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Rainbow Bouncy Balls

Remember those days when a simple bouncy ball could bring endless hours of fun? Whether it was chasing them down the street or trying to see who could bounce theirs the highest, bouncy balls hold a special place in our childhood memories. Today, we're bringing those memories back to life with a super fun and surprisingly easy DIY craft: Rainbow Bouncy Balls! These aren't just any bouncy balls; they're vibrant, colorful, and you get to make them yourself. Get ready for some serious crafting joy!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Course: Craft
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Borax Solution
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 1 tablespoon borax powder
For the Glue Mixtures
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons clear glue per color
  • few drops food coloring or liquid watercolors per color (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)
Optional Additions
  • pinch glitter per color

Equipment

  • Bowls
  • Cups
  • Parchment or wax paper
  • Airtight container or zip-top bag

Method
 

  1. Step 1: In a bowl, combine your warm water and borax powder. Give it a good stir until all that borax is completely dissolved. This is the activating solution for our bouncy balls.
  2. Step 2: Now, pour your dissolved borax solution into several smaller cups. You'll want one cup for each color you plan to make. Add a few drops of your chosen food coloring to each cup. Stir each one gently to get those beautiful, even colors.
  3. Step 3: Grab some separate small containers. For each color you're making, measure out about 1 to 2 teaspoons of clear glue. Add just a drop of the matching food coloring to each container and mix it up until the color is nicely blended into the glue. You want vibrant glue!
  4. Step 4: This is the exciting part! Slowly pour each colored glue mixture into its corresponding cup of borax solution. Watch as the glue starts to clump together and form a little ball. It's like a science experiment right before your eyes!
  5. Step 5: Carefully scoop out the forming bouncy ball from the borax solution. Gently use your hands to shape it into a nice, round ball. If it feels a bit too sticky, you can give it a quick dip back into the borax solution, but be gentle!
  6. Step 6: Want a truly spectacular rainbow bouncy ball? Take a few of your smaller colored balls and press them together. Roll them gently between your hands to smooth out the edges and combine them into one glorious, multi-colored bouncy ball. It’s like making edible art, but for playing!
  7. Step 7: Place your finished bouncy balls on some parchment or wax paper. You'll want to let them dry for a few hours. This allows them to firm up and reach their full bouncy potential.

Notes

Feel free to add a pinch of glitter to the glue mixture for extra sparkle, or experiment with different color combinations. You could even try making stripes by layering different colored glue mixtures as they form.