubber and it worked!!!
Thanks for the recipe! It’s a little bit different than the one from Girl Scouts but I used yours because it has a lot less Borax. My daughter is having a blast playing with it right now as I type this out! I do have a question though – can you store /save this. If so, how? I know the sillly putty you get at stores is just in a plastic container so wanted to check.
Hi Kelly! Great question. I just put ours in a plastic ziplock bag and it kept for weeks! No need to do anything else (ie refrigerate) – just leave it zipped-up airtight on the counter top (or wherever you want to keep it, as long at it’s at room temp) 🙂
do u have use borax to make it or does it matter cuz I can’t find it?
The Borax they are talking about is 20 mule team borax natural laundry booster and if it were poison I am sure they would not advertise it as a helpful to make your babies clothes and diapers fresh. We use it around the house. I can’t wait to try this, I bet my Grand daughter will love it.
I didn’t read all the comments (there are so many!) but wanted to say that I have made this for my kinder class lots of times! Once a girl plonked it on her head and it got completely stuck. The only thing that we had that would get it out was hand sanitiser. Just a tip for anyone who has a mishap like we did 🙂
I want to make this when I babysit our neighbors but I can’t find borax at their house and my mom won’t let me get some just to get some. I was wondering if 1. You can make this without borax or 2. What else can borax be used for?
With out making this recipe 4 times, how can i divide to make different colors?
Thanjs in advance
just divide the recipe before you put it together. I have made it and divided it before adding the coloring
Borax in such a small amount is harmless. If kids have a problem putting stuff in their mouths, maybe they should look for the kool-aid edible play dough. Just saying 🙂 I have made this and my kids love it! I have even put together kits with the instructions and gave them as birthday gifts.
Oh, and another thing. I have made it with clear glue before. It makes it a different texture, and the colors are more vibrant. I have also added a few dabs of glow in the dark paint. FUN!
Just like anything you should watch your kids while they play if you have oral children you may not want to leave them alone with flubber. But on the other hand it’s one teaspoon vs like 16oz of water/Elmer’s it states on the website that the anal woman posted about the evils of borax that one tablespoon killed lab rats that if a human ingested 1tble spoon they may become ill, a child would have to eat the whole container and may end up with an upset stomach I would be more worried the glue would bind them up!
This looks such fun. I tried to make some the other day with my little ones here in the uk but just used PVA glue as can’t seem to buy Elmers here for a reasonable price, but it didn’t work at all. Does anyone know of an alternative glue to Elmers that I can buy here in England? Thanks
It is GAGK. That stuff has been around for ages. I remember doing it in my own kindergarten class and my eldest sibling who is 43 remembers doing it too though it was called something else then. But either way its great fun, just don’t let little ones try to eat it….it has a horrible taste.
Isn’t this just awesome!? Fun activity, people from ALL OVER this big/small world helping each other find something so they can make memories with their kiddos!! This is AWESOME!!! 😀
Cindy, I couldn’t agree more 🙂
I am a high school chemistry teacher, we use borax in quite a few of our experiments. It is harmful if ingested in large amounts as is most soap type products. However, we do a project similar to this, and it is not at all harmful. If it was something that was harmful, we would not be allowed to use it in public school! I love this idea, I wish I would have known about it when I was a nanny.
It says to add the glue mixture to the Borax but can you add the Borax to the glue? Does it matter?
I just made some of this Flubber! It was an amazing transformation to witness!! I began giggling like a child! I love it and I will make it again and again!! Thank you for sharing such a wonderful experience!
Made 2 batches of flubber today,the 1 turned out great ,the other one when you go to roll a ball just kind of crumbles , does anyone know why.My grandkids love it anyway.
How much does this make?
When I made it I had one sandwich (normal Ziplock) bag full. Hope that helps!
I don’t understand the ridiculing of the posters who point out potential harm in the use of borax.
No one said it would cause the loss of digits, either toes or fingers, I’m certain we are all happy that you and your kids still have the originals, so why the sarcasm?
Yes, it has been around for a long time, yes it is marketed as a delightful way to make your clothes fresher.
Use it or not, the research is ongoing, just remember products and material from the past that we now know to be harmful. Like the asbestos pads we used as trivets in the 40’s and 50’s, the mercury our high school science teachers gave us to play with, the cigarettes we thought were so cool. And please, stop ridiculing and denigrating anyone who believes that perhaps everything that we use now is NOT perfectly safe and is pointing that out in a respectful manner. Comments such as “there’s one in every crowd”, “just be quiet” or my personal favorite for the mean girl award, “For all those who think they know everything but just come off making themselves look stupid this one is for you” are counterproductive to what we most of us are trying to do, which would be to give the kids in our lives a bit more fun.
I am thinking of making this for the first time. I live in Australia. My son is almost 4yrs. I am thinking of buying some ironing aid in a spray can from the supermarket & using this instead of borax. Just wondering also whether maybe I could replace borax with baking soda as another alternative. We have Elmers glue here in Woolworths supermarkets.
I would of course watch my son carefully but what if he accidently ate some?
I am thinking of making flubber for the first time. I do have some concerns with borax. I am thinking of subsituting borax for liquid starch. I will just buy a spray can of ironing aid from the supermarket. Was wondering as well could I substitute borax for baking soda? We can also get Elmers glue here in Woolworths supermarkets here in Australia.
I of course would watch my almost 4yr old son but was wondering if somehow he accidently put a bit in his mouth and ate it what would I do then?
I am super super excited to try this with my son! I bet he will love it 😀 I actually just went out today and bought some borax. And as far as the negative comments.. There are always those few people who feel the need to criticize everything *sigh*
It’s Gak the stuff they sell in stores. Same recipe. so how’s it dangerous?
to all the negative people on this matter, its fun to make and play with, she posted it to be fun. Not for negative people to judge she never said you had to make this and you definitely should be watching your kids anyway it was not meant to eat, my kids love it also, I made this in school years ago when I was younger find something better to do with yourself then posting negative things.
Borax 20 Mule Team is the Borax your talking about right. It is not a poison. It is a laundry detergent booster. Thanks for the awesome recipe. Can’t wait to try this with my niece.
I taught preschool for 25 years and I used liquid starch instead of the water and borax. Worked just as well.
Hi, this looks like a fun thing to do when babysitting my niece and nephew, but how do you play with it? And how old isbthe recommended age to let kids play with it?
I was wondering if you can store it and how is best to store and how long it is ok to store it. If you happen to know…
Julie – I just keep it in a ziplock bag on the counter top! it lasted us a really, really long time…like months! hope you have fun making it!
Interesting take on whether or not borax is poison or not, especially the end:
“The health and safety warnings are also listed on the MSDS. Everybody can make their own decisions. I simply think it’s a bad idea to make craft concoctions for small children to handle (and possibly stick in their mouths) considering all of the health risks.
It’s important to remember that many products that we use around the house are just as harmful. However, most of them aren’t included in recipes we give to toddlers!
Yes, we like goop as much as the next folks. After reading about the risks, though, we decided to make some nice scented play dough instead. “
I tried this tonight with our Grandkids and I used generic glue and it was so watetery. Has anyone else had any luck with using generic glue? It didn’t look like the picture at all.
I use Borax all the time. I’m attaching the MSDS PDF page for Borax. #1 Don’t inhale. It may cause lung irritation. DUH #2 Don’t eat. Ingestion of large amount may cause gastrointestinal issues. (you’ll have a stomach ache and maybe diarrhea) DUH
Forgot to put the PDF site http://www dot anvilfire dot com/21centbs/material/33850-usborax-borax.pdf
I made this at my school!
We used to make this in school but instead of borax we used corn starch. Works just the same.
Im not sure we have Borax in England. does anyone know what i would use? Also instead of Elmers glue would i use PVA glue? Please help 🙂 xx
do you have to use elmers glue or is an off brand fine? i just made some with “jot” brand glue and the flubber looked like a mass of dr. suess scrambled eggs.
My Flubber was not smooth! 🙁
It was all lumpy! ;(
My boys love this! Thanks for sharing!
will flubber hold its shape and harden well , thinking of making friggies out of it. thanks
I hope people know that PlayDough is also made with “boric acid”. So when kids are playing with Play Dough they are still handling this chemical. I’ve never heard a complaint about Play Dough poisoning a child. However, there is always someone who has a reaction to something somewhere where most don’t have a reaction or issues. This is a fun project and relatively harmless. So, why not use gloves when handling?
Questions about the safety of 20 Mule Team Borax are answered on the Federally Required MSDS that can be found here: http://www.omsi.edu/sites/all/FTP/files/kids/Borax-msds.pdf
What can be used in replace of borax.
Another fun thing to do with flubber is to give the children markers and let them draw a picture on it. Then hold it up and let it oooze. See how the picture changes as the flubber droops!
I can’t wait to try this! I’ve been making gak with my 3yr old. The recipe is very similar. Instead of the 3/4 cup cold water you fill each glue bottle up with warm water. The rest of the recipe is the same!
Love the idea, I am a Grade 1 and 2 teacher in Australia, school starts for the year in 2 days and I cannot wait to try it out, thanks so much for sharing your recipe! Just a friendly hint for some of the ladies who have posted comments, stationery has ‘ery’ at the end, I always remember the ‘e’ at the end for envelopes, which is stationery, not stationary! Also the shopping aisle, is aisle, not isle. Hope you don’t mind me correcting, but you’ll never know if someone doesn’t tell you x x x
Just made this for my daughter and her friend and it is AMAZING! They just love it! I kinda want to play with it, it’s so fun. Thanks for sharing this.
Thanks, Amber! I’m so glad your daughter and her friend (and you!) like it 🙂
thanks Katie I think I want to share it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just made this with my 3 year old and we are having a blast! Thank you for the great idea!
You’re welcome!
my siblings and cousins totally want to make this thanks Katie
🙂
Didn’t scroll through all the comments, but if there is ever a concern about a product’s safety here is a good place to go: http://www.msds.com/ You can access the material data safety sheets for the particular compounds. Hope that helps.
This looks fun, and my 3 y/o loves any sort of textural stuff to play with 🙂
Oh good grief people…if you have so much to say…start your own dang blog to gripe, and leave this one alone!
Everyone needs to know that anything you touch or hold goes into your skin which in turn goes in to your bloodstream. This is absolutely not safe to be using. Not to be rude but your children look to you as a parent to protect them. Just because they like to play with it should not be the deciding factor. Some children like to play with matches but would you allow that? You are exposing your children to toxic…. possibly cancer causing agents. I am a nurse of many years and have the education to back this. Please don’t take offense. Just want all you people to totally understand.
You’re making that nurse part up. Not at all toxic. I’ve been using it in my laundry for nearly forty years and I still have good health.
I don’t know why anyone would have an issue with Borax! I use 1/2C in every load of laundry. It’s more back to basics than most products out there for kids.
A great blog for those spouting the toxicity of Borax. http://www.crunchybetty.com/getting-to-the-bottom-of-borax-is-it-safe-or-not
I would like to visit just one blog where the so called “experts” would just not try to share their knowledge with the rest of us. Why do they assume we are all idiots and unable to look things up ourselves? Just because we are taking advantage of someone’s great crafts or skill doesn’t mean we are illiterate! Yes borax can be an issue, but seriously, when was the last time you let your child eat any flubber? Give us a break! We don’t leave our kids unsupervised and starving 😉 Yes, lots of chemicals are absorbed through the skin. The same sodium tetraborate decahydrate that you are so concerned about in this recipe is found in almost every public school in the US in a much higher concentration, that wonderful powdered hand soap in every kids bathroom – Boraxo! So here’s the deal, stop being a helicopter blog reader commentator. Hover around your own children, not us. Thanks for a great craft post Katie, I will continue to make this every year with my students and know that not one of them will ever be poisoned.
Nancy is exactly right-on target. Everything that we inhale or put on our skin is absorbed into our bloodstream and breaks down our immune system. Little kids have smaller lungs, and inhaling toxins destroys the cilia in lungs. I encourage all parents to avoid exposing their children to over the counter household cleaners. Doing so is an investment in your kids’ future. We already know that most public places (ie schools, daycares, offices) are not toxic-free environments. But you can make your home the safest place in the world for your families. Be an example to your children on how to create health. Your children are counting on you.
I bought borax a month ago for the very reason of making this. I do think I really have to try it! Have you guys made plastic with vinegar and milk? Another thing to try 🙂
Everyone needs to calm down! I understand wanting to protect your children from evil stuff that might hurt them… but the pesticides on your produce is more harmful than borax…. the crap they inject into the animals we eat is more harmful… my point is everything is going to kill us… borax has been used as soap for years and everything seems fine…
Been using Borax for nearly forty years. Started using it to add to wash to get diapers clean. To call it poison is just silly .
in case some parents are concerned…http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borax
I can’t wait to do this with my 6 year old!!! I did this in kindergarten too, AND I ate some because I really liked the texture. But it was disgusting and I didn’t eat anymore and my 5 year old self didn’t die, so obviously the teensy amount of borax in this recipe will not kill your child! There are more harmful chemicals in the foods we eat than in this recipe. For instance, margarine has almost all of the same chemicals in at as plastic. If you can’t watch your kids while they play then you have more issues than a tsp. Of borax to worry about.
As an educator, I have to take a moment to respond to all of the back and forth between parents on this page.
We all have opinions on what toys, food, media, games, schooling and routines are appropriate for our children. However, it is wildly inappropriate to criticize another parent for the choices they make when they have the best interest of their child in mind. What they decide is right for their family, is no one else’s business. And so, if you find a blog online about something to try with your kids and it’s not right for your family, move on and find something that is. Let’s stop these battles between families where we judge each other and harshly criticize situations that were designed for the education and happiness of the children involved. In this amazing world with every kind of information at our finger tips there will, unfortunately, be countless things to stumble upon that you disagree with – some far more harmful than an educational experiment called flubber – that are truly worth your efforts to stand up against. Make better use of your time by supporting those you do believe in or writing to our local MPs with opinions about what really matters in this world. Spread positivity and kindness to other parents instead of bringing negativity and unkindness into someone’s life. We teach this to our children, and so we should be leading by example.
Can anyone tell me how much this recipe makes? I want to make it for my toddler’s bd party but not sure if I need to double, triple etc the recipe for 6 kids? Thanks for your help!
To those concerned about toxicity of sodium borate: please consider that anything is toxic at some dosage level. Look up an MSDS and you’ll see that borax has an oral toxicity close to that of riboflavin (vitamin B2).
I havent went through all the previous comments…. But did read your note about the complaints of using borax.
You can also use stay-flo its liquid startch… Mixing it with the glue… It makes the exact same stuff but there fewer steps. All u need is the glue and stay flo… No water needed!!!
So I just got done making this with my granddaughter.. and I think we did something wrong… it turned really stringy… any suggestions on what we might have done wrong? I made it exactly according to the above directions
Borax is completely safe. It’s actually used in the making of cosmetics, and even as a water softener and a texturing agent in cooking. It’s actually an important Boron Compound. Borax happens naturally by the evaporation of seasonal lakes repeatedly evaporating… And I got all that from doing my own research before I panicked! 🙂
Borax is not poison. Boric acid is poison.
Borax is an all natural laundry detergent.
Please do research before scaring people by writing scary comments about it being a poison. 🙂
http://www.crunchybetty.com/getting-to-the-bottom-of-borax-is-it-safe-or-not
Love this, eager to try. You’re recipe has made it all the way to New Zealand where borax is difficlt to get hold of (purely lack of demand) and that glue brand is non existant, do you think PVA glue would do th same thing? Now I ralise you may not know this but another reader may. Thank you for sharing.
Not sure. Hopefully someone else can help you.
Borax is available in bin Inn in NZ. I bought elmers glue in Bunnings. If you live in Gisborne, borax is available at AJ’s
Elmer’s is just a US brand of PVA glue, so any school or craft PVA glue will work. Good luck finding borax!
Just found this website about buying borax: http://www.therural.co.nz/country-living/where-to-buy-borax-in-new-zealand
My brother and I made this all the time as kids, almost twenty years ago, and our fingers didnt fall off. Nor did we even develope cancer. Borax is fine. I wouldnt eat it but we use it on our laundry growing up and have been around it forever. I dont understand why everone wants to be so afraid of everything. Let you children be children and have fun.
BORAX is used as a laundry detergent among other things…
BORIC ACID is poison. This is a great thing for the kids and they LOVE it! Thanks for posting…
Does the food coloring rub off on tables? or hands?
Not in my experience. I used a light food coloring.
FYI, for those of you that desire to make/leave rude comments regarding using Borax, go check the contents in your laundry detergent. Borax has been used for years and I in fact have a recipe for making homemade laundry and dishwasher soap both use borax.
I make this in my classroom as well. I don’t use the borax (I did not know about it), I use liquid starch or fabric softener (the latter is my favorite as it does not get sticky). I will have to try borax and see how it works for me.
My family made this today and we LOVED it!!! Thank you for the recipe and the inspiration to make my kids first day of summer vacation so much fun. We’re an hour into it and still going strong- haven’t left the kitchen table yet!
Awesome!!!
Katie…I have a question related to pinning this on pintrest. I get an error saying that it isn’t a valid image. Any idea why? I bet my almost 3.5 year old would love this.
Sorry about that! Not sure why it is giving an error. Here is the Pin on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/281756520410053914/
Does this recipe make enough for two or three people?
It made enough for my 2. I’ll let others respond as to quantity as well.
Hi ….. love love love to try out this Project ……BUT I can not find Borax any where …. i mostly shop @ Target & a few other stores ….. But can’t seem to find it …. UNLESS i’m not looking close enough ??? IS THERE any other POWDERED Laundy Detergent OR is it ONLY Borax ?????? PLEASE ….. WOULD LOVE TO KNOW
I have found Borax at hardware stores that carry all the “old-fashioned” things like Spic&Span, canning equipment, Fels Naptha soap, lye, etc.
Thank you so much for posting This! My daughter made it at her day care this summer and LOVED it! She has been begging to make more at home, but I’ve been hesitant for a bunch of reasons. After reading all of the comments I know I can’t hold off any longer and we must make this at home. We’re actually going to make a huge batch of it in order to give a way as “ooze” at her Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle birthday party in a couple of weeks.
My daughter and her friend just made it. It came out awesome, perfect cloudy day craft!!!
Awesome! 🙂
When mixed with sulfuric acid, borax becomes boric acid. used in numerous industrial applications, including cleaning and preservation. It is also used as a mild antiseptic, and as an eye solution for people experiencing eye irritation. Boric acid is also marketed as an alternative insecticide, since it is more gentle than some chemical compounds.
While borax is not violently toxic, it can cause skin reactions. Ingestion is also not advised, as even small amounts are not beneficial to human health. Around the house, it can be useful for cleaning, laundry brightening, and as an insecticide or pesticide. Borax is also used in the manufacture of fire retardants, antiseptics, and fungicides. In the laboratory, the compound may be used as a buffer for chemical reactions, since it is a non-reactive base and will keep chemical solutions stable.
My three year old grandson loves this. It is up to the user, but commonsense tells us not to give to children who do not understand do not eat.
Thank you for sharing this delightful idea. I have forwarded it to my daughter for my precious grandchildren. I only read the kind stuff so if you are inclined to write otherwise start your own blog. Goddess Bless
I learned at a kindergarten conference from a science wiz that borax is actually a great thing to put in homemade play dough or flubber. No, it is not meant to be edible!! But because it is soap, it can be used to help pull the coodies off of little hands. Once again, it is not meant to be eaten.
Does anyone know if I can substitute borax with cornstarch or baking powder/soda? No borax on hand and want to make this for our rainy day inside. Thanks!
The borax goes through a chemical reaction with the glue which makes a polymer. So, while you should not give your kid the box of borax from the grocery store, once it goes through the chemical reaction it’s a different thing!
If my mom had had enough time to watch 5 kids 24/7 while we were growing up we all would now be neurotic adults. As a child I probably ingested more dirt, gum off sidewalks, gak from crawling on other people’s floors, etc, etc… There is such a thing as overkill. Think about what is in dirt (natural, lol, organic), microscopic organisms, heavy metals, pesticides, etc.. how much of this “natural” dirt did any child ingest growing up? A lot most moms never witnessed being eaten. Thank you Kevin for your chemical explanation, most people won’t get this but I got it. I’ve heard of children (unattended) who have ingested gasoline and survived so Moms on this site chill, watch your children while they are playing with this flubber if you’re that concerned and there will be no repercussions. Just don’t be chronic nay sayers to a website that was trying to share a fun project with you.
Great idea! Dont worry about all the negative comments. Lets kids be kids. Drink from a water hose. Play in the rain. Quit bashing harmless goop. Your not thinking about the well being of your children by hitting the drive thru at McDonald’s and filling them with junk food.
Great craft idea! Those that worry about the borax vs boric acid argument, need not worry. Both substances are natural and are completely harmless, unless ingested in large quantities. Actually, boric acid, which can be used as a pesticide, can also be ingested as it is naturally occurring in many foods that we eat, such as fruits and vegetables. Borax is used in many products such as cosmetic products, laundry detergents, etc. The borax is what binds the molecules together to keep the flubber from falling apart and dripping onto the floor.
The point is that anything in large quantities can be dangerous, but this experiment is completely fun and harmless. Just don’t encourage the kids to eat the flubber. 🙂
Tired if reading all the “debating” comments to see if anyone else has had my same problem, so I’m just going to ask again. Sorry if its a repeat. My flubber looks NOTHING like the picture. Mine has turned out more like slime. Very wet and quite sticky. Can someone please help me? What did I do wrong? I have pics if I need to show you exactly my problem. I thought this would be fun for my daughter and I to do and play with but I’m just disappointed. I’m hoping someone can tell me where I went wrong. I used all the same ingredients and amounts the above recipe called for. Help help help
Thank you all for sharing the Flubber recipe and information on its ingredients. I am going to make Flubber my fun project for November by putting the ingredients on my shopping list (my October fun project was making microwave pizza using English muffins, shredded cheese, tomato sauce, meatballs slices, and pepperoni slices). I would like to know if anyone has altered the basic Flubber recipe, for example, by adding glitter or other things? I am not entirely sure about this, and I will have to do some experimenting, but I believe it may be possible to make Flubber that glows slightly in the dark, by removing the insides and felt tip of yellow highlighter marker pens, soaking them in water, squeezing out any remaining liquid from the pen insides and felt tip into the water after soaking them, and then using this water in making Flubber. I can’t say for sure if this will work, but I will try it. Any thoughts? Yay, Flubber!
This looks so fun, i dont have any little ones to make it for, but I plan to make it for me. For those who are posting mean comments, dont be so judgemental. She found something cool and was nice enough to share what she found. If u feel the need to post a public service announcement on HER page be nice about it.
The following websites have a very brief explanation of the chemical reaction that occurs between the borax and the Polyvinyl acetate in the Elmer’s glue. It may be possible to use some other chemical than borax but it’s relatively safe and readily available.
https://www.omsi.edu/for-kids/flubber
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flubber_(material)
Do you mix the glue and water or no and do you boil the water or is it just warm water
I was wondering how long it takes to make flubber
not long at all…maybe 5 minutes.
Borax was used for soaking diapers and washing them when my kids were babies and we didn’t have throw away diapers. Help to avoid diaper rash and keep the diaper pail from smelling. kept the cloth soft and white too..
I made Flubber for years for my 3 sons, who are now 40, 38 & 36years of age. None of them suffered from playing with this…they are all healthy physically & mentally. They now make it for their own children and I still enjoy getting my hands on it. The very small amount of Borax involved in Flubber will not harm the kiddies!
I have made this with my afterschool children (K-8). We just made it by adding blue glitter, and light blue food coloring, We call it Frozen Flubber, for the movie.
Cute idea, Tammy!
Handy hint for those unable to get Elmers (NZ and Australia) quality PVA glue, not school grade, works a treat.
I tried with PVA and no food coloring and it was liquid do I need the elders glue and food coloring . PLEASE HELP ME
Borax, sodium tetraborate decahydrate, according to one study, is not acutely toxic.[24] Its LD50 (median lethal dose) score is tested at 2.66 g/kg in rats,[25] meaning that a significant dose of the chemical is needed to cause severe symptoms or death. The lethal dose is not necessarily the same for humans.
Sodium tetraborate decahydrate was once registered as an insecticide for a brief period[where?], and the product was issued a “Danger” signal word by the EPA. Registration was allowed to lapse after the initial one year registration due to the fact the product could not be legally sold over the counter as an insecticide[citation needed] due to the dangers the product posed to the general public.[citation needed] Danger is the highest level signal word issued by the EPA.
Sufficient exposure to borax dust can cause respiratory and skin irritation. Ingestion may cause gastrointestinal distress including nausea, persistent vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Effects on the vascular system and brain include headaches and lethargy, but are less frequent. “In severe poisonings, a beefy red skin rash affecting palms, soles, buttocks and scrotum has been described. With severe poisoning, erythematous and exfoliative rash, unconsciousness, respiratory depression, and renal failure.”[26]
Info on Borax from Wikipedia….
Borax was added to the Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC) candidate list on 16 December 2010. The SVHC candidate list is part of the EU Regulations on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals 2006 (REACH), and the addition was based on the revised classification of borax as toxic for reproduction category 1B under the CLP Regulations. Substances and mixtures imported into the EU which contain borax are now required to be labelled with the warnings “May damage fertility” and “May damage the unborn child”
Borax is non-toxic. Laundry detergent is far more toxic than Borax. Laundry detergents contain phosphates. Borax is the common name for sodium tetraborate: a naturally occurring substance produced by the repeated evaporation of seasonal lakes (odium, boron, oxygen and water). Borax is a good source of boron, which we all need in our bodies. It can be taken internally in small amounts for various ailments. I have not ingested it myself, but apparently others do. I do not understand why folks don’t look things up before they go on a rant. I’d say Borax is probably less toxic than the chicken nuggets you allow your child to eat, and the antibiotic laden processed milk you allow your child to drink.
The thought of using Gain laundry detergent as mentioned above, as a substitute would be a far more toxic ingredient than Borax. Gain contains at least 20 ingredients many of which are multi-sylabic chemicals. See link: http://laundry.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=laundry&cdn=homegarden&tm=42&f=00&tt=55&bt=0&bts=&zu=http%3A//www.pg.com/productsafety/search_results.php%3Fsearchtext%3DGain%26category%3Dingredients%26submit%3DSearch
They don’t sell Borax where we live can I use a different powder laundry soap?
please help me! I live in Ukraine – there is no Borax here. I couldn’t understand from the coments what it is – loundry powder or what? Can I use something instead?
We made and LOVED this, but when I made it a second time it had a very odd texture and wasn’t smooth. What did I do wrong?!
Awesome recipie. Made today. Thought I messed it up, then all of a sudden this awesome goop took form. Kids loved it too. Thanks again!
How long does this stuff last? I made this with my son and threw it away after about 4 months, but we were moving and didn’t want to move it along with all the other stuff we had made. Anyone know how long it lasts?
Years ago I made “silly putty” with glue and liquid starch. I wonder if this flubber has the same consistency and rubbery feel?
This is a fun project that I first did with my children 20 years ago. We learned how to make it on a Science Fair field trip during a scientific demonstration and have made it many times since. As far as I know there were never any ill effects from coming in contact with the mixture. I can’t wait to make it with my own grandkids!
We use borax at workvto wash the grease off our hands, been using it for years, no problems with it.
I just have one thing to say, all this talk about it not being safe is well……. DUMB. Do yall really think a school would be aloud to make this without getting permission slips if there was harmful affects? Yep that simple. Its fun and now a days its so hard to get kids away from electronics, so why not make some FLUBBER?
I loved making this as a kid. Just one warning, DO NOT GET THIS ON YOUR CLOTHES!!! Once the clothes go through the washer and dryer with the flubber on them, you will not get it out!
Would corn starch work instead of borax?
Has anyone thought about trying cornstarch? It is a Newtonian solid when mixed with water.
For all those people who are so worried about boric acid, which, as stated ad nauseum already, is NOT borax: Boric acid is a VERY WEAK acid. For human use, it is used as an antiseptic, eye-wash, acne treatment, vaginal douche, athlete’s foot treatment, and, when disolved in alcohol, treat certain types of external ear infection. Can it be toxic to humans? Yes. However almost anything can be toxic if taken in excess, even water. Almost all fruits naturally contain a small about of boric acid, and while it typically manufactured by reacting borax with hydrochloric (or other) acid, it is also a naturally occurring mineral called Sassolite. It can be used as an insecticide because of the way it affects insects’ metabolism and because it irritates their exoskeletons and probably interferes with their breathing spiracles. Insects are NOT humans, and their metabolism is much different than ours. I really don’t understand the hysteria that some people have been showing about this. It’s not carceninogenic, and not nearly as dangerous as some other common household chemicals: acetone (nail polish remover), sodium hypochlorite (bleach), any of the commonly used dish washing detergents, laundry detergents, shampoos, etc., etc.
I was going to make this for my kids until I read this http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/admin/news/PDF/HealthNewsBorax2013.pdf
Borax is half the solution for Silly putty which has been around for years!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silly_Putty
I didn’t read the comments so I am sure there’s a ton of info in there, but I thought I would add my two cents for whatever it is worth. 😛 Borax is a skin irritant in it’s powdered form and isn’t good to breath in. That makes it so that this isn’t a project you would want your kids to do on their own and you want to be careful while mixing your borax up, but the final product would be safe to play with. It looks like great fun! Thanks!
I have a little bit of insight as to why some people are cautious about using Borax.
According to my Eco-Clean deck by Annie B. Bond, Borax is an alkaline material that is toxic in high doses. Some borax is contaminated with arsenic where it is mined, according to the Washington Toxics Coalition.
I doubt the one teaspoon of borax in this recipe would pose an immediate danger, as long as you don’t let anyone eat it, make them wear latex or rubber gloves while handling it, and wash hands thoroughly after playing with it. This might make a good “rainy day” play activity rather than a daily use for the reasons of concern.
We don’t need to be negative to share concerns, we just need to state facts and let people make up their own minds.
I’ve made this in the past with my students (gr2) and it was not as successful or instantaneous. This recipe calls for hot water when mixed with borax. I’ve always used tepid. The difference is monumental. The flubbed appears within a few stirs whereas mixing took up to 20 minutes in the past. I think the hot water may be the key!
I love the stuff.
I made this with my daycare children today, and they just loved it! My daughter, who is almost 4, had a blast laughing and giggling when the flubber started to form. My other children however, almost 2, didn’t have the same reaction. They must have thought it felt funny on their hands because they were not liking it. So I would keep this activity for preschool aged and up. Heck, I even had fun playing wit his, and I am 36!
Thanks, Nikki! I love playing this with my kids, too – it’s so fun! 🙂
wow..!.. Just imagine the conversation we could have regarding school lunches & common core !
Thank you for the recipe & God Bless You & your patience ‼️
Good God people it is only 1 teaspoon of washing powder…y’all need to get a grip, and watch your kids so they don’t try to eat it. If they do take it away and they can’t play.
Hi there,
Just a suggestion . . . . . . . . use ELMER’S GLUE and not just a No-Name Brand. I just finished making this exact Flubber Recipe with my two boys. I’ve always made it with ELMER’S GLUE but today we didn’t have any, so I ran out and bought some from the nearest Dollar Store. Once I combined the two mixtures together It looked like some sort of cottage cheese mixture until I worked it in a bit. Even then, it still wasn’t the same. It wasn’t a smooth texture at all, just very lumpy. From now on I will only use the best stuff – Elmer’s Glue!!
I am also a preschool teacher and make a similar putty by only using glue and liquid starch…. I don’t use water or the borax and still make a great putty… When it gets too sticky I just add more liquid starch. I also occasionally color it with food coloring or the liquid from bingo dobbers that we find at a local dollar store…
The children really love it when I make bubbles with it and they place plastic animals in it to pop it… I get lots of giggles and sounds of pure joy whenever I make a fresh batch of this stuff!
Hi. How soon after it is mixed does it begin to congeal? We followed the recipe exactly, but what we got was soup instead of anything pliable.
Me and my sis are so ready to do this recipe
Flubber- I do this in my preK class with just glue and liquid starch.
Thank you for sharing this recipe it was a great sensory activity for our classroom….
Keep it coming!!!!
thanks, Robyn!
I made flubber at school today it is awesome
I think it is amazing and I am so grateful I found this website
Not sure if it has been suggested but I found a recipe somewhere for edible goo. Just a cup of water, tablespoon of psyllium husks and a fro of food colour. 5 minutes in the microwave (keep an eye on it so it doesn’t bubble over). Be super careful when you take it out as it will be super hot! Stir vigorously then allow to cool 🙂
After you make make your flabber do you need to add any more glue or water to it because mine is getting dry
Keep it in a ziploc bag. That will help keep it moist. Also, it’s best to store it in the fridge, otherwise it will smell terrible after a few days.
After you make your flabber do you need to add any more glue or water because mine is staring to get dryish
Hi Katie.
I found today your fun project for Kids, and decided to try. I can totally play with it my self lol.
just stop by to say thank you and let you know that i share your link here on my FB
https://www.facebook.com/nataliya.simpson/posts/947482361950955?pnref=story
Happy Easter!!!!
Nataliya
Thanks Nataliya – glad you liked it!
does constarch or baking soda work instead of borax?
Just returned from a Disney Cruise on the Dream and they did this is the kids lab! He said keep it in Refrigerator and it keeps a long time. We were also told to pack in your check on Bag becasuse it won’t go through the carry on. Great Fun!!!!!
Made this but its sticky & sticking to our hands. Why is this?
please ignore my last comment. It’s no longer messy, we played with it too soon. If you let it sit for about 5 minutes it’s not sticky. Thank you
I am from south afrika and want to make flubber what glue can i olso get i dont get emers glue or do sombody tell me where can i get elmers glue in south afrika
I did not use elmers glue and it turned out perfectly
Shut up people, either make it or dont. She shared it with us, if we wanted to make it with our child. Hers seemed to enjoy it. Thank her if your going to comment. If you see a problem with it, dont make it with your child.
No big deal!!!
Have we lost our minds here?? Have people really really reduced themselves to attacking a young Mommy wanting to share the intimate things she’s dedicated her life to?? How could people be so mean spirited toward a woman who’s gone out of her way to share the things that have brought her and her children an afternoon of joy?? We are supposed too be in this together not turning this into modern war fare!?! When I was a young mommy I got through by the support and love and sisterhood of others trying to do the same thing as me. I’ve raised four very intelligent, wildly creative beautiful children …I would have loved this as a young mom, learning to be the best I could be doing the one thing I dedicated my whole life to, and that was raising decent human beings who were going to go piggy into this world and do good things and love their children. I probably failed more days than I succeeded…but you prior address acting like this woman is trying to.poison her children our something?? When I was coming up as a mom, I loved sharing the success’ and yes laughing at the failures I may have experienced the day before, and together we would laugh together, because our children had the gumption to survive our efforts another day. This woman has taken the time to share a glimpse into her life with the things she clearly loves So much, she doesn’t have to do that, but she most likely believes So much in her commitment to her family she believes sharing it some how will help other experience the same joys that has been blessed with, and for this she gets attacked?? For those who took precious tine out of your day to launch these attacks, ask yourself, has my life become so empty that I’m actually attacking a stranger on her blog space because she shared a joyful afternoon with a recipe and didn’t have the scientific knowledge base to correct everyone’s misguided perception that she might cause the death of a child with old time aunt poison from a recipe she got from A PRE-K TEACHER??? Maybe try this…”Thanks so much for sharing the recipe, I checked on a few things I had concerns about when I initially read the recipe, had a good laugh at myself, then proceeded to have one heck of great time with my kids that day!”
Stop these attacks, and look at people through eyes of love and remember they are fighting the same battles you are, day in day out! A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself this before you go posting your bad attitude on some one else’s space they reserve for loving their children and family….would a SAY THESE THINGS TO THIS WOMAN IF SHE WERE STANDING IN FRONT OF ME….or am i being so sassy and mean cuz I never have too face this person in real life and be held accountable…if the late one is the answer, role up your sleeves you’ve got some work to do before one of us meets you in the sand box and teaches you a lesson about playing nice ! Where’s the sisterhood in any of that??
I love your web site and blog, me and my grandaughter love the things you share! She’s four years old, her name is Bella…her intelligence level has exceeded some your readers already, but she simply says tio people who get mean and sassy “gramma lets just play, I think that person isn’t nice because he/she’s overwhelmed and needs an afternoon nap! “
my kids loved making this. They added thick straws and blew huge bubbles with it too. Thank you for recipe!
Some of these comments are so ridiculous… If you don’t want to you what you consider a toxic ingredient… Don’t use it!!! It amazes me how much time people have on their hands to try to out smart someone who believes they are smart… I have 3 kids.. I’m assuming you all have kids too.. find another recipe if you don’t like this one. I’m sure everyone can decide if it’ll work for them or not without your scientific input…………
Hi my name is Chayen. And i was wondering how long can you keep it?
I have read the comments about Borax with great interest. I have a PhD in Physical and Inorganic chemistry in organometallic synthesis and have worked in Pharmaceutical drug development. The flubber recipe is a system that undergoes chemical changes upon mixing (as with most mixtures). What you are putting into it is often not what remains in the end. The point has been “over” made about Borax vs Boric acid. If people have concerns about the chemical constituents then they need to research these concerns – as to just talk about Borax is not helpful as flubber is a chemical system of which borax is but one “ingredient”. The food dye also has a range of chemicals and additives in there (and if you are worried about Borax ….) as with also the chemical constituents of the glue. Which goes to my point Flubber is a formula made up of chemicals which are naturally occurring and synesthetic. Flubber is made by combining the initial chemicals to form a system that undergoes chemical change and yielding new chemicals and trace elements on top of traces of the initial chemicals (though if you had made the recipe correctly these should have all been consumed and transformed to new chemicals or at least be in equilibrium). This happens in just about everything we consume wear and play with. To simply speak only about borax is incorrect as flubber is a system. This post was providing people an opportunity to make flubber – the merits of the chemistry and the formula and the safety and efficacy of FLUBBER is the critical point NOT Borax….(I would be very surprised at how much borax was in flubber (as it undergoes transformation to something else))….so in effect all these post about borax have little significance. If you have concerns of safety and efficacy and toxicity about anything research it in the appropriate way. Commenting to this post is not the appropriate way to make informed decisions.
Everyone has an opinion, but if one is not qualified, an opinion is just that. It is not necessarily correct, incorrect, true, untrue, fact or fiction. Even the pre-school teacher who passed along this recipe is not an expert on this subject: if handling Borax is safe for children. Best practice for any parent thinking about making this is check with your child’s pediatrician first.
Hi,
Not taking sides on the whole Borax debate, I do believe it is up to the parent to decide what they deem safe and to supervise their kids! However, it is not allowed to be sold in the UK, because of its harmful nature, so the decision is removed for us!
I’ve never heard of Elmer’s glue, but I’ll admit I’ve never gone looking.
Is Elmer’s just a brand name for PVA, or is it something special? And is there anything I can use in place of the Borax? We have ‘Borax Substitute’ but I’m guessing that has nothing to do with Borax anymore.
I feel homemade flubber is perhaps out of my reach! Lol
My kids came home from camp yesterday with this and have been playing with it all.day.long – so awesome! Thought it would be fun to share with my readers, but didn’t have the recipe. A Google search led me to you. Will post on Facebook next week with your link. Thank you!
I live i New Zealand and we don’t have borax
I’m so going to make this
Borax can be used as part of the good old fashioned way of killing ants….1/2 cup Borax to 1/2 cup icing sugar….I use Borax all the time when I make my homemade laundry soap….it’s just fine as long as the kids don’t ingest alot of it…it’s the same as the white glue….won’t kill them just makes them sick….
Is Flubber the same as Blubber? I thought maybe I could find the answer here, but the nasty comments made it impossible for me to keep reading. It’s hard to believe the viciousness when the subject is a playtime activity for children. Please be aware that if you’re so rude here, you’re most likely being rude when your children hear you, and they’ll imitate you and probably be rude too.
Thanks for the recipe. I intend to make it for my grandchildren.
Thanks for sharing the recipe from your son’s school! I just made this with my 6 year old daughter and she is in flubber heaven. A teaspoon of borax is not harmful enough to cause concern. We use more than that in our swimming pool. I will note we added some glitter elmers glue to it, enough to still use only a cup of glue. Having a girl who loves glitter it had to spa
HI,
I made this this morning and it was just like a big bowl of water and it curdled. What did I do wong please? really Want to make this…
this stuff is so fun to make. we made it for a vacation bible school craft one year, but had used glitter glue….a pretty twist 🙂
Ok, first of all, the people that respond on these things are insane. Secondly, all of you people “protecting” your children from a tsp of Borax need to realize that MOST elementary schools make stuff like this all the time, & half of you that are saying how “toxic” it is probably have a child who has played with &/or made it without you even knowing about it. I made it in 4th grade, & it sounds like lots of other people have made it in school, so I’m willing to bet some of you haters have a child that has already been “exposed” to this horribly awesome stuff. Finally, that famous company that all children know & love “Nickelodeon” came out with the stuff in a plastic container like 20 years ago & called it GAK. It was also made with Borax, I looked up the ingredients. As far as the wonderful world of Google goes, there is no information that Nickelodeon was ever sued due to a child being harmed by playing with their GAK. Have a nice day! ?
Hi i live in ,Malaysia and i don’t know if there’s borax here , can you recommend other products
I love this project, I used it for adding some extra time homeschooling my kids. The only reason I am commenting is to say thanks, I was wondering if I could use glitter glue. The consistency is a bit different. But I had to read through so many comments, oh my goodness.. I cannot believe how the internet allows people to talk to each other, we are all adults right lol.
Anyhow, I use borax to make my own laundry soap, its safer and way cheaper. After reading some comments I have to agree with some, Do your own research.
aboslutley love this stuff….made it tonight using washable glitter glue! Came out amazing and the kids I babysit loved it…we used clear glitter glue and added florescent green food coloring…also made another with red glitter glue….the color is amazing….thanks for the recipe!
do you have to use borax
Fun avtivity with the kiddies. May I ask what you can use it for? Do you just mush around with it or can you use it like dough and make shapes that will harden?
We usually just play with it! I have a homemade play dough recipe here on the blog too though!
Just made for my daughter. Fantastic! thanks for posting the recipe
🙂
This article is for those who think Borax is unsafe for children or anyone, and who have bashed the author of this post on her Flubber recipe……
http://www.crunchybetty.com/getting-to-the-bottom-of-borax-is-it-safe-or-not
I have always made this with Elmer’s glue and liquid starch. You don’t have to measure out the starch. Just pour it in the bowl and add whatever amount of glue you want and start playing with it. It will turn into a rubbery, gooey consistency and then I just pour off the extra liquid starch and save it for the next time. My students have always loved making this goo. Then I put small portions into a Baggie for them to take home. I do not food color mine to prevent hand staining though.
The Borax, sodium tetraborate, is a bonding agent. That is why its needed. It’s a mineral salt that is mined out of the earth. Just make sure you aren’t using Borax acid. That is different process to make.
The glue is a polymer. It’s the elastic quality. You could increase the amount of Borax to make a rubber ball if you wanted. Or make it more slimy with less.
How many bottles of glue one or two
Borax is dangerous when breathed into the lungs in powder form. Please read the box. I would suggest an adult mix the water and borax together then have the child mix the two together.
It looks great. May I ask if this would be fun for children 6 to 12 years old, or for younger ones
Thank you
Typically it’s for younger kids but I’m sure some in that range would still love it!
Is anyone having trouble with the food colouring staining the children’s hands?
Hi Donna! I didn’t have any problems with the food coloring staining hands. We used the liquid coloring (not the paste) and made sure to put it straight into the wet mixture and stirred it really well so it was all combined before we played with it. Hope that helps!
If I make it a lovely dark purple then it does stain the children’s hands a little. But it stains the table more than their hands. Luckily Windex takes the stains out like a charm!
This recipe is PERFECT. I made a double batch as a birthday gift for a three-year-old. She is going to LOVE it!! (And this forty-something had fun making it, too!) ????????????. Thank you!!
Is this non-toxic if it accidentally gets ingested? I work with autistic students and one of my students would love this, but I try not to give him anything that isn’t non-toxic to play with just in case he puts some of it in his mouth.
Hello, that looks great for kids.
I can’t find borax here in Kuwait, so is it okay if I used xanthan gum instead? Or No?
I appreciate your help
how long does it take to make.
5 minutes, give or take. it’s super easy and it comes together pretty quick.
I think this is cool a lot of the girls in my class have it????
I’m borrowing the Borax from my 80 year old father who has used it in his laundry for as long as I can remember. He still has all his fingers and toes…yep, all of mine are here too. and I have worn clothes washed with Borax in the water for over 40 years, Just don’ eat it….and if you think your child might, maybe another DIY project would be more appropriate.
I am letting the kids make this “flubber” at my son’s 11th birthday party….I think the adults may want to make some of their own! Thank you for posting the recipe.
Just talked to my dad to make sure I could get a cup or so of the Borax from him today…(my son”s birthday is on Friday, April 15th)…my dad sure talked up the benefits of using Borax. All he said was, “make sure those boys don”t eat it”! I think we are safe, I feel confident my son’s 11 and 12 year old friends will not put the “flubber” in their mouths.
I recently tested a similar recipe and the flubber turned out quite hard it was rubbery but not very malleable or streachy is it supposed to be like that?. I will try this recipe with a holiday programme group tomorrow and hopefully have more success. I would appreciate any tips or suggestions. Thanks
I made this and it turned out great! But it spilled and I can’t get the flubber out of my mesh chair. Any tips?
I am situated in South Africa. We can’t find Elmer’s glue or Sta-flo liquid starch here. I would like to make a lage amount and are there for looking for a cheap alternative.
I have heard that Liquid detergents and our Dala clear glue doesn’t work that well. Do you know which non-toxic cheaper clear school glue, as well as liquid starch, I will be able to find in South Africa in order to make a clear slime? I have read the following post, if you know if I can get the glue in South Africa.
Thank you!!
Brenda says
September 1, 2013 at 1:49 pm
I’ve used cheap glue and had no problems
Read more: https://livecrafteat.com/craft/homemade-flubber-for-kids/#ixzz46MsgbNkL
Hi , are there any substitutes for Borax? Thank you!
Okay peeps, this recipe is easy and in-expensive and not harmful to the children. Borax is a cleaning agent that you can use to wash your clothes in, so unless you are chemical prone, then I assure you this is safe.
I am the Den Leader for my sons cub scout group and when we go on pack camping trips we have to come up with craft activities. Let me say that flubber making is a hit and the boys love it!!! I cut the recipe in half so they have about a cup of flubber each. I get little containers and they mix everything in this and we put a lid on it, to keep it contained. Out of 68 boys only two boys recipes did not work, however when they did it again it worked. The water must be hot so the den leaders are in charge of poring the water. keep it safe and clean.
This recipe is the best I found thus far and it’s a hit.
Just wondering how much this recipe makes, I need to make it with 22 kids.
Used glitter glue and it just didn’t want to work. Was still very sticky. So made the next batch and dunked the first batch in the borax solution after the second batch. It is better! But then I used too much borax for the second batch of glitter and it didn’t work so great, but still workable, I think. I think the glitter glue maybe has different properties than the reg. glue . .. ? Anyway fun, fun, fun!!!
I’ve been making flubber on a regular basis for the past 6 months, since I first came across this recipe, and the children at the daycare never seem to tire of it! They always ask, “Miss Fiona, can we play with your flubber?” And they are always thrilled when I make a new batch in a new colour. Last time I made it quite a dark purple, and my teeny tiny little friend stretched it over her fingers so it looked like webbed hands, and said in utter delight, “Spooky fingers, spooky fingers!” It was priceless! Flubber has provided us with hours and hours of fun, and we sit around the table and sing songs (On Top of Spaghetti and Making a Purple Stew) while we play. We’ve also discovered how to stretch the flubber very thin across the table, and then fold it loosely together so there are lots of bubbles to pop!
oh my god , that’s so incredible that I find borax in Brazil ( I’m Brazilian blood )
I have made this recipe before but lost it, it lasted forever, and my niece who was 3 at the time loved it, no mess and 2 years later she is fine after playing with borax! I have not copied your recipe down and will make it for her class to play with! I love playing with it too! thanks for the recipe! Also if you have little girls that like the movie Frozen, if you put glitter and make use blue food colouring, it reminds them of Frozen!
Thanks for the tip Kendra!
Can i replace the borax? please give me a replacement
Do you need to use food coloring or not, because I felt like that was just used so that your flubber was a different color.
you don’t need to, it just makes it more fun 🙂
What can i use instead of borax?
Just so all you know who are freaking out over borax it’s completely safe some people even put that in there mouths and use it to clean there mouths do some research about it online in YouTube or where ever a lot of naturalist people use it
Saying that Borax (Na2B4O7·10H2O) is dangerous because Boric Acid (BH3O3) is an ant and roach killer is like saying no one should drink water (H2O) because Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) is poisonous. It’s a perfectly safe and natural mineral with many household uses that are similar to baking soda. If your kids are at the putting-things-in-their-mouth stage, this is not a good experiment. Otherwise, play away! Science!
Love this comment! She got the recipie from her sons preschool, i mean helllooo!!
Has any one tried making flubber with mod podge glue?
I’m using this recipe for my 4-H group we really need some “learning” activities and I thought this would be a fun idea. I hope it all turns out other recipes I have used have been to watery or to thick. Thanks for this recipe I’m hoping it wll be helpful.
This looks like wonderus fun and phooey to the nay sayers!
Thanks for fun idea!
You’re welcome! 🙂
You all do know that flubber and slime are the same thing right? There are countless recipes on theweb and YouTube. Also there are actual kits in pretty much every store. It’s fun to make, fun to play with. Borax is not boric acid. Don’t be dumb enough to let your kids eat it and they will just fine! Lighten up and have some fun with your kids!
Question: If you are having the kids each make Flubber individually in a cup, what would the proportions be? Just wondering how you could do this step by step coaching and have it be successful with right proportions and not just have them watch the teacher make it up front?
Thanks??
I am extremely excited to make this for my 11 year old daughter I remember making this when I was a kid (rough estimate about 25 years ago) I loved it and so will she.
She is going to love it! I hope you both have so much fun making it together!
I am a teacher, and I think your an awesome parent. You are spending quality time with your children that they will remember the rest of their lives. Everything starts at home way before they ever reach school age, and your doing a terrific job. Please don’t listen to the negative, and go with your gut feeling. But I’m telling you know…you are making wonderful memories with your children and it doesn’t matter what anyone else says. God Bless!!
Thank you so much, Georgia! 🙂
I am making flubber for my science project!And i am a 4th grade student and i am so excited to try it out!😁😁
I just made this for my daughter and she loves it! Thank you for sharing. She’s got a jar she keeps pushing it into to make it “fart” and giggling like a maniac. Ha ha! She’s 3 and farts are hilarious. Lol!
I mixed the borat and then let her help poor the glue mix lol not it she was amazed that it made it. And we had everything here so that’s a huge bonus!
I’m so glad she likes it! Sounds like you both had a great together! 🙂
any PVA glue will do.
this flubber is very fun even for me but it is very messy.