Slime Recipes and Experiments for Kids

If your kids are climbing the walls, and you've got an hour or so to kill, making slimey experiments can be a great activity! There are several recipes, using household ingredients, that you and your kids can put together for some slippery, slimey fun! Here are a few of my favorites.

The most famous recipe is often called Flubber, which got its name from an old movie. To make Flubber, you'll need to buy a box of the laundry booster called Borax. You can find it at many grocery stores for a couple dollars. Make sure it's the Mule Team kind!

You'll also need some Elmer's Glue-All, water, some food coloring or tempera paint, and a couple of bowls.

In Bowl A, mix 1 ½ cups of warm water with 2 cups of glue. If you're making colored Fluber, now is the time to add the food coloring or tempera paint. If you use paint, use just a little tiny bit, or it will rub off on your hands while you play with the Flubber.

In Bowl B, mix 1 1/3 cups of warm water with two teaspoons of Borax.

Now, dump the contents of bowl B into Bowl A. Right away, you should see a big glob forming! You'll be able to pull the glob out, and knead it in your hands. The glob should be stretchy and rubbery!

When you're done playing with your Flubber, you can store it in an airtight container or bag.

You can make your Flubber bounce, by changing the recipe around a little while. For Flubber that bounces like silly putty, mix ½ a cup of water with ½ a cup of glue in Bowl A. Add any paint or food coloring to that bowl. In Bowl B, mix two tablespoons of Borax with one cup of water. Now, go back to Bowl A, and add ½ cup of Borax to that bowl. Pour the contents of Bowl B into Bowl A. A glob should form, just like it did with the regular Flubber. If you wad it up into a ball, it should be bouny!

The next recipe is often called Gak. It is very similar to Flubber, but this one uses liquid laundry starch and glue. Again, food coloring or tempera paint is optional, and if you use paint, use only a little bit. The ration of glue to starch is usually 1:1... so if you were using one cup of glue, use one cup of starch.

First, mix the food coloring or paint into the glue.

Next, slowly stir in the starch. As with the Flubber, you'll see a glob forming. This time, it's a good idea to separate the glob from the liquid, and let it sit for a few minutes before you play with it. Its even more stretchy than Flubber! As with Flubber, you can store it in an airtight container or bag when you're finished with it.

This final recipe is a horse of another color. You'll only need cornstarch and warm water. The ration for cornstarch to water is 2:1, so if you use two cups of starch, use one cup of water. All you'll need to do is slowly stir the water into the starch. It will form a goop. Try picking up the goop and rolling it around between your fingers! It should feel solid in your hands, but then drizzle through your fingers like a liquid. When you're done playing with this concoction, you can leave it out for a few days. The water will dry up, and you'll be able to crumble the cornstarch. When you're ready to play with it again, just add more water!

Kids love making and playing with different kinds of slime... and it can be lots of fun for adults, too! Have fun making lots of slimy concoctions, and deciding which ones you like the best!