How to Make Silly Putty at Home with Borax and Glue

Silly Putty is the throwback making a reemergence that I didn’t know I needed in my life, but let me tell you, I am here for it. Silly Putty was a childhood favorite – it stretches, bounces, squishes, copies newspaper text (why was this the coolest thing??) and entertains for hours.

Good news millennials (and all other silly putty fans): You don’t have to buy it at the store. With just a few simple household ingredients, you and your kids can make your own silly putty right at home!

Not only is this a fun activity for the whole family, but silly putty play is also packed with sensory and developmental benefits. Plus, there’s a little science magic happening behind the scenes that I nerd out about and perhaps your kids will also love learning about.

How To Make Your Own Silly Putty

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup white Elmer’s glue
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon Borax powder
• 1/4 cup warm water (separate from above)
• Food coloring (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, mix the glue with 1/4 cup of warm water. Stir until well combined. If you want colorful silly putty, add a few drops of food coloring now.
2. In a separate bowl, dissolve the Borax powder in 1/4 cup of warm water. Stir until fully dissolved.
3. Slowly pour the Borax solution into the glue mixture while stirring. You’ll see the mixture begin to thicken and clump together — that’s the putty forming! Once the putty has formed, you can stop pouring the borax solution. It’s okay if you have a little left!
4. Use your hands to knead the mixture until it reaches the stretchy, bouncy consistency of silly putty. If it’s too sticky, add a little more Borax solution. If it’s too firm, add a splash more water.
5. Play! Store your homemade silly putty in an airtight container or plastic bag when not in use.

Sensory and Developmental Benefits of Silly Putty Play

Playing with silly putty isn’t just entertaining — it’s also a wonderful activity for growth and development, which makes it even cooler.

• Fine Motor Skills: Squishing, pulling, and rolling putty strengthens the small muscles in hands and fingers, which helps with handwriting and other everyday tasks.
• Hand-Eye Coordination: Kids practice control as they stretch, pinch, or mold the putty into shapes.
• Sensory Exploration: Silly putty offers a unique texture that engages kids’ sense of touch and provides calming, stress relieving input – it’s a highly acclaimed fidget toy!
• Creativity & Imagination: Children can shape silly putty into animals, letters, or fun creations, building storytelling and pretend play skills.
• Self-Regulation: The repetitive motion of squeezing and stretching can help children relax and refocus.

Science Behind Silly Putty

So, what’s really happening when glue and Borax combine? Here’s a simple explanation kids will understand:

• Glue is made up of long chains of molecules called polymers. On their own, these chains slip and slide past each other like snakes, which is why glue is sticky and runny.
• When you add Borax solution, it acts like a connector. Borax links those polymer chains together so they can’t move around as freely.
• This process is called cross-linking, and it turns the runny glue into a stretchy, rubbery material — silly putty!

You can explain it to kids like this:
“Imagine a bunch of spaghetti noodles in a bowl (that’s the glue). They slide around and are kind of messy. Now, imagine you use tiny rubber bands to connect the noodles together in groups (that’s the Borax). Suddenly, they stick together in a big web and become stretchy instead of slippery — just like silly putty!”

In my food science masters we had to take a Polymers class, and let me tell you, that professor would be SO PROUD of my ability to explain cross linking there! But more importantly – making silly putty at home is a fun, hands-on activity that combines science, play, and learning all in one. Kids will love the process of creating something magical from everyday items, and parents will love the developmental benefits it brings and the nostalgic throw back to silly putty eggs.

Let me know in the comments how yours turns out, and be sure to check out some of our other favorites – Slime, Fluffy Slime, and Kool-Aid Playdough!