***Originally posted February 12, 2014***
It’s a last-minute post, but I *just* figured out how to package this up. You’ve probably seen “Flubber recipes” all over Pinterest. The basic idea is to mix Elmer’s glue, warm water, and food coloring in one bowl, and water and Borax in another bowl. When you combine the two, you get Flubber! We made some over the summer, and the kiddo LOVED it. We had it in a tupperware container, and it lasted for months.
As you’ve seen before, I’m a fan of simple gifts that aren’t necessarily food when giving gifts to classmates. I’m just wary of dietary issues, and creating the expectation that all celebrations have to involve sugary treats! (What a party pooper!) But really, I want to give things that kiddo can help make, and that are an alternative to the inevitable influx of candy. (Trust me, I LOVE the candy…) So I thought giving out homemade flubber would be a great gift for 2-3 (or 4 or 5 or 6) year-olds.
Materials needed:
- Flubber: 2 bowls, 2 spoons, Borax, Elmer’s glue, food coloring, water
- Packaging: Sandwich zipper bags, heavy card stock, a printer, a hole punch, scissors, ribbon, a pen
Flubber recipe:
Mix in a small bowl:
1 cup cold water
1 cup Elmer’s white craft glue
liquid food coloring (5 drops for pale, 10+ for bright. Your Flubber will be the color of your glue mixture.)
Be sure all glue has dissolved and that there are no white clumps.
Mix in a larger separate bowl:
1/2 cup hot water
1 teaspoon Borax (found in the laundry aisle)
Again, completely dissolve the Borax.
Slowly add the glue mixture to the Borax mixture. You’ll notice it kind of becomes threads, then globs together. Mix well (it may be a little watery) and let stand for a minute or two. It will eventually absorb the water and become an oozy, gooey slime!
Now, before you start yelling at me for giving something containing BORAX to CHILDREN (gasp!), I did clear this with the daycare. Borax is toxic when ingested, so if your kids or your kids’ classmates are at all prone to sticking things in their mouths, this might not be the gift for them. If they are past the point of oral exploration, keeping a watchful eye on them while playing with this stuff is still a good idea. I’m also going to show you how to make the bag difficult to open, so parents can be present when they play with their…present.
Making Flubber Valentines:
- Make your batches of flubber, and divide it among sandwich bags. We have 12 kids to give to, so we’re actually going to be making a TON of flubber. No matter, it’s easy and fun. We picked pink for ours, but you can go with any color you like.
- Download the printable labels here (or click the image below): Flubber-Valentine pdf
Click this image to access the printable pdf. Be patient, it takes a moment to load. - Print labels on heavier paper or card stock on your highest quality print setting. Trim labels and fill them out.
- Punch 2 holes at the top of the labels and bags (be sure to puncture the top of the bag only). If you don’t have ribbon, just use 2 staples.
If you don’t have ribbon handy, staples are fine. - Snip some ribbon long enough to thread through and make a bow. About 12″ worked for me.
- Thread the ribbon through the back of the bag and card and tie in front. Voila! Adorable, “mushy” Valentines!
Who doesn’t love puns? And flubber?
I’ve been collecting other punny Valentine ideas since last year. You can follow my Punny Valentine Pinterest board here.