Make Your Own Slime
What is slime?
Slime is a gooey, squishy, pliable substance usually made from a mixture of nontoxic craft glue, water and boric acid (a common ingredient in household laundry and cleaning products or contact lens solution). Slime can be colored with food coloring, nontoxic paint and/or glitter. Get the recipe on how to make slime with Original Tacky Glue here.
How do you make slime?
Here is a recipe on how to make slime with Aleene’s Tacky Glue and contact lens solution:
- Pour an 8-oz. bottle of Tacky Glue into a bowl.
- Add 1 tablespoon of baking soda and mix thoroughly.
- Add paint, food coloring or glitter, etc., into the mixture.
- Add 2 tablespoons of contact lens solution and mix until slime begins to form. Tip: Only contact lens solutions containing borate or boric acid will create slime, so check the ingredients before using.
- Take the slime out of the bowl and knead with both hands. If slime is too sticky, add another ¼ teaspoon of contact lens solution.
- Have fun!
What safety tips should I follow when making slime?
Slime should always be made while under the supervision of an adult and it is recommended that children should be of at least school age before making. Always wash hands before and after playing with slime, do not ingest it and discard immediately if it starts to change color or odor.
Also keep in mind that slime made with borax can cause irritation, since borax is a cleaning solution and not meant to be constantly handled. Slime created with borax should be done so under adult supervision and hands should be washed regularly. Consider trying alternative slime recipes that do not use borax, such as baking soda or contact lens solution, which only contains very small amounts of boric acid.
Are all of the ingredients used to make slime safe for children?
The ingredients used to make slime are commonly used household ingredients. Slime recipes using borax are considered less safe because borax is a cleaning agent and can cause irritation when handled/used outside of its determined use. Adult supervision should always occur when making any slime recipe. Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue and Clear Gel Tacky Glues – used in the slime recipes on this site – are nontoxic and safe to handle. Under no circumstances should slime be ingested and hands should always be washed before and after handling slime.
What’s the best way to store slime?
Store slime in a plastic container or re-sealable plastic bag to keep it fresh longer. Always wash hands before and after playing with slime, and immediately discard if it starts to change color or odor.
My slime is not forming properly. What could be the issue?
There could be an number of issues. Make sure all ingredients you are using have not passed the expiration date. If none of the ingredients have expired, make sure the contact lens solution (if using) contains borate or boric acid; this is necessary to help form the slime.
