Do you remember the first time you got a bouncy ball? Whether it was a small one that you played with in your room with a bunch of jacks, or a large beach ball, we all have our stories about the bouncy balls we used to play with as kids. Now that we’re older, of course, and some of us have kids or nieces and nephews or friends’ kids in our lives, we have the opportunity to introduce a new generation to one of the best, simplest toys ever invented.
We could buy them, obviously, and choose from a small array of plain bouncy balls, but what about making your own, or having the kids help you make an entire pail full of bouncy balls? They’re easier to make than you might think, with simple ingredients often found at home, or that can be purchased from the local grocery store. Making a bouncy ball requires the following materials:
- Borax
- Cornstarch
- White glue or blue/clear glue (Elmer’s is recommended)
- Warm water (make sure the water is warmer than room temperature but not hot to the touch)
- Food coloring (if you’d like to experiment with different color variations. You can also add glitter if you like)
- Measuring spoons
- Spoon or craft stick (this is for stirring, so a popsicle stick is probably the best option here)
- 2 small plastic containers or cups
- Sharpie
- Ruler (the recipe specifies a metric ruler)
- ZipLoc plastic baggie
The two small containers will contain the mixtures that are then combined to make the bouncy ball. The ingredients are safe enough for older children but it is best to have some adult supervision, or at least an adult nearby who can step in should the child have trouble mixing the solutions together. There is, technically, no size limit, so as long as you adjust the ingredients, you can make large bouncy balls, or even go for a size that can’t be found in stores.
If you’re dreaming of making your own bouncy ball collection, you can find the basic tutorial here. For an interesting twist, you can try the science experiment tutorial we found here.