Lyla Lindsey
Slime is a fun activity for kids, but borax, a common ingredient in slime, can be harmful if ingested or come in contact with eyes. There are several alternative recipes for making slime in Australia without borax, using ingredients like baking soda, contact solution, glue, shaving cream, shampoo, dish soap, chia seeds, cornflour, and saline solution. These recipes are safe and easy to make, providing a fun and hands-on science experiment for children.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Glue, baking soda, contact solution, glitter, food colouring, chia seeds, cornflour, shampoo or dish soap, shaving cream |
| Consistency | Slimier with less shaving cream, thicker with more |
| Texture | Oozy, gooey |
| Storage | Airtight container at room temperature, or in the fridge |
| Preparation time | 5 minutes |
| Play time | Hours |
| Add-ons | Cars, soft pom-poms, glitter glue, ruler, scissors |
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What You'll Learn
Using baking soda, contact solution, and glue
Making slime is a fun activity, especially for kids. Using baking soda, contact solution, and glue is one of the most reliable methods to achieve the perfect slime consistency. It is stretchy, squishy, and not too sticky. Here is a simple recipe that involves these common household items:
Ingredients:
- 4 oz of school glue
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
- 2 tablespoons of contact solution
- Food colouring (optional)
- Glitter (optional)
Steps:
- Pour the glue into a bowl.
- Add food colouring and glitter to the glue, if desired.
- Mix in the baking soda. Ensure the baking soda is fully incorporated into the glue.
- Slowly add the contact solution.
- Stir the mixture. It will start to thicken and pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- If necessary, add additional contact solution, a few drops at a time, until the slime reaches the desired consistency.
- If the slime is particularly slimy, work in another 1/2 tablespoon of contact solution as needed.
- Pick up the slime and knead it between your hands until it is smooth.
You can play with the slime immediately or store it in an airtight container at room temperature for future use. Baking soda helps calibrate your slime recipes. If your slime is too runny, add another pinch of baking soda to help it firm up. Conversely, if it is too firm, add warm water, a teaspoon at a time, to make it stretchier and oozier.
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Add chia seeds and cornflour to water
Making slime is a fun activity for kids, and it can be made easily with ingredients available at home. While borax is a popular ingredient for making slime, it is not recommended, especially for kids, as it can cause serious damage if ingested.
Ingredients:
- Chia seeds
- Cornflour
- Water
- Food colouring (optional)
Instructions:
- Mix chia seeds and water in a bowl. You can add food colouring to the water if desired.
- Let the chia seeds soak for at least 2 hours. They will absorb the water and become sticky and gelatinous.
- Scoop out the excess water and start adding cornflour, a cup at a time, until you reach the right consistency.
- Mix well until you get a slimy consistency. With less cornflour, the slime will be more sticky and fluid. With more cornflour, it will become more solid and easy to pick up.
- Store the slime in the fridge in an airtight container when not in use. It should last for 2-3 days.
- Before each play session, add a small amount of water to the slime to reactivate the cornflour component.
This slime is safe for children who tend to put things in their mouths, but always supervise your little ones even if it is taste-safe. The slime will need to be discarded after 2-3 days, so make sure to check it for mould before each use.
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Make Oobleck with cornstarch
Oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid that behaves like a solid or a liquid depending on how much pressure you apply. It is named after the 1949 children's book, Bartholomew and the Oobleck, by Dr. Seuss, in which a sticky liquid falls from the sky.
To make Oobleck, you will need cornstarch and water. The simplest mixture is 1 ½ cups of cornstarch mixed with 1 cup of water. If you want to add colour, use tempera paint instead of food colouring to prevent staining. You will also need a large mixing bowl.
Start by adding 2 cups of cornstarch and 1 cup of water to a large mixing bowl, along with the paint, if desired. Using your hands, work the ingredients together until you achieve the proper suspension viscosity. Adjust the texture by adding more cornstarch or water a little at a time. Mix well with your hands after each addition. You will know you have reached the proper consistency when it feels similar to honey or molasses, yet "tears" when you drag your fingers across the surface.
Once you have the mixture at the right consistency, you can start to play with it. Try to make a ball by moving it around quickly in your palms. When you stop applying pressure to the mixture, it will flow out of your hands like a liquid. Try filling a pie plate with a thin layer of Oobleck and then slapping the surface with your open hand. Because of its dilatant properties, the liquid will stay in the plate.
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Shampoo or dish soap with baking soda
If you don't have contact lens solution, you can still make slime with shampoo or dish soap and baking soda. This recipe doesn't require precise measurements, so you can experiment to get the texture you prefer.
First, pour about 1 cup of baking soda into a bowl. Then, squirt approximately 1 tablespoon of dish soap or shampoo into the bowl and stir. The slime will take on the colour of the shampoo or dish soap, but you can add food colouring if you want a different shade. Keep adding shampoo until you have a creamy substance. If you add too much shampoo and the slime becomes too runny, simply add a pinch more baking soda.
You can also make slime with shampoo or dish soap, baking soda, and glue. First, pour glue into a bowl. In a separate small bowl or measuring cup, add the baking soda, contact lens solution, and food colouring (if desired). Combine the baking soda solution with the glue and mix with a spoon or your hands. The slime will be sticky at first but will become less so with additional kneading.
Baking soda is a great way to firm up slime that is too oozy or gooey. You can also add warm water to make the slime stretchier and oozier.
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Glue, saline solution, and shaving cream
Ingredients
To make slime in Australia without using borax, you can use glue, saline solution, and shaving cream. You will also need water, food colouring, and baking soda or contact lens solution.
Steps
First, pour the glue into a bowl. You can add food colouring to the glue and mix it until you get your desired colour. Then, add the saline solution and mix until combined. You can also use a slime activator or contact lens solution as an alternative to the saline solution.
Next, stir in the shaving cream. The amount of shaving cream you add will determine the consistency of your slime. The more you add, the thicker and fluffier it will be. If you want it to be slimier, add less shaving cream.
Finally, knead the mixture with your hands until it is no longer sticky and has reached your desired consistency. You may need to add more activator or saline solution if it is too sticky.
Tips
- You can store the slime in a covered container or zip-top bag to play with later.
- Adding more shaving cream can help refresh the slime if it starts to lose its fluffiness.
- This slime is safe for children but should be supervised to avoid any ingestion or eye contact.
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