Balls have been toys practically forever, but the bouncing ball is a more recent innovation. The bouncing ball in this activity is made from a polymer. Polymers are molecules made up of repeating chemical units.

Make sure you are wearing protective clothes including apron, old clothes, gloves and goggles.

You Will Need:

• Sodium Tetraborate (Borax) 5% Solution
• Corn starch
• Glue (White glue will make an opaque ball however blue or clear will make a translucent ball)
• Water (This should be warm)
• Food colouring (optional, this will make the balls have a colour so pick a colour you are happy with)
• Measuring spoons
• Spoon or craft stick to stir the mixture
• 2 Jars (for mixing)
• Marking Pen
• Watch with a second hand
• Metric ruler
• Zip-lock plastic bag

STEP 1

Label one Jar Sodium Tetraborate (Borax) 5% Solution and the other “Ball Mixture”.

STEP 2

Pour 2 tablespoons of warm water and 1/2 teaspoon borax into the jar labelled Sodium Tetraborate (Borax) 5% Solution“. Stir the mixture. At this point, if you want a coloured ball, add the food colouring now.

STEP 3

Pour 1 tablespoon of glue into the Jar labelled “Ball Mixture”. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the Sodium Tetraborate (Borax) 5% Solution you have just made and 1 tablespoon of corn starch. PLEASE NOTE: DO NOT STIR. Allow the ingredients to interact on their own for 10-15 seconds and then stir them together to fully mix. Once the mixture becomes impossible to stir, take it out of the jar and start moulding the ball with your hands.

STEP 4

The ball will start out sticky and messy but will solidify as you knead it. Once the ball is less sticky, go ahead and bounce it. You can store your plastic ball in a sealed Ziploc bag when you are finished playing with it.

NOTE: BEFORE USING ANY OF THE PRODUCTS LISTED PLEASE READ ANY SAFETY AND PRECAUTIONS TO THIS PRODUCT BEFORE USAGE. 

PLEASE ALSO COMPLETE A PATCH TEST.

APC Pure does not accept any responsibility, this is a guide only.