Fingers, hands, and brains can get too busy with holiday excitement, so playing with slime can help kids release tension, explore the sense of touch, and develop some kindergarten readiness too. It is surprisingly easy to make and an intriguing change from regular playdough.
To make slime needs 2 bowls. In the first bowl mix 1/2 cup of warm water and 1/2 cup of white glue. Add some red color, sprinkles, and a drop or two of a Christmas smell, like peppermint, cinnamon, or orange to also stimulate the sense of smell. In the second bowl mix 1 teaspoon of borax and 1 cup of warm water. Because I had used 2 smallish bowls when I did this, I poured the water/borax into a big measuring cup then poured the glue/water into that. Even before I had a chance to put down the bowl, the solutions had started to form the slime (a polymer). I stirred it up thinking the water would mix in, but it doesn’t. I drained off the excess water and there was a big glob of slime left in the bowl. It was still quite warm so had to cool a bit, but was ready to play with in just a few minutes.
The slime stretched, spread out, broke and flowed together. When Little Sister saw Big Sister pulling it up into a slimy string she declared “I no like that!”. After a minute or two of watching, she felt brave enough to touch it, then poke it and soon had a big ball to play with too. Both Big Sister and Little Sister loved rolling, patting, ripping, and smooshing. When left on the counter for a potty break, the slime spread out like a puddle. Big Sister pushed some over the edge to see if it would drip, and it did–very, very slowly.
Besides the sensory experience, there was lots of questions, possible explanations, and talking about the experience. The kids shared and negotiated, watching what each other did and trying those ideas. Hands, wrists, and fingers got lots of exercise. The slime wasn’t the only thing that stretched, so did concentration span. All of those are important skills that will be part of kindergarten readiness and later learning. Making slime sounds complicated but is very doable. Is this something your child would enjoy?