Silly Putty

• When combined, Borax and white school glue make a chemical reaction that results in the formation of a polymer. You can take advantage of this chemical reaction to make silly putty. Combine 2 to 3 tbsp. Borax with a gallon of warm water. Pour enough of this solution into a bowl to fill the bowl about 1/3 of the way up. Squirt white school glue into the bowl and then knead it underwater until it makes a substance that feels like silly putty. When it feels like silly putty, pull it out of the water and continue to knead it until it is nice and smooth. Store it in a plastic bag when you're not playing with it to keep it from drying out.
  
  

Slime

• Borax and glue can make a slime that is fun to play with. Combine 1 cup water with 1 tbsp. Borax. Stir until completely dissolved. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup water with 1/4 cup white school glue. Pour a 1/2 cup of the Borax solution and 1/2 cup of the glue solution into a zippered plastic bag. If you'd like your slime to be colorful, add a couple of drops of food coloring. Seal the plastic bag shut, and knead it to start the chemical reaction between the Borax and the glue. Once the slime has thickened up, take it out of the bag and play with it. To store your slime, put it back in the bag and store it in the refrigerator.
  
  

Flubber

• Flubber is an interesting substance because it behaves as both a solid and a liquid. It's a fun experiment to do when learning about phases of matter. Put 3/4 cup water and 1 cup glue into a cup. Stir the mixture until the glue is diluted. In another smaller bowl, combine 1/2 cup water with 2 tsp. Borax. Stir until dissolved. Pour the Borax solution into the glue solution, then stir them together. Allow the solution to sit for three to four minutes. The solution is now Flubber, and you can play with it and watch it change from liquid to solid and back again.
  
  

Rubber Ball

• Instead of buying a rubber ball from a gumball machine, you can make your own with Borax and glue. Mix 1/4 cup warm water with 1 tbsp. Borax, and stir until it is mostly dissolved. Add 1 tbsp. of corn starch to the Borax mixture and stir until mixed. Measure 3 tbsp. glue into a plastic cup, and mix the glue with food coloring if you want your ball to be a certain color. Pour the glue mixture into the Borax solution, and stir it with a wooden stick. It will start to harden immediately, so mix hard and fast while you still can. Once it becomes too thick to stir with the wooden stick, take the mixture out of the cup and knead it with your hands on a hard surface. If it becomes too sticky, dip it in the Borax mixture and then continue to knead it and form it in a ball shape. To keep the ball rubbery, store it in a plastic bag.