Uses of Borax Powder for Kids | 15 Easy Borax Recipes
Did you know that before I became a full-time blogger, I was actually a 5th grade teacher? Surprise! Frugal Coupon Living was born while I was on maternity leave after I had my first child. Before I knew it, Frugal Coupon Living had totally taken off. It was amazing to see the success of my blog unfold, but it also meant that I never made it back into the classroom that I loved.
Even though I had moved onto blogging, my desire to teach never left me. I still miss it sometimes! While I can’t officially return to the classroom, I have kids now, and they basically have become my own personal classroom. With that being said, I am always on the hunt for engaging, cool kids’ science experiments for them to try. If you are anything like me, I am here to tell you that making science fun at home is easier than you think!
One ingredient is a constant in many that I’ve found over the years: borax! I had fun putting together these Borax Uses for Kids. Make crystals (geodes), flubber, slime, bouncy balls, and more. Borax slime has become super popular recently. I have a feeling that some of you have already gotten requests from your little ones to make borax slime at home! If you have yet to make borax slime with your kids, this is your sign to whip some up.
Read on for a quick and simple explanation of borax. Plus, 15 easy and cool kids’ science experiments including borax slime that you can do with your children in the simplest terms possible! Have fun cooking these cool kids’ science experiments up and enjoy!
What is borax, anyways?
Borax or sodium borate is a boron compound (a chemical element, atomic number 5). Typical Borax is a white substance made of colorless crystals that dissolve easily in water.
What are some uses of borax powder?
Borax is typically used in households as a cleaning product. It can be used for a wide variety of household messes, including as stain remover, all-purpose cleaning spray, and even as a weed killer! It has been a staple in frugal households for years, not just because of all of the uses of borax powder, but how cheap it is, too! Because of this, there’s a good chance that you already have some borax in your cleaning supplies cabinet, ready to be used for something a little more fun: science!
Borax is the unexpected secret ingredient to making kid-approved science concoctions like borax slime, borax crystals, and even borax bouncy balls! How neat is that? You and your kids will be amazed that a humble cleaning product can totally transform ordinary ingredients. Not only that, but the other ingredients needed to make these cool kids’ science experiments might already be lying around your house, too!
Borax Slime and Balls: What happened?
Glue has an ingredient called polyvinyl acetate, which is a liquid polymer. The borax links the polyvinyl acetate molecules to each other, creating one large, flexible polymer. In bouncy balls, adding the cornstarch helps to bind the molecules together so that they hold their shape better. Keep in mind, these homemade bouncing balls will lose their elasticity over time.
Borax Crystals: What happened?
A crystal is a natural solid made up of a repeated pattern of molecules connected together. Crystals can form through the slow cooling of a material. Molecules of hot water move apart, making room for the borax crystals to dissolve. When no more of the solution can be dissolved, you have reached saturation. As this solution cools, the water molecules move closer together again. Now there’s less room for the solution to hold onto as much of the dissolved borax. Crystals begin to form and build on one another as the water lets go of the excess and evaporates.
Ready to get started? Here are the best uses of borax powder I’ve uncovered to create cool kids’ science experiments! Prepare for all of the borax slime, flubber, and floam!
Homemade Bouncy Balls | 36th Avenue
Homemade Flubber | Live Craft Eat
Crystal Seashells | Little Bins for Little Hands
Homemade Borax Slime – Glitter Gak | Lil Luna
Crystal Snowflakes | A Girl and a Boy
Homemade Floam | Growing a Jeweled Rose
Crystal Flowers | Pink Stripey Socks
Glow in the Dark Borax Slime | A Pumpkin and a Princess
Giant Crystals | Dan’s Lake House
DIY Rainbow Borax Slime | Mom Dot
Treasure Borax Slime | Growing a Jeweled Rose
Egg Geodes | Tinker Lab
Crystal Names | Play Dough to Plato
DIY Icicle Ornaments | Amanda Katherine
Grow your own Geodes | Dollar Store Crafts
Crystal Pinecones | Sweet Paul
Crystal Geodes | DIY Projects for Teens
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