Nerdy & Girly Maker Science: DIY Slime
Easy STEM Activity for Kids
In a world of Needoh and squishies, making your own slime can provide a similar style of sensory play!
This easy STEM activity is for kids, but we recommend a grown up be available to assist, especially once things become extra sticky. (That's where our own kiddos tap out and ask us to help them mix!) You'll want to have damp paper towels or washcloths set to the site for quick cleanup.
If you're having fun with the slime and want to add more, you can also get mix-ins like chunky glitter, small beads, or other items for extra sensory fun!
Activity Instructions
Ingredients
- 2 ounces liquid school glue
- 0.5-1 tbsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp contact saline solution - this MUST contain boric acid or sodium borate
-OR-
- 2 oz liquid school glue
- 4 tbsp Elmer's Magical Liquid
Pro tip: Elmer's makes some pretty funky glue colors, like purple glitter, that add sparkle to your DIY slime!
Directions
- Add the glue (2 oz) to the dish.
- Add all of the baking soda (0.5-1 tbsp) to the dish, on top of the glue.
- Add all of the contact solution (1 tbsp) to the dish, on top of the glue and baking soda.
- Mix these ingredients together slowly, and for a few minutes. At first the mixture will be very sticky, but just keep working it.
Tips and Tricks
- Too sticky? Add more contact solution.
- Too stiff? Add more glue.
The Science
Creating slime using glue works through a chemical reaction called polymer cross-linking.
Glue contains a type of polymer - a large molecule made from repeating chains of smaller units - nicknamed PVA. Activators, like what's in the contact solution, link together polymer chains by "building a bridge" between them.
Mixing the glue, baking soda, and contact solution together causes the activators to form bridges with the glue's polymers, transforming the liquid into a stretchy solid.