A Fail-Proof Slime Recipe Plus Awesome Ways to Play

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Confession time: My kids and I love slime.

Yes, I have come into messes and I have even had to scrub slime out of the carpet. But with some ground rules, we have been able to enjoy the non-Newtonian fluid over and over again without any further incident.

Related reading: How to get slime out of carpet plus ground rules for minimizing the mess

Before we get into the best fail-proof slime recipe here are some fun facts!

What is slime?

Like Oobleck, slime is a Non-Newtonian fluid.

What this means is that slime acts differently depending on the stress put on it.

When slime is left on it’s own, it will slowly ooze and drip. If you take it and pull at it quickly, it will rip like a solid. And, if you stretch it slowly, it will almost resemble hot mozzarella cheese on a pizza, able to stretch long distances before breaking.

Not only is this type of play dough an awesome way to teach kids about non-Newtonian physics and engage in the benefits of sensory play, it is also a fascinating way for children to learn about chemical reactions.

This is the chemical reaction that makes slime.

School glue is made up of long flexible molecules called polymers. Borax dissolved in water or contact solution containing boric acid have borate ions. When mixed together the borate ions bind with the polymers in the glue to turn a liquid into more of a soild.

It’s important to note that both Borax and contact solution with boric acid have the same chemical make up needed for slime. If you are concerned about whether to use one or the other, consider this movie from Steve Spangler on the safety of Borax.

The best fail-proof slime recipe

Ready to make some slime? Here is the best fail-proof slime recipe!

Slime recipe – What you need:

• 1 tsp Borax (if you don’t have access to Borax, use contact solution and baking soda following these steps)
• 1 cup hot tap water
• 2-3 tbs. tap water
• School glue
• Food colouring (optional)
• Glitter (optional)

Slime recipe – What to do:

1. Dissolve Borax in one cup of hot water, mixing the solution until you can’t see white particles.
2. In a separate bowl, combine glue, 2-3 tbs of tap water, food colouring and glitter if you’re using glitter.
3. Once the coloured glue is fully mixed, add Borax mixture to glue mixture.
4. Remove slime from access water and enjoy!

More awesome ways to play with your slime!

After you’ve made our fail proof slime recipe, you may want to try some of these activities.

1. Dripping slime – hang a colander or cooling rack and set your slime on top. In about 30 minutes, you’ll have dripping slime. Learn more here.
2. Calm down squish ball – using a funnel and a balloon put slime into a balloon as a DIY stress ball. Learn more here.
3. Toy impressions – Grab a handful of toys and wait as they slowly sink into the slime. Remove and check out the impressions!

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