Mucus Demonstration for Germs Alive

For the Germs Alive! mucus demonstration, you make fake “mucus” from borax, warm water, and glue.  Then you use something like glitter or cocoa powder to see how the mucus traps small particles.

The handbook also has instructions and photos, although that recipe is slightly different.

Mucus Demonstration

Materials

• 2 Tbsp Borax
• Warm water
• 2 tsp white school glue
• Food coloring
• Two plastic containers
• Small amounts of dirt, flour, glitter or cocoa
• Paper plate
• Ziploc bag

Instructions

1. Dissolve 2 Tbsp Borax into 2 cups warm water in the first container.
2. Dissolve 2 tsp glue into 1/2 cup warm water in the second container.
3. Add a few drops of food coloring to the second container and mix.
4. Add one or two tsp of the borax mixture to the glue mixture. Stir and it will form a sticky mucus like substance.
5. Put some “mucus” on a paper plate.
6. Sprinkle on some dirt, glitter, or cocoa.
7. Observe how the material sticks to the “mucus” but not to the parts of the plate where there is no mucus.
8. Discuss how the mucus in our noses traps germs in this way.
9. Place the “mucus” in a ziploc bag so they can take it home.

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Video Demonstration