I needed an activity to do with The Boy today… he’s 4 and lately when I ask him what he wants to do, he says things like “I want to watch Star Wars”. And as tempting as it is to park him in front of the TV, I think I can quote Episode 1 line by line now, so I think we need a new activity.

Enter slime. “Do you want to make SLIME?” was greeted with a rousing “YES!”

I had made slime at some point pre-kids, for our Halloween party, so I dug out the recipe*. The only ingredients you need are Borax (available in the laundry aisle of your local grocery store), white glue, and water. And something to color it unless you want it white (I used a squirt of tempera paint, but I’ve also seen food coloring used.)

All directions, and a slideshow of the steps, can be found below.

This makes a really small batch, feel free to double or triple it. I like this version because it doesn’t seem to be as messy/gooey/sticky as some slimes.

In a larger bowl, mix 1/4 c white glue (like Elmers) and 1/4 c water. Add a squirt of tempera paint for color. You can even add glow in the dark paint for a weird twist.
Mix 1/2 teas Borax in 1/2 c water. Stir well until dissolved.

Slowly pour the Borax mixture into the glue mixture. You’ll see it clump up immediately. Stir. Pour off the excess liquid, and you’re left with the slime!

Smush it. Squeeze it. It gets even better the more you play with it. It stretches and breaks. It slowly flattens. You can punch holes in it. You can cut it out with cookie cutters. And I found it less messy than play-dough. It’s not for eating, so do exercise supervision.**

The boy enjoyed it immensely, both helping make it, and playing with it afterwards!

And when you’re done, you can store it in an airtight container or bag. I’m not sure how long it will keep, but it should last for several more play dates!

(If you’re having trouble seeing the slideshow below, check out the photo tutorial here.)

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Enjoy!

*sorry, no idea of the original source, but a quick googling showed multiple variations all over the internet.
**The question of safety came up in the comments, please see comment #4 for response.