Borax

Your yard is home to an entire ecology of insects. Most of these insects will spend their lives avoiding you and your pets. Others, including mosquitoes, fleas and ticks, will seek you out as a source…

While you normally wouldn’t give children a handful of glue to play with, normal white craft glue combined with powdered Borax creates a hands-on slime that’s hard to resist. The slime,…

Call it slime, bizarre slime, gak, goop, oobleck, flubber -- no matter what you call it, kids love to make it. Recipes for stretchy non-Newtonian fluid abound, but many of them call for the addition…

Borax is a powdered form of boric acid crystals, which come from the element boron. Boric acid has many beneficial properties. It is used as an insecticide, antiseptic, flame retardant and mineral…

Materials with strange consistencies like jello and slime are always interesting to play with. Corn starch and water make not only a mixture with an interesting consistency but also a consistency that…

In their natural state, stalactites form as mineral-rich water seeps from cavern ceilings. As the water evaporates, the minerals within the liquid are left behind, gradually forming long, cone-shaped…

Borax is a very important ingredient in some cosmetics, detergents and many other products. It is a naturally occurring compound found in areas of the world such as California and Romania. Although…

Borax is a naturally occurring chemical that most Americans know as a cleaning agent. It has the ability to make other chemicals dissolve more easily in water, which is why it is often added to…

Potassium is an element that was first identified in 1807, having originally been mistaken for sodium in 1703. It has the element symbol K, after the neo-Latin kalium, which means alkali. The English…

Sodium is a white or silver metal discovered in 1807 by Sir Humphrey Davy. Sodium has an atomic number of 11 and is an alkali metal, meaning it is an extremely reactive element. It easily combines…

Bird wings which have been spread and dried are a dramatic decoration for a wall, mantel place or lintel. The feathers on bird wings retain their bright colors and their shape, and they may be used to…

Borax is a common household product as well as an industrial chemical and a component of boric acid. Borax is used in ceramic glazes, lenses, fire resistance and laundry softening. While a…

Borax is a distinctively named mineral with a myriad of uses. A compound of boron, borax is also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate and disodium tetraborate. In reality borax is an umbrella…

Are the kids bored? Want something fun for them to do that is easy to whip up? Remember what is was like to play with goo, flubber and slime? It was fun and gross all at the same time. Goo can be…

Children can create a slime solution with two basic kitchen ingredients---cornstarch and water. This slime is non-toxic, although certainly not good to eat. Cornstarch slime makes a wonderful science…

Eggs form inside spawning female fish in two long clumps called skeins. These eggs make excellent trout and salmon bait. Keeping the eggs in skeins, rather than individual eggs, makes them easier to…

Perhaps you wish to save the bouquet from your wedding or other special occasion, preserve the first flowers you grew in your own garden, or simply enjoy the look of dried flowers for decorating.…

Crafts with Borax include a variety of distinct ideas, which turn the typical arts and crafts project into a fun science experiment. By using a common household product, Borax, crafters create crystal…

An easy way for children to learn about chemistry is to encourage them to grow crystals, symmetrically shaped solids with flat sides. Crystals of soluble minerals like borax can be made to precipitate…

Borax has a reputation extending back more than 200 years among medical doctors and homoeopaths for its anti-inflammatory effects on both internal and external parts of the body. Borax is prescribed…

Taking its name from a book by Dr. Seuss, Oobleck is an easy-to-make substance that demonstrates some unique properties, making it an ideal teaching tool for elementary-level science instructors.…

With some imagination, children can transform recyclable materials into pictures, jewelry and household items. Spending time with arts and crafts helps kids explore their creative selves and develop…

Children enjoy flexing their creative muscles. Whether in the classroom or at home, keeping little hands busy often requires imagination. Simple craft projects are just the thing to keep a child busy,…

A fun science experiment to try with children involves the creation of a goo-like substance using liquid starch. This substance is known as a non-Newtonian fluid because it does not follow Newton's…

According to the Galleries website, borax is a complex mineral also known as hydrated sodium borate. It is a white mineral commonly used in cleaning products including laundry detergent. You can also…

Gak is similar in consistency to a thick slime. It's messy to make and play with but completely safe for children and good science activity, as well. Gak changes consistency as it's manipulated,…

Many chemistry teachers demonstrate the process of crystallization and supersaturation by growing crystals of borax on a pipe cleaner. Crafters can use the same technique to simulate snow crystals on…

Whether you are looking for new and interesting crafts for children or hoping for an imaginative and inexpensive material to wrap your holiday gifts with, marbleized paper is ideal. The ingredients…

Silly goo is also commonly referred to as silly putty. Children love to play with silly goo because it can be stretched or rolled in to a ball and bounced on the floor. Adults may even use it as an…

Long ago, the Native Americans used wood, woodsmoke and animal brain tissue as tanning agents to cure and preserve animal hides. Today, chemicals are used, but the process still involves a deal of…

Using Borax is a cheap and effective way to preserve bird specimens, whether it’s a whole bird or parts of the bird. The Borax works in two ways. It pulls moisture from the skin and internal…

Mud is a kid magnet that most parents would rather not deal with. But there's no denying a child's irresistible tactile attraction to feeling, fingering, smearing, squishing and squashing ooey, gooey…

Both borax and Borateem are laundry-enhancing products that are added to a wash cycle. Both have whitening qualities and come in powdered form. Borax has been used as a laundry booster since the 19th…

Stalactites and stalagmites are natural rock formations that occur in limestone caves. When acidic water drips from the ceiling of a cave it dissolves a portion of the limestone and carries down…

Borax is a naturally occurring substance most often used in cleaning laundry and other household items. But Borax can also be mixed with other substances to create varnish. Borax varnish, which is…

When you have an exquisitely beautiful rose at the peak of perfection, you may want to preserve it for years to come. Dry roses with Borax for a simple and effective method of preserving rose…

Borax is a granular white mineral, also known as sodium borate, used commercially in the refining of precious metals such as silver and gold. The substance is more commonly known for its household…

Whether you call it goo, slime, ooze or any other name, the classic recipe for borax-based toy goop is as much fun to make as it is simple and inexpensive. While this solution is great for teaching…

Borax is a mineral found in dry lakes. It is a deposit of boron which forms after the evaporation of water. It has many commercial uses, especially as a cleaning agent.

Borax has a variety of applications, from detergents to ceramics. It's an ore of boron made up of sodium, boron and oxygen atoms, plus water molecules, which are generally called water of hydration or…

Borax is a mineral that people commonly add to laundry as a detergent booster. Borax also is used as an insecticide, a fire retardant and for industrial purposes, such as fiberglass manufacturing.…

The mineral borax is commonly used as a flux for soldering fine metals and intricate jewelry. Make a borax cone that will dissolve, and the borax will be available to dispense on tiny joints and seams…

Borax is a powder substance created from the mineral boron, which is made mostly from long-decomposed sea creatures like plankton, trapped in limestone substrate. Boron is mixed with oxygen and sodium…

Dried flowers are used for a variety of decorative purposes like enhancing a scrapbook, customizing a wrapped present, preserving a successful bloom in the garden or even creating vibrant frames. One…

Borax, Na₂B₄O₇‧10 H₂O, is a compound of the element boron. It is abundant in the Death Valley region of California. While useful in many ways, in some situations…

Borax is a natural compound used in many industries for heavy-duty cleaning, pesticides and as a preservative in certain products. Borax is found deep underground. In the United States, borax is mined…

Oobleck is a wonderfully messy craft project that doubles as a great scientific learning experience. Taken from Dr. Seuss's book, "Bartholomew and the Oobleck," about a similar slimy goo that covers…

Making homemade slime can be a fun rainy-day activity for kids. There are number of recipes for this gooey substance, and many of them call for borax or liquid starch. Although these ingredients are…

Kids love goo, there's just no two ways about it. And if you've taken a look at your local toy store lately, flubber is expensive. Fortunately, there is an easy way to make your own flubber without…

Borax snow flakes can be created in a fashion very similar to rock candy. When water is boiled and mixed with borax, the water molecules are spaced apart and the borax is mixed in. When pipe cleaners…

If you have ever seen "The Absent-Minded Professor," you may think Flubber is a magical substance that makes people jump higher. That, of course, is just in the movies. Flubber is, however, a magical…