Try out these recipes for creating easy, home-made sensory materials that are a lot of fun and educational for young children exploring a world of new textures. For older children, do a little research on the scientific principles behind these fun projects. (Try researching 'polymer' or 'cross-linking substances' for silly putty and gak, 'suspension' for the corn starch mixture.) Parents of younger kids might also be interested in our Homemade Play Dough recipe.

Silly Putty - A homemade silly putty! Careful with it on clothes and carpets.

2 parts regular white glue

1 part liquid starch

Mix ingredients well. Store in an air tight container.

Gak - Similar to silly putty, it has a little more gooey factor. Careful with this on clothes and carpet.

1 cup all purpose glue

¾ cup water

1 tablespoon tempera paint, your choice of color

borax

1. Mix together with whisk the all-purpose glue, water, and tempera paint.

2. Mix separately 1/3 c. water and ½ tsp. borax. Slowly pour borax mix into glue mix.

3. Let stand a few minutes, then knead. Drain remaining liquid. Store in air tight containers.

Goop - This crazy concoction is a lot of fun! Play with it quickly and it will feel solid. Play with it slowly and it will ooze!

Mix water into a portion of cornstarch until it has a thick, watery feeling. Add water slowly, and don't use too much.

Store in covered container. If it dries out, you can revive it by adding a small amount of water.