Things to Do With Silly Putty

Silly Putty was first invented by James Wright in 1943. The first batch was made by mixing boric acid with silicone oil. Today, there are several other ingredients added, including coloring so that children can purchase Silly Putty in the color of their choice.

One of the first things noted about the mixture of boric acid and silicone oil was that the product bounced. Roll the Silly Putty up in to a ball and drop it on the floor to see it bounce. You can also bounce the Silly Putty off a wall, table, street or school desk. Silly Putty will bounce even if it is not rolled up in to a ball. You will not, however, be able to predict where the putty will end up.

Silly Putty has the power to pick up messages written in ink. This includes both black and colored inks. Roll your Silly Putty out flat, and press it down over your favorite newspaper comic strip. Lift it up to reveal the comic on the Silly Putty. Children can also press the Silly Putty over certain words to create a message to give to their friends. Messages are easily erased by folding the Silly Putty and mushing it back together.

Note: Silly Putty may not pick up messages in every newspaper due to changes that have been made in the printing process.

Silly Putty doesn't just have to be used for fun and entertainment. It also has practical uses around the home. For example, if you have a small leak under your bathroom sink, you can wrap the Silly Putty around the pipe to plug the leak. Kitchen chairs that have an uneven leg can be leveled out by adding Silly Putty to the bottom of the leg. Also, Silly Putty can fill in any small accident holes made in the walls of your home.

Silly Putty is actually brilliant at picking up lint. Roll the Silly Putty out flat and press it up against any piece of clothing that contains lint you need to remove. Quickly pull the Silly Putty away, and look in amazement at your lint-free clothing. This trick also works on other surfaces within your home, including computer screens and keyboards.