September is in full swing and we thought we’d celebrate by doing Back-to-School week! My oldest kiddo just started pre-school and Kate is now the mother to an official kindergartner. This week we’re going to have *five* posts. Hear that? A post every single day of the week you lucky duckies. So make sure to check in! Kate is going to be sharing some great breakfast and school lunch foods (something we’ve gotten tons of requests for) and I’m going to do some really fun kitchen crafts/science projects that are great for entertaining young hands and minds. Which brings me to today’s post.
Do you guys remember this??
I was so obsessed with that stuff and I totally remember the commercials. When I made this homemade version I couldn’t believe that it had the exact same smell. Took me right back to 6th grade!
If you’ve ventured into science fun like this before then you already know that 97% of home projects require the same 2 ingredients. Elmer’s glue and borax. In fact, I’m convinced if I combine them in enough different ways I’m sure to come up with then next earth-shattering invention like velcro, post-it notes or spray cheese.
Start by dissolving a teaspoon of Borax in one cup of water and set it aside.
Now pour the Elmer’s glue in a separate bowl. You can use either clear glue or white glue for this. For this first batch I’m using clear.
Add some water to that glue
and then stir in some food coloring. I think green is quite fitting for slime, don’t you?
Once that’s all stirred up, just pour your Borax mix into the bowl. You will instantly see masses forming in there. Straight out of an alien movie I tell ya. Or a science book. I know there’s some science-y explanation for the magical formation of slime, but I couldn’t tell ya. Something about polymers…man I used to be really awesome at chemistry. Now I just make really awesome cookies. I think cookies are way more useful as an overall life skill.
See? Say it with me: ewwwww! You just want to use your hands at this point and just kind of stir and smoosh and try to get all of the solids.
It will be wet and soft at first but you just have to keep kneading it. The moisture will knead out or absorb (just toss the liquid left in the bowl) and soon you’ll have a nice blob. Normally a finished product resulting in a “blob” is not a good thing, but this is an exception. Love your blob.
I have to say I actually prefer the white glue. I don’t know why, it just seemed to have a nice texture (you know, because I’m such a connoisseur of slimy blobs). This time I enlisted my only favorite helpers. This is a fun project for kids, just supervise and make sure they’re old enough to understand it’s not something to eat.
Older kids can help measure and stir and younger ones can stand and protest that they don’t get to. And then try to eat the science experiment. It’s all about the family fun.
This is their favorite part. Both of my kids said in unison, “Ahhhhh!! There’s something in there!”
This is a good picture of what you’ll get when you first try to grab it. You might think you messed up because it’s so loose. Just keep smooshing!
And soon it will look like this. Nice and smooth and dry to the touch.
It only takes minutes to make and your kids will think you’re awesome. And it will totally keep them busy for at least 3.5 minutes. Hopefully even more if your kids have longer attention spans than mine do.
What kid doesn’t like to squish slimy things?? Even *I* love playing with this stuff!
Homemade Slime aka GAK
1 teaspoon borax powder
1 1/2 C water, divided
4 oz (1/2 C)Â Elmer’s glue, clear or white
food coloring
Add borax powder to 1 cup of water and stir to dissolve. Set aside. Pour glue into a medium mixing bowl and add 1/2 C water. Add a few drops of food coloring until desired color is reached and then stir to mix glue solution until smooth. Pour the borax mixture into the glue mixture and watch the solids start to form. Stir for a few moments and then use your hands to gather the mass. The mixture will be very soft and wet. Keep kneading until it firms up and feels dry. Discard excess liquid in bowl. The more you knead and play with the slime the firmer it will become. Store in a ziplock bag or air tight container and the slime will keep indefinitely.
*Note that this is not a recipe for human consumption. It is for play purposes only. Make sure to supervise young children.
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I have to ask though, just in case (since I am the proud mother of the Spawn of Satan, the Sister of the Spawn, and the Spawn-ette in training), how would I get it out of clothes, carpet or furniture?
I ask this for the obvious reason that my little darlings would somehow manage to get it into all three, along with hair, the washing machine, the dishwasher, and everything else you can possibly imagine.
It is Glue, water and borax. Water should take it out, but I would strongly suggest that you not use any food coloring as that is what will stain things.
Vinegar gets it out of most things, mayo gets it out of hair!
InfoxicatingLady, my personal guess would be to use soap and water since this is primarily glue. If you ended up with the washable type of glue, it should work!
The blue goo looks like it has a different texture than the green slime. I can't wait to make this. I'm going to do it today!
just found your blog, through another, and can't wait to keep reading. thanks for the giveaway! would love to try the freeze dried fruits.
ourfamily@frontiernet dot net
My kids love making this when friends come over. They stick it in a little cup, fill it to the max and it is fart putty too, lol. Hours of entertainment!
We've gotten it on the carpet and I still have a little mark from it. I wiped as much of it up as I could, let it dry, vacuumed, and that took most of it out. If anyone has a better solution, I'm all ears.
Just started following your blog. Your kids are adorable! Love the tips and recipe index. Cant wait to try the egg and ham cups for breakfast
My kids love playing with this stuff at the OMSI! To have some at home would be a real surprise for them I think :)
Infoxicating Lady- Lucky for you one of the main ingredients is laundry soap! :) It should wash out easily with warm water and a little soap if needed. But it's also not "sticky" so it shouldn't make a mess unless your little spawn actually rubs it into something:)
Isn't Borax great? All my little ones love this project, and I love it because it's non-toxic and so very washable. Also, I am hosting a giveaway on both Organic Orgy and Zen of Homekeeping if you and your readers would like to learn about and win a great natural sports drink – pop on over. Thanks, Kitty
This stuff is awesome! I remember playing with it as a kid too. Our boys had a blast with it. Fun post Sara
Oooh fun! We used to make this for the kids at the daycare I used to work at. We had so many parents ask for the recipe, we sent it home in cute little jars with recipe tags.
Just in time for the rainy season!! I'm going to wait to pull this out of my bag of tricks for when the sun has all but permanently gone away and the rain clouds are daily, but I think my little guy will love it. Does it need to be made in a non-food-prep bowl or does it wash up ok?
Southworths- it washes up just fine, no worries there.
How totally cool!!!
This is a fun recipe, but I want to caution moms that borax is essentially boric acid and toxic if ingested. Just keep an eye on the kids.
http://www.greenfootsteps.com/borax-information.html
Ok, THAT is kind of cool.
It was so great to see you this weekend!! I'm sorry we couldn't chat longer. Snotty kids, changing of the guard, and all that jazz. :-p
That kid has amazing eyes! I love the first picture. :)
I've been WAITING for this post – my boys can't wait to make slime!
Just made up a triple batch for my 3 kids as an end-of-summer goodie. Sadly, none of ours solidified like in your pictures. We got the initial clumps, and working them in just made them smaller, but no more materialized. Hmmm, wonder what I did wrong.
Very weird Stephanie, I don’t know!
Hi. We just made up a batch with our kids, and all we got was colored soap and glue soup. What did we do wrong?? Please help!! Does it matter if the glue is a different brand than Elmer's?? It's the same kind of white kids' glue that we used. Just not Elmer's.
Please advise. Thanks!
Lynn, I would definitely use Elmer's glue. I have read that other "school glues" don't have the same composition. I bet that was the problem!
I didn't even know Elmer's made clear glue! How fabulous! I use to be a "science birthday party entertainer" here in Manhattan and have made slime by the gallons with kids. It was pure awesomeness! My advice/reminders for parents is it is only glue, soap (borax), and food coloring. Food coloring is the only thing that might stain, everything else cleans up easily. And Elmer's brand is the only way to go, other brands never worked as well in my many years of slime making.
This is exactly what I was going to look up a recipe for. I can't wait to do this "nose picking" booth at our school's spring carnival game. Homemade slime, here we come!!
http://www.carnivalsavers.com/unique_carnival_game_nosepick.html
**Yes, before each child puts their finger up the nose and into the slime we are going to have them use hand sanitizer.**
I came to your blog through Craft gossip, and couldn't be happier! I just LOVE everything, from recipes to slime!
So much fun! My house is full of giggles right now! It took awhile to get my littlest one to touch it, but now she's having a blast! Thanks so much for this recipe! And by the way all I had was a generic brand of glue and it worked just fine.
I just made this with my kids and it is freaking awesome!!! Thank you for posting about it. :)
I think I figured out the problem with the soupy slime. Our first batch turned out that way because the kids started stirring right as soon as I poured the borax water into the glue mix. The second time we let it sit for a while and everything came together beautifully.
Made this stuff for my co-op preschool today. It was a hit! At first, I thought it wasn't going to work, but when I actually followed the instructions and made sure ALL the excess liquid was drained (which was more than I expected there to be), it did. It did also help to let it sit for a minute. Very fun!!
About how many ounces does this make?
Denise/Nene- not sure on the ounces, but it makes about a palm full :)Maybe a little less than a cup?
Thank you! My kids and I had so much fun playing with the slime!
My boys and nephew are loving this! Thanks for sharing the good memories.
Love it! Just made our second batch in a gorgeous blue…but it’s getting all over our skin (the blue dye)…any tips? Btw – this makes a great ‘pool’ for tiny plastic animals :)
Lol, I’m not sure Kate, I’ve never had it dye my hands before! You must have some really good food coloring :)
WEll we tried it twice and both time it didn’t come out right but I think it is because we used Elmer’s Clear GEL glue. I’ll have to buy the white kind and go with that. Also if you don’t want it to stain anything (because of the food coloring) just don’t add color.
I just pinned your green glob of goo. I love how you do such fun things with your boys! I can’t wait to share this with my grown son. So he can share it will his daughter.
Just made this for my classroom. Me thinks a science project is in the works! I used Wilton Gel Color and my hands turned Smurfy blue. I just added a tiny bit of the borax to my hands and it came right off. Thanks for the recipe!
I’ve made this before, but never with the clear glue…what a fun difference that makes! Thanks!
Just wondering if you can get Elmers glue in Australia? I have never seen that brand but we have lots of other white PVA glue is that the same? Also how long can you keep the slime for? Thanks
I’m not sure Heidi, Elmers is just a standard brand here in the states. You’ll have to experiment with others. And honestly, I’m not sure how long it lasts, I’ve never really stored it long term. If it’s in a zip-top bag it will definitely last a week or two but I usually end up tossing it after that so I’m not sure how much longer it stays good.
Heidi, I’m in Australia too and I made 2 batches of slime this morning with plain ‘no-name’ type PVA wood glue from the cheap shop. Worked great!
The chemistry: Elmer’s glue is made of polymers. The borate ions from borax crosslink the polymers. This means that the BO4- ions are attracted to the hydroxyl (OH-) groups on the polymers, which basically connects them together, increasing the viscosity. A similar concept is actually used in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) systems in the gas wells in Pennsylvania.
just found your blog…can’t wait to try this with my three boys. My two younger boys are one and three and they look ALOT like your two in the photos – wierd!
Thanks for the recipe! My son and I going to make some now :)
I haven’t tried it with slime yet. I need to make a store run for Borax. But I have begun using washable liquid watercolors in place of food coloring. They are a little expensive and hard to find, but a little goes a long way. I bought a small six pack through Rainbow Resources dot com. I think it cost a little less then ten dollars. I use them wisely and they have lasted one year and I still have a bunch left. Just thought I would share to take care of the staining issues. :)
[...] Fun for the Weekend : Who is too big for the fun of this recipe? [...]
I have used this for years. My sons are now in college. One of the best “tools” to add to slime is STRAWS!! Put the slime on a tray, pat the slime around the bottom of the slime and then blow!!! It’s makes fabulous slime bubbles.
I don’t want to be a downer (and I’m truly thinking of doing this with my toddler) but I keep reading conflicting information on the safety of borax. The info is so conflicting I’ve decided against making our own laundry detergent with it.
Does anyone have any better info than the mess of confusion on google?
I just looked on wikipedia. It says that it takes a large amount of borax to cause severe symptoms or death, and that amout varies from person to person. Infants are usually the most sensitive to the effects of it.
I think that as long as you don’t let an infant play with it, and as long as your children don’t get into a HUGE box of it and play around with it, it will be just fine. And for this you are only using a teaspoon, so it’s not going to cause any problems. Just keep an eye out for “beefy red” (that’s what the article called it) rashes…if you see that then take it away. The rashes just mean that your child is sensitive to borax.
Wow! I first found this on Pinterest and it caught my eye. I’m a mom to 2 boys aged 4 & 5 who absolutely love anything ‘gross’. I’m also a daycare provider and we love ideas that break up the routine a little – especially towards the end of a very long summer! Thanks! We made 2 batches – one was overly gooey, one was a little tough – but regardless, it’s been keeping the crew entertained for a good half hour and they’re still giggling over the mess! (Just a note, I always throw paint shirts on the kids when we’re working with anything messy – including food colouring.)
I was so excited to make this! The directions looked so simple,however, I must have done something wrong because mine came out like very thick soup. I must have kneaded it for a good 30 minutes and still couldn’t get it thicker. I couldn’t even let my son play with it as it was to watery and caused a huge mess..I think I am going to try again though and make sure I am following the directions step for step!
I LOVED THIS…..made a practice batch this afternoon and will be making it with my grandchildren(ages 3 and 4) when they come to visit next weekend. We will probably make green for him and pink for her!! I can’t wait. I think even Papa will get into making this with us.
Just have to tell you what a success this has been!! I bought the glue for 20 cents per bottle at the back to school sale, already had the borax. We’ve made 5 different colors and it has kept them occupied for going on 2 hours and they’re still having fun! Where else can you get 2 hours of fun for a buck? THANK YOU!!
[...] found here. Â What could be more fitting for five boys than homemade slime?! We are on day five of this stuff [...]
LOVE IT! Thanks I can’t wait to make this for the kids :-)
.. I really would like to try it.. can someone please report what is written on the label of this elmer’s glue? I am in Italy and not very talented in science matters… I would like to be sure of what I am mixing.. thankyou!
Hi all,just hopped across this website and am so excited.I have 2 boys age 6 and 5 and a little girl age 3.They would love this but i am in Ireland and have never heard of Borax! Can anybody tell me what it is? Thanks x
Julie, it’s a type of soap sold here in the states. It’s the exact composition that makes it work for a lot of science projects like this so I don’t know of a substitute. But you could certainly find it online. It’s just a product used for home cleaning.
I made this and had the same problem Kate did, my fingers ended up stained blue from the food coloring.. I ended up having to make a plain boring white batch because my stepson’s mom would have flipped had I sent him home with blue hands!! Any tips on coloring the putty and not your hands?
That’s so weird! it’s never happened to me. Maybe a little too much was added, or it is the brand you used? I’ve never had it dye my hands; I just use a drop or two, which just simply isn’t enough to do anything but color the putty.
A big hit this morning with my preschoolers! Super easy to make and easy to clean up the project mess too. It’s look like it will hold their attention for about 20min.
Hey, 20 minutes for preschoolers is like 4 hours in real time, haha. Awesome!
I was thinking the same thing lol
I had a student put in their hair, some how we tried vinegar and it came out easily. Love this stuff. Try putting it in a strawberry basket and hand basket up above table. It comes down so cool. Then you can cut with scissors .
your boys’ faces are fantastic! looks like great fun- will have to try it :)
Just made this with my grandkids, they had a blast. they are 8 and 5 so much fun we will do it again. thank you for posting it.
This was fun. Thanks!
I made this stuff once when I was in school, except that my teacher called it flubber. Either or, I loved it. Thanks for posting the recipe.
Thanks for sharing! I have three grandkids coming for a visit this weekend (6, 8 & 10), I think they will think they have a cool Nana for letting them make this!
Random fact:
If you put all of said ingredients into a Rubbermaid with a lid (or Tupperwear, or old sippy cup, etc) and shake it (for something like ten minutes), you will get a nice lovely round ball of the Gak-substance. Without ever having to touch it yourself.
Which is wonderful, because I *hate* the way the stuff feels.
About the “toxic borax” comment from someone, I would disregard, as my guess is that Borax would only be toxic if ingested in large doses. Borax is basically Boron which is in many vitamin supplements. I take a very small amount of Borax each day as a supplement for my arthritis, and it really helps me. I’m not dead yet ;)
[...] Zabavna sluzica. PS Borax se dobi baje v Merkurju. [...]
In regards to the safety of it – ITS CALLED ADULT SUPERVISION!!!!! thats all it takes peopke.
I couldn’t believe how well this worked! I just made this for my nieces for Christmas and made the clear kind in dark blue and purple with snow glitter inside~it turned out so pretty and jewel-like! lol Who knew slime could merit that reaction? haha Thank you!
I just did a 1/4 batch to test to see if my non-Elmer’s glue would work. I used “Desk-Tech Stationery” brand and it was just labelled “White Glue”
It totally seized up instantly into slime – with NO excess liquid. But after I played with it for about 5 minutes (I’m 35! It is irresistible!) it suddenly started to lose elasticity and became sticky and more liquid again. Still slimy but not “I still have clean hands” slimy like it had been.
we alway just mix it in the ziploc bag that way there is less chance of a mess and it is fun to squish the ingredients together through the plastic.
Hi!
So i’d love to do this, but i can’t find the “Borax”
Can i use something else or can you tell me where can i find it ?
Thank you :)
It is found at normal grocery stores with the dishwashing detergent or household cleaners. Or you can always get it on Amazon.com
I found this on pinterest. Thanks now I will be the best mom ever.
My two-year-old played with this for a solid hour and only stopped because it was time for dinner. He adored it. He also poured it all down one side of his shirt and pants, and when I ran it under water nothing happened. I’m going to stick them in the washer and pray that works. But it was worth it.
My 4 year old and 2 year old sons LOVED this!
Thank you so much for the recipe and the “how to”.
My nephews will have ton of fun with this slime.
We don’t have the glue brand “Elmer’s” in New Zealand. Is it just standard kids craft glue, designed for cardboard and paper etc?
Thanks for the awesome recipe, I can’t wait to try it as soon as I work out a suitable brand glue substitute for down here.
My girls were pretty grossed out about the idea of making slime, but in two minutes their pink slime was ready and they are loving it. Thanks for the fun idea.
I think the reason you liked the white glue’s texture better was because you used 5oz of the clear glue instead of 4. But I don’t know for sure… just a thought.
In other countries, the glue we call Elmers’s glue is also known as PVC glue. Found that out on a British art program. Yes, it’s plain white school glue, of the sort used to glue paper and cardboard. Different brands will bond differently, so do make test batches.
I love this stuff! We actually made it in my Forensic Science class in college. It was to demonstrate how substances can change with they interact with other substances. We also took clear plastic lids (like the kind that come off to-go salad/sandwich containers), drew on them with sharpies and then put them into a toaster oven. They melted…kinda…more like they shrunk down to the size of coasters. That was to demonstrate how heat changes materials.