Slime is wonderful because it opens up so many avenues for creative play. Kids can set their boundless imaginations free imagining it’s a scary monster, a flowing river, or a bouncy ball. What’s really cool about slime is that creating it as a family can be just as fun as playing with the finished product. If you’re looking for tips for making your own slime, read through this brief DIY slime guide.
Learn the Basics
First, get the basics down, including the basic ingredients. The reason slime is so DIY-accessible is its short ingredient list:
- PVA (polyvinyl acetate) glue
- An activator
- Water
- Food coloring
These are all cheap and easy to obtain. The ingredient with the most leeway is your activator. You can use Borax, liquid laundry detergent, baking soda, or contact solution in your slime. Many DIY slime parents choose Borax, though laundry detergent will never go to waste, and contact solution and baking soda come in smaller, more convenient quantities.
Prepare for Some Mess
After assembling your materials, prepare for the (fun) mess that’s about to ensue. In fact, overprepare. You never know how far slime will go during the crafting process, and when kids take part, it’s even harder to predict what’ll happen. If you think you’ll make slime more than once, get a plastic table covering you can deploy for each slime session. Also, have towels on hand to contain your ingredients, and get your kids dedicated slime smocks (or at least get them to wear old clothes).
Move On to More Exciting Slimes
Once you master the mess and your slime basics, you can move on to increasingly exciting slimes. If you’ve heard whisperings about butter slime, you can make that your next project with the help of a DIY butter slime guide. Its essential distinction is slime clay, which lends it a buttery texture.
Another option is cloud slime. Similar to basic slime in many ways, cloud slime’s secret ingredient is instant snow. It makes your slime look web- and ice cream-like when you pull it apart. For additional tips for making your own slime, look to video walk-throughs to learn more about what kinds of slime to try.
