Kids love making slime, and creating it aligns perfectly with Next Generation Science Standards. This recipe utilizes non-toxic ingredients for an enjoyable slimy experience! The crystal clear, water-like texture created from it makes for fun play.
Be sure to carefully read and heed all warnings on the borax container! Borax is an alkaline powder which may cause skin and eye irritation, so read and heed its warnings as this product.
Let’s find out how to make water slime!
Ingredients
Slime is a fun sensory activity for children. This DIY polymer can be created easily using only basic ingredients, then formed into different shapes by molding or shaping with hands. Children love molding it and squeezing and twisting it; plus it helps develop fine motor skills as well as teaching scientific concepts such as chemistry. Our recipe for water slime uses just three ingredients – liquid, activator and glue!
Many slime recipes utilize powdered borax dissolved in water as the activator, but this chemical can be dangerous if it comes into contact with eyes or skin. As an alternative, try baking soda as an activator; one simple baking soda slime recipe calls for four pinches of pure baking soda mixed with several tablespoons of multipurpose contact lens solution plus one 4-6 oz bottle of school glue.
Mix water, baking soda and cornstarch until everything is evenly blended in a bowl. Slowly drizzle contact lens solution into it while continuing to stir – you may adjust consistency by adding or subtracting water as necessary.
The combination of baking soda and contact lens solution can dramatically change the texture of slime, from thick sand-like grains to stretchier gooierness. Experiment with different ratios until you find one that you find most satisfying!
If you prefer less opaque slime, consider this recipe for fluffy slime made of cornstarch, shampoo and water. Easy to make and will keep for at least a week when stored correctly in an airtight container.
Vinegar in this recipe causes milk’s protein, casein, to separate from its liquid state and form solid masses, while baking soda neutralizes acidic conditions so casein returns to its liquid form. However, this takes more patience as you will need to wait for your slime to cool before kneading it – add additional water as necessary if necessary if the slime becomes too thick for easy handling.
Activator
Slime recipes typically call for some sort of activator to ensure stretchiness, with borax (sodium tetraborate decahydrate) being the go-to choice, though there are numerous others.
Kids enjoy creating homemade borax slime, as this DIY recipe is straightforward and great way to introduce children to science. An activator made with household items can act as a safe replacement to store-bought slime activators; just follow instructions when activating. It is important not to overactivate slime.
Laundry detergent is another inexpensive activator to help make slime. While adding too much detergent at once may create runny slime, adding it slowly will work best and avoid becoming runny quickly.
Contact lens solution, liquid starch and baking soda can also be used as activators for slime. Although these alternatives may be more costly than borax powder, they offer an ecological alternative and might be suitable for those allergic to chemicals or preferring natural solutions.
When adding any activator, it is crucial to add it slowly. Too much activator may cause too firm of a consistency for you and can even cause breakage of the slime itself. If unsure, start slowly by adding small amounts at first before mixing and kneading until reaching desired consistency.
Have trouble stretching out your slime? Try adding more water. If that fails, too many air bubbles might have made their way into the mix; lotion or heat could warm it up and allow expansion. Finally, if your slime breaks apart when playing with it, too much activator could have made its way into it causing beads to lock together and no longer slide over each other and flow freely; adding additional activator or water can fix this.
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Glue
Slime is a fun toy for both kids and adults to play with, making for hours of squishing and stretching fun! While many recipes for homemade slime contain borax – an ingredient often found in laundry detergent – this chemical may cause skin and eye irritation, as well as eye inflammation. Luckily, there are other recipes out there which do not use borax at all for homemade slime making!
PVA glue, commonly available at arts and crafts sections of most stores, is necessary to create clear water slime. This milky white adhesive has an almost fishy aroma when wet but dries clear when dry; making it great for sticking paper, cardboard, fabric, and other porous materials together securely. You could add 1-3 drops of blue food coloring for more realistic looking ocean water-looking slime.
Elmer’s brand PVA glue is the go-to choice for creating slime. Renowned for its superior quality and long-term results, you may also use school or craft glue in similar recipes; just ensure it has clear varieties to get optimal results.
Glue is composed of long flexible molecules called polymers that travel as liquid until they come into contact with one another and stick. Some animal-based glues exist; synthetic alternatives also exist. There are vegan versions as an animal-free option.
Most slime recipes require water as an ingredient, but it is crucial that warm water be used. Otherwise, glue and borax won’t dissolve as easily and must be carefully stirred throughout to prevent it from coming in contact with children.
To create simple slime, three ingredients will be required: PVA glue, baking soda and water. Pour one tablespoon of water into a plastic cup and stir in 1/4 teaspoon of borax until as much of it has dissolved as possible before mixing in glue solution to baking soda water and stirring well.
Water
Parents often worry that kids enjoy playing with borax-based slime, yet parents must remain wary about its potential hazards for eyes, mouths, or lungs when playing with it. Luckily there are safe, non-toxic recipes for homemade slime recipes using baking soda, shampoo or dish soap that children can make at home using safe materials like baking soda. Not only is homemade slime engaging for kids; it can help teach about non-Newtonian fluids.
The classic water slime recipe requires baking soda and shampoo, combined to form an inky substance resembling real water. Baking soda reacts with liquid shampoo or dish soap in this slime recipe to form a thick, sticky, translucent material whose color depends on which kind of shampoo or dish soap you use – for best results use mild shampoo that doesn’t contain conditioner; add more shampoo into the mix for thinner or thicker consistency options.
This slime recipe is also great for encouraging children to explore how different food colorings affect the texture and appearance of slime. For instance, adding blue food coloring drops could create blue water slime.
One way of creating water slime is by switching out white school glue for clear PVA glue. This will produce more of a crystal-clear slime that closely resembles water; however, clear PVA will not have as thick of a consistency than its white school equivalent; to get this desired thickness level you must add additional water.
Alternately, water slime can also be made by boiling one cup of lukewarm water with 1/2 teaspoon (2.8 g) of baking soda added at once. This method results in thicker and more solid slime that holds up well when being squeezed or kneaded – plus adding baking soda can also make your slime less watery or runny!
