intro
Children will love the unique sensory feel of this activity—plus, they'll be learning valuable science skills! Slime and putty materials can be costly, but with this activity you'll make your own with just a few ingredients. Lots of learning ahead!stethoscope.
set up ideas
You may wish to premeasure the ingredients for younger children, or have the children measure everything out themselves. Prepare your work station accordingly, and don't forget cleaning supplies!
Children will love the unique sensory feel of this activity—plus, they'll be learning valuable science skills! Slime and putty materials can be costly, but with this activity you'll make your own with just a few ingredients. Lots of learning ahead!stethoscope.
set up ideas
You may wish to premeasure the ingredients for younger children, or have the children measure everything out themselves. Prepare your work station accordingly, and don't forget cleaning supplies!
let's get started
You only need a few ingredients to make this super simple slime material! Gather 1 cup of corn starch, 1/3 cup of dish soap and 1 tablespoon of water. You may also wish to add a few drops of food coloring or Liquid Watercolor® for a more colorful slime material!
step 1
Mix the recipe according to the ingredients above. Adjust as necessary. If the mixture is sticky, add more corn starch. If it is too dry, add tiny amounts of more dish soap until satisfied.
Mix the recipe according to the ingredients above. Adjust as necessary. If the mixture is sticky, add more corn starch. If it is too dry, add tiny amounts of more dish soap until satisfied.
step 2
Once you've completely the mixed the slime to a satisfactory consistency, place the material on a tray and encourage children to explore the material by poking, squeezing, separating, etc.
Once you've completely the mixed the slime to a satisfactory consistency, place the material on a tray and encourage children to explore the material by poking, squeezing, separating, etc.
step 3
Have the children describe how the materials feels in their hands. Some children may enjoy the unique texture while others may not. Have children try to describe what they like or don't like about it.
Have the children describe how the materials feels in their hands. Some children may enjoy the unique texture while others may not. Have children try to describe what they like or don't like about it.
step 4
Expand this activity by creating a few additional batches of slime. Vary the amounts of corn starch, dish soap, water and coloring used and note the differences that result.
Expand this activity by creating a few additional batches of slime. Vary the amounts of corn starch, dish soap, water and coloring used and note the differences that result.
This is a great opportunity for children to practice describing their sensory experiences. Is the material hard? Soft? Squishy? Firm? What words can they use to describe what they are feeling. You may wish to go over some vocabulary terms while performing this activity.
Tips and TricksUse just a small amount of coloring for lighter, pastel shades and additional coloring for deeper hues. Because of the messy nature of slime, have activity trays available for children to work over.
Follow up ActivityExperiment with your newly created slime and document the results! For stickiness, have children test how many small counters they can pick up with their slime. For stretchiness, see how far the slime stretches without breaking.