I LOVE playing with gak. It is such a fun thing to make with kids of any age and honestly, even adults love it. Whenever I make it for my preschool class to play with, I find myself gravitating over to the gak table throughout the day and playing with it myself. There is just something about it that is so addicting to touch, yet so relaxing to play with at the same time. You’ll see!

Today I am sharing my favorite homemade gak recipe. I have made gak more times than I can count! Any child that has ever been in my class can attest to this. I hope you love this recipe as much as i do and that it helps you get through this long and crazy week with your little ones!

NEEDED SUPPLIES

2 Bottles Elmer’s White School Glue (4 oz. each)
1 1/2 cups Warm Water
1 tsp. Borax (found in the laundry detergent aisle)
Food Coloring (Betty Crocker Neon Gel Food Colors)
Large Bowl
Large Spoon
Small Bowl
Small Spoon

Homemade Gak_City Nibbler_Inside with Kids

DIRECTIONS

Pour the two Elmer’s glue bottles into a large bowl, taking time to let it drip out at the end to get as much glue out as possible. Fill the two glue bottles with warm water and secure the lids tightly. Shake the glue bottles vigoriously, for about 2 minutes. I like to make a dance party out of this time by playing, “Shake It Off!” by Taylor Swift, and shaking the glue bottles as we dance. Any other fun songs are welcome too. But of course. . . the dance party is optional.

Take off the glue bottle lids and pour the water from the glue bottles into the large bowl with the glue. Mix well with a large spoon.

Add in your choice of food coloring. We love the Betty Crocker Neon Gel Food Colors because the colors are very bright and vibrant looking. I have yet to find a better food coloring for simple educational kids’ projects. Of course Jimmy chose orange! It has been his favorite color for a couple of years now.

Mix well until all of the food coloring is incorporated evenly. We like to add in quite a lot for that really bright orange color. Add in more food coloring if desired for a darker shade of the color that you’re working with.

Pour 1/2 cup warm water into the small bowl. Add 1 tsp. Borax, and mix until full dissolved with the small metal spoon.

Pour the small bowl mixture into the large bowl. Stir with the large spoon. The moment that you pour the Borax mixture into the large bowl, the texture of the gak will change. Mix with your spoon and with your hands until the desired texture is reached. This process takes about 5 minutes of good solid mixing. Yes, it gets messy, but that’s part of the fun! The more the gak is mixed and worked with, the better it becomes. Soon it will hold its form as one ball and will start to pull away from the sides of the bowl, cleaning all of the remnants off of the sides and becoming one solid glob.

A SIDENOTE

The amount of Borax that you add immensely changes the texture of the gak. If you want your gak to be slimy with a lot of movement, 1 tsp. of Borax works well. (This is what I used in these photos) If you prefer your gak to be a bit more stiff, rigid, and slower in movement, then you can add 1/4-1/2 tsp. more Borax than what the recipe calls for. It all depends on how you like it. If you choose to add more Borax, just dissolve it in a small amount of warm water (1 TB. or so, maybe less) and knead it into the gak in the bowl.

FUN MIX-INS & TOOLS

Gak is very fun to play with on its own, but if you are wanting to spice it up a bit you can add in some extra mix-ins. I love these foam craft balls. I’ve always wondered what creative thing I could do with them. Well, put them into gak! If using, add the foam balls right after you have added the small bowl mixture to the large bowl mixture. Throw the foam balls in and start mixing everything together. It is fun to make seasonal gak like green gak with red and white balls for Christmas time, or blue gak with blue and green colored balls for an ocean theme. I made a Valentine’s Day gak with my students this year. It was pink colored gak with red, purple, and white foam balls, and it was a hit! The possibilities are endless. It is fun to get creative with all of the different color combinations for different times of the year.

You can also add glitter to your gak if you want a little extra sparkle! I’d recommend chunky glitter instead of fine glitter.

Optional, but gak can make some very funny noises. Noises that resemble passing gas. What child doesn’t find that hilarious? Give your child a plastic cup and watch them howl with laughter as they push the gak down into the cup. They won’t be able to contain themselves, and you’ll enjoy watching them bond and giggle.

GOOD REMINDERS

Try your best to keep the gak on the designated work surface that you are working with. Avoid contact with clothing and hair. Roll up your sleeves prior to playing with the gak. Do not let it drip onto the carpet or rugs. Keep the gak contained in one area.

I love this gak recipe, and I hope you do too. It’s a tried and true one, so get those ingredients and start making it. I know it will be a hit with your kids! Enjoy.