2.14.2012

Fun with Flubber

We've been stuck at home with colds for the past few days which means we've been watching way too much TV. I decided to give Mr. Netflix a break and find something easy and entertaining for the kids to do. And Flubber did the trick. This stuff is great. It's easy to mix up, keeps the kids happy for a while and there's really no clean up!

Supplies:
  • 1/4 teaspoon Borax
  • 4 ounce bottle of glue
  • Food coloring
  • Warm water
  • Mixing bowl
A quick note: Borax is not dangerous (as some husbands might have you believe, namely mine!). Yes, it can kill ants but it also works well as a cleaner. Treat it like any other cleaning product you have in your house - put it on a high shelf or in a locked cabinet out of the reach of kids.

Pour a 4 oz. bottle of glue into a mixing bowl or dish. Fill the glue bottle with warm water, add some food coloring and shake shake shake! We made ours pink in honor of Valentine's Day. Pour the colored water into the glue and mix it together.

I don't have any pictures of the next step because your hands will get all goopy and you want to work kind of fast. Mix 1/4 teaspoon of borax with 1/4 cup water. Add to the glue and water mixture and mix it up quickly and then knead it until you get a big old blob.

Then start rolling it and flinging it and bouncing it and hiding things in it and stamping objects into it. Pretty much whatever you want.

Grady wasn't so sure about it at first. I don't think he liked the slimy feel of it. But he got over it and had fun in the end. And Finley stood at the counter for 30 minutes playing with it. Hooray for another "go to" toddler activity!

Oobleck is another fun activity for toddlers (and adults). But that stuff takes quite a bit of supervision and a lot of cleanup if you look away for even a few seconds. If you want easy and clean - go for the Flubber!

2 comments:

  1. Where do you come up with this stuff?! You are the best mom ever!

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  2. just made this for my daughters. Super easy, but doesn't look like yours! It's just kind of a blob, can't mold it or anything. It just flattens out. They are still having a blast with it, though. Just not firm..we cant get it to be made into shapes like in your picture! I wonder if I used too much water, or might need to little bit more Borax??

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