How to Make Floam™

Hello! I thought I'd start Cabin Fever off with a cool science activity. There's some things I see a lot of Pinterest, but I actually hadn't really seen this one, so maybe it's something you haven't tried yet. 

Floam™ was popular when I was a kid, about the same year I asked for moon boots for my birthday I think. It's like Gak! except it has tiny foam balls in it. I found this tutorial at E is for Explore, which has a lot of fun tutorials and activities for kids. (And they found it originally at Beyond Satire...credit to whom credit it due). I bought a box of borax an eternity ago and when you use it a few teaspoons at a time it lasts a while. We had the tiny foam balls left over from the snow globe ornaments.

Recipe for Floam™

2 tsp. borax
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup elmer's glue
food coloring
ziploc bag
5/3 cups of polystyrene beads.

Directions:
1. Mix borax and 1/2 cup of water.
2. In another bowl, mix glue and 1/4 cup of water. Add food coloring.
3. Pour the glue solution into the bag. Then, add 3 tbsp of the borax solution, do not mix.
4. Add the polystyrene beads.
5. Seal bag and knead by hand until mixed. Let the bag stand for 15 minutes. Then knead for a few more minutes.

Be sure not to mix until you've added the foam beads. My only other suggestion is that you might want to use slightly less beads. 

Once you've really kneaded that gak into the beads it should look something like this.

It feels so cool between little fingers (or big ones for that matter). Store in the ziplock bag. Don't be alarmed when the gak part sinks to the bottom while storing, you can just knead it back together before getting it out to play with.

How's that for a boredom buster? Your kids are going to think you are so cool! You are.

Have a great Monday!

-Haley