Maker Activity: Rubber Stamps

MATERIALS:  Bicycle inner tube rubber, small wood blocks, ball point pens, scissors, hole punchers, Elmer’s glue, paper, inkpad

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Procedure:

  1. Hand out “When the Rubber Leaves the Road—Don’t Toss That Tube!” and read aloud. For classrooms with older children, have them read it silently to themselves.

  2. After they have finished reading it, together list the phases in the product lifecycle.

  3. Ask them why might rubber not disappear as quickly as other types of trash, like food or paper.

  4. Tell students that “Microplastics” are the breaking up of synthetic materials, like plastic and rubber, into smaller and smaller pieces and because they are not natural and do not biodegrade we want to avoid this.

See additional detailed info sheet for teachers:
Techniques for Bike Tube Rubber (pdf)

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All types of inner tube rubber (bicycle, motorcycle, truck, etc.) can be used to make rubber stamps. Thicker tubes make the best stamping surface.

  • Draw shape onto rubber with ballpoint pen

  • Use scissors to cut out shapes or cut without drawing to see what shapes you can make

  • Glue one or more pieces of rubber onto a scrap wood block

  • Use with any inkpad to print onto paper or fabric