Create A Mad Scientist In Minutes With Borax And Cornstarch

Momma Told Me: Sometimes life gets messy.

I don't know about you, but in our house we have some real characters. We're not afraid to don underpants over our leggings and climb through bedsheets forts in the name of rescuing the fair Princess Spongebob. And, whether it's Summer bream, Winter vacation, or merely a 3 day weekend, we're always in need of a creative activity to kill some time and keep small hands engaged. Naturally, Queen Momma isn't made out of gold bricks, unless Velveeta coated Triscuits count? So having simple projects we can accomplish with a little ingenuity and home supplies is an absolute must. And one of Momma's favorite magic potions happens to be Borax, which not only makes stains dissolve, but also acts as a base for several simple, and educational inedible recipes. So, unless you're dead set on making the kiddos literally watch stains disappear (it's a great trick, but let's face it, you might as well watch paint dry), read on for a simple Lazy Afternoon Mad Scientist solution.

The first step is to gather all of your materials. For your essential Mad Scientist Goop Base you will need:

*8oz Bottle White Glue

* Approximately 2TBS Borax Powder

* 1/2 C Warm Water

* Food Coloring (Liquid)

* Gloves (Anytime kids get to work with gloves it's a hit, right?)

* Mixing Bowl (I mix in small plastic food containers from Smart & Final that double as my Goop containers)

* Stirrers (We use chopsticks or wooden kabob skewers)

* Goop Containers (See above, or use plastic baggies)

Making your Mad Scientist Goop is really quite simple, but it is always important to remember that borax is a (rather common cleaning) chemical, and to keep an eye on kids under 10 at all times while mixing. Begin by emptying the entire bottle of white glue into your mixing container. Then, fill the empty-ish bottle with warm water, leaving a little gap for air to mix, re-seal, and shake to work the remaining glue particles loose. Empty water solution into glue bowl. Next, add your food coloring- You may do this later, but the final goop will be much harder to combine, so you might as well do this now. Those with younger kids can even turn this into a lesson on primary colors and combining.

In your measuring cup, measure a 1/2 C of warm water and add a Teaspoon of the Borax powder. Stir swiftly, but don't worry if all of the Borax does not appear to dissolve, it will still activate when combined. Next, add a little of the Borax solution to your glue solution, while constantly stirring. Be sure to keep one hand on the glue 'mixing' container, because the 'Goop' will build up stirring resistance quickly. Play around with more or less of the Borax to adjust the solution's thickness through multiple batches. Once the 'Goop' has reached a consistency where it is not absorbing any more liquid, begin to use your hands to work the mixture until it absorbs no more. Dispose of remaining liquid and enjoy your Goop!

While Mad Scientist Goop is one of the most common Borax based 'goop' recipes, there are certainly others worth researching and playing around with. This particular Goop recipe will yield a 'Gak' like putty that stretches and holds it's shape for several seconds. It will even 'crawl' down a wall when slung at it- but remember you put food coloring into this compound, so be sure to do this outside or on cleanable surfaces! One of my all time favorite Goop projects is making Oobleck from Dr Seuss's "Bartholomew And The Oobleck." This educational project yields a curious compound that will 'ooze' and flow like a liquid with minimal force and pressure, but 'seize' into a hard as a rock shape with any force. It is the liquid that acts like a solid, and always a hit with children age 10+. For this modified Goop recipe you simply add 1.5-2 C of Cornstarch to 1C warm water (add food color to water prior to corn starch if desired). It's as simple as that!

What Daughter Says: Some of life's best messes, we create knowingly.