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In this activity, learners explore how nanotechnology is being used to create new types of protective fabrics.

In this up-cycling activity, learners recycle plastic bags and repurpose them into useful wallets.

In this activity, learners use chemistry to “self-assemble” gummy shapes. Learners discover that self-assembly is a process by which molecules and cells form themselves into functional structures.

In this activity, learners mix white craft glue and borax solution together to produce a surprising new material: GOOP!

In this activity, learners make a paper model of a polymer, then make Silly Putty, an actual polymer.

Learners compare the properties of two balls that appear identical. One ball bounces, while the other ball "thuds." The “bounce” ball is made of the polymer polybutadiene (-C4H4-).

In this activity (on pages 4-5), learners make fake snow by adding water to the super-absorbant chemical from diapers, sodium polyacrylate.

In this activity, learners explore polymer structure and their ability to reform around objects by attempting to stab a wooden skewer through a balloon without popping it.

In this playful, goopy activity, learners mix two liquids to create a solid (that sometimes acts like a liquid ), using basic household materials such as borax and glue.

This is written as a display, but can easily be adapted to a hands-on activity. Learners discover how all the parts of a diaper work together to keep babies dry and comfortable.

In this activity, learners discover how a super-absorbing material can be used to move a straw.

In this activity, learners create a gelatinous slime using guar gum powder and borax. Educators can use this simple activity to introduce learners to colloids.

In this activity learners compare the bounciness of warm and cold racquetballs to see if temperature makes a difference in how well they bounce.

Heat makes some materials expand, and it makes others shrink.

In this hands-on activity, learners use heat to shrink samples of polystyrene plastic (#6 recycle code). Learners compare the size and shape of the plastic pieces before and after shrinking.

In this activity, learners thread gumdrops together to make a model of a polymer.

In this activity (on page 2 of the PDF), learners (with adult help and supervision) investigate how heat affects polystyrene plastic.

During this activity, learners will make different versions of "ooze" using varied proportions of detergent and glue.

In this activity, learners explore the flexibility of polymer chains by pushing sharpened pencils through a Ziploc bag.

Learners observe and compare the sizes of three toy “growing” crocodiles made from water-absorbent polymers. One is it its original state, dry, hard, and about 10cm long.