Make your own slime!
Posted by Science Oxford on October 13, 2009 | comments
This is a great activity to try at home. Children will get some slime to play with and you can teach them about material science at the same time!
We recommend an adult should supervise at all times.
This activity is actually part of a workshop we run for school children, you can find out more about our schools outreach programme at Science Oxford Next.
What you will need:
A plastic bowl
PVA glue
Bottle of borax solution
Food colouring
Before you start
This is a messy activity, so cover the table you are using if it needs protection. Set the table so that you have all the liquids within reach. Children need a bowl and a spoon each. It is really important to try making some slime just before you start to check that it is the right consistency. You may want to get some small plastic bags for the children to keep their slime in – Ziploc bags are ideal.
The activity
This activity usually lasts between 10 and 20 minutes.
Start by putting two spoonfuls of water into the bowl. Add to this two spoonfuls of glue and mix until you get a consistent runny mixture (It does not have to be exactly two spoonfuls – two hefty dollops from heaped spoonfuls is close enough).
If you want coloured slime now is the time to add the food colouring – you only need a drop or two. You need to keep a careful eye on the colouring as it can stain clothes.
Mix the colour in and then add two spoonfuls of the borax solution. Ask the children to look carefully at the mixture as they stir it, noticing how it changes.
It will soon become a slimy blob. At this point take it out of the bowl and squeeze and knead it in your hands until it has become a complete slimy blob.
Continue to do this for a few minutes, and the slime should become dry (but still malleable). Do not worry if there is a little liquid left in the bottom of the bowl.
After the activity
Your slime is now complete. Is it a solid or a liquid? You can pull it apart quickly and it snaps in two like a solid, but will flow slowly like a thick liquid. If you pull it slowly apart it will just stretch. Try putting on top of your finger it will gradually surround it. If you drop a ball of slime it will bounce a little. Write or draw on a piece of paper with a felt pen. Then press your slime on it and it will lift the ink. If you press it on another piece of paper it may give a faint print.
The slime will soon start to stiffen as the water evaporates, but still remains slimy for some hours afterwards.
Science Notes
Children can observe the change in the consistency as they make their mixture. The slime is very good for informal testing and experimenting.
27
Oct
What is borax solution and where do I get it from?
27
Oct
Borax solution is (apparently) an old type of washing powder. It is stocked in all chemists and Boots. They will sell it to you in a powder form.
Before you can use it to make slime you need to turn it into a solution by adding the powder to warm water until it stops dissolving. (This should then be left to cool).
27
Oct
I think we need to find a more simple slime recipe!
27
Jan
I use Eucalyptus Wool Wash instead of Borax, easier to find and cheaper!