Bored? Make these bouncy balls using just borax, glue, and corn starch! Kids will be amazed at how easy it is to make a homemade bouncy ball!
We’ve made a lot of slime recipes in our day, but did you know, that if you change a bit of the ratios and ingredients, you can make a whole host of other things?
By adding corn starch to the classic slime recipe, you can learn how to make your own bouncy ball.
It’s amazing how simple it is to make your own homemade bouncy ball that really bounces! It’s a fun addition to science carnival activities or for any other reason.
Homemade Bouncy Ball STEM Activity for Kids
Kids will be fascinated to find out they can make their own bouncy balls! Make them in pink, purple, blue, green, or the whole rainbow!
The homemade bouncy ball is a fun twist on the classic borax slime recipe.
Find more STEM Activities Here!
And if you get bored of your bouncy ball, try making fluffy slime, magnesium slime, or bubblegum slime!
What Kids Learn when Making a Borax Bouncy Ball
The homemade bouncy ball is simply a thick mixture that is created through a chemical reaction with the borax and the glue. Not adding any additional water makes the recipe thick and bouncy.
Throw the borax bouncy ball onto the floor and it really bounces! Kids will love seeing how different mixtures of chemical reactions can create different final results.
See the difference between this recipe, the classic borax slime recipe, the fluffy slime recipe, and the laundry starch slime recipe.
You can learn a lot when making a homemade bouncy ball! Here are just a few STEM elements that go along with this lesson:
STEM Questions to Ask
What happens if you add more glue (borax, water, cornstarch)?
Which recipe bounces the highest?
How much higher does the bounciest recipe bounce than the least bouncy recipe?
What makes the ball bounce?
Will the ball bounce on carpet (cement, wood, a table, a counter, etc)?
Will the ball hold its shape over time?
Homemade bouncy balls recipe:
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you for your convenience.
TashiBox 12 oz clear plastic cups – 200 count – Disposable cold drink party cupsElmer’s Liquid School Glue, Washable, 1 Gallon, 1 Count – Great For Making Slime
20 Mule Team Borax Laundry Booster, Powder, 4 Pounds
Argo 100% Pure Corn Starch, 16 Oz
Food Coloring Liqua-Gel – 12 Color Variety Kit in .75 fl. oz. (20ml) Bottles
- School glue
- Tablespoon
- Teaspoon
- Cornstarch
- Borax powder
- Plastic cups
- Fork
- Pink food coloring
How to Make Your Own Borax Bouncy Ball
For each ball, you’ll need to make two separate solutions in two cups. In cup one, mix 2 tablespoons of school glue, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, and food coloring (we did pink for Valentine’s Day).
In cup two, mix 4 tablespoons of warm water and 1 teaspoon of borax powder. This is the recipe we started with.
Mix each cup together, then slowly add the borax water to the glue mixture. It will turn into slime, then harden even further into a pliable mixture like play dough.
Work the ball between your fingers until it is no longer sticky and you can roll it into a ball.
Bounce it on a surface and see what happens!
