Make Some Flubber

I confess I had never heard of Flubber when I moved here. Back in the UK my kids played with playdough, paints, chalk etc but Flubber? No. This was a new thing to me. So when my 4 year old joined the local pre-school co-op and I was assigned the task of ‘making playdough and flubber’ I was more than a little worried. The day loomed when my new skills would be put to the test and 14 little faces would be awaiting their art supplies. Hmmm..

But I made it, the teacher said it was good, and miraculously the kids played with it! I noticed though, that they didn’t just play with it, they were mesmerised by it. And this was not down to my quality product but the fact that Flubber just is ‘mesmerising’.

Have you every played with it? You probably have – I’ve led a sheltered existence. It’s crazy stuff. It slips through your fingers, you can stretch it and break it, chop it and squish it back together again. And then leave it on a rack and it will slowly drip, drip down until all of it is on the table and not on the rack anymore. It does its own thing. It’s almost alive. It’s cold and clammy and feels weird when you put it on your skin. The dog likes to eat it (not recommended). And children? Well, they can’t stop playing with it. Bingo!

So here’s the recipe. The ingredients are simple and it’s easy to make. And it will keep the children amused, guaranteed.

How to Make Flubber

Makes 2 batches

Container 1:

• 3 cups warm water
• 4 cups white glue
• Food colouring

Container 2:

• 2 and 2/3 cups warm water
• 2 Tablespoons of Borax

Mix thoroughly the ingredients in each container. Pour the contents of container 2 into container 1. Gently lift and turn the mixture until only about a tablespoon of liquid is left. The Flubber will be sticky for a moment or two. Let the excess liquid drip off and the Flubber will be ready. It will last for two to three weeks in an airtight container.

And if you don’t want to stop here, there are so many more ‘make your own art supplies‘ recipes too.