8 Backyard Science Experiments for Kids
Photo:
Credit: A Few Shortcuts
Make bouncy balls
Making bouncy balls is a great afternoon project and a lesson in polymers! These are made from glue, cornstarch and borax, and you can add food coloring to make them bright. Bounce over to the blog called A Few Shortcuts for this great tutorial.
Science lesson: White glue is made of a polymer called PVC. When mixed with the boric acid in borax, the polymers crosslink and form chains like a big spider web. The starch in the cornstarch gets trapped in the chains and makes the substance compact and, well, bouncy.
