hypothesis slime science project

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Slime Science Fair Project

Everyone wants to make slime these days! Did you also know that making slime is awesome science too. If you want your kids to get more out of their slime making experience, turn it into a slime science project and apply the science method too! Read on to find out how you can set up science experiments with slime and have a cool science fair project idea.

How To Make Slime

Homemade slime is a real treat for kids, and right now it’s a super popular activity that also happens to make a great science fair project. We have experimented with our slime recipes over and over again to bring you the best possible activities!

We also have a very cool fizzing slime recipe, watch the video and get the slime recipe here . Two chemistry demonstrations in one!

Which Slime Recipe To Use?

Our easy, “how to make” slime recipes show you how to master slime in 5 minutes or less! We have spent years tinkering with our favorite basic slime recipes to make sure you can make the BEST slime every time!

We believe slime shouldn’t be disappointing or frustrating! That’s why we want to take the guesswork out of making slime!

• Discover the best slime ingredients and get the right slime supplies the first time!
• Make easy slime recipes that really work!
• Achieve awesome slimy consistency the kids’ love!

We have several basic slime recipes that can all be used for your slime science project. You decide which one works best for you depending on what slime activator you want to use. This allows for some flexibility depending on where you live in the world! Not everyone has access to the same ingredients!

Each of the basic slime recipes below have the full step by step photos, directions, and even videos to help you along the way!

• Saline Solution Slime Recipe
• Borax Slime Recipe
• Liquid Starch Slime Recipe
• Fluffy Slime Recipe

Helpful Slime Making Resources To Get Your Started

These are the best resources to look through before, during, and after making slime! We talk more about slime science below too.

• Slime Activator List
• What is slime?
• What You Need To Make Slime
• Amazing Benefits Of Playing With Slime
• Best Slime Ideas
• How To Make Slime Less Sticky
• How To Get Slime Out Of Clothes And Hair

The Science of Slime

Chemistry is all about states of matter including liquids, solids, and gasses. It is all about the way different materials are put together, and how they are made up including atoms and molecules. Chemistry is how materials act under different conditions and/or form new substances. Just like slime!

Slime is an endothermic reaction as opposed to an exothermic reaction. An endothermic reaction absorbs energy (heat) instead of giving off energy (heat). Have you ever noticed how cold your slime gets?

The borate ions in the slime activator (sodium borate, borax powder, or boric acid) mix with the PVA (polyvinyl acetate) glue and form this cool stretchy substance. This is called cross-linking!

The glue is a polymer and is made up of long, repeating, and identical strands or molecules. These molecules flow past one another keeping the glue in a liquid state. Until…

You add the borate ions to the mixture,  and it then starts to connect these long strands together. They begin to tangle and mix until the substance is less like the liquid you started with and thicker and rubbery like slime! Slime is a polymer.

Picture the difference between wet spaghetti and leftover spaghetti the next day. As the slime forms, the tangled molecule strands are much like the clump of spaghetti!

Is slime a liquid or solid?

We call it a non-Newtonian fluid because it’s a little bit of both! Experiment with making slime more or less viscous with varying amounts of foam beads. Can you change the density?

Using The Scientific Method 

To take your slime making activity from a science demonstration to a slime science experiment, you will want to apply the scientific method. You can read more about using the scientific method with kids here .

Follow this process…

• Figure out a question you want to answer.
• Do some research.
• Gather the supplies.
• Conduct a science experiment.
• Gather data and look at the results.
• Draw your own conclusions and see if you answered your question!

Remember the key to conducting a good science experiment is to only have one variable. For example, water could be a variable. We eliminated the water from our recipe to see if slime needs water as an ingredient. We kept the rest of the recipe exactly the same!

Read more about using variables in science here.

Turn It Into A Science Project

Science projects are an excellent tool for older kiddos to show what they know about science! Plus, they can be used in all sorts of environments including classrooms, homeschool, and groups.

Kids can take everything they have learned about using the scientific method , stating a hypothesis, choosing variables , making observations and analyzing and presenting data.

Want to turn one of these experiments into an awesome science fair project? Check out these helpful resources.

• Science Project Tips From A Teacher
• Science Fair Board Ideas
• Easy Science Fair Projects

Get your FREE printable slime recipe cards!

Slime Science Project Ideas

Can you make your slime more sticky…less sticky…more firm…less firm…thicker…looser??

A good science fair project starts with a good question. We put together a list of ideas for slime science experiments.

TIP: If you haven’t tried out making the slime recipes above already, I recommend that you learn how to make slime first!

1. Do you need water to make slime?  

This was a super fun experiment we tried out and the results were pretty cool! We tested and compared three different slime recipes, but you could do it with just one type of slime and see what happens.

Hint… Liquid starch slime without water is no fun! Try this borax slime recipe or saline solution slime instead if you are just going to pick one recipe.

2. Are All Brands Of PVA Washable School Glue The Same?

This is a great opportunity to test the classic Elmer’s Washable School Glue alongside Dollar Store/Staples brand glue or even Crayola Glue!

The key to this slime science project is to decide how you will compare the different batches of slime made from each brand of glue.

Of course, keep your recipe and method for making your slime the same each time. Think about what makes a good slime… stretch and viscosity or flow and decide how you will measure those characteristics for each slime. Your observations of the “feel” of each slime are valid data as well.

3. What happens if you change the amount of glue in the recipe?

We tried out this slime science experiment using our classic liquid starch slime recipe . This is also how we ended up with FLUBBER !

Decide how you will vary the amount of glue. For example; you could do one batch with the normal amount of glue, twice the amount of glue, and half the amount of glue.

4. What happens if you change the amount of baking soda?

Similarly, to changing the amount of glue, investigate what happens to your slime when you change the amount of baking soda added to the saline solution slime   or fluffy slime recipe, Do a batch without baking soda and one with and compare. Baking soda is generally used to firm up this slime recipe.

 5. B orax Free Slime Experiment

What’s the best ratio of powder to water for a borax free fiber slime? Use our taste safe fiber slime recipe to test your favorite consistency for gooey slime.

We went through several batches to see what worked the best. Make sure to decide ahead of time how you will measure the slime consistency for each batch.

6. What amount of foam beads makes the best floam?

What’s the best amount of styrofoam beads for homemade floam?    This is how we tested our floam and recorded the results as we went along. Or you can vary and then compare the sizes of styrofoam beads too!

More Slime Science Projects

What else can you test when it comes to your next slime project? What about…

Clear Glue vs White Glue

Which glue makes the better slime? Use the same recipe for both and compare/contrast the similarities/differences. Does one recipe work better for either clear or white glue?

Does food coloring affect the consistency of slime?

Do different colors have an effect on the consistency of the slime. You can use the standard box of colors, red, blue, yellow, and green to see! Make sure to use all the colors with one batch of slime!

What happens if you freeze slime?

Is slime affected by temperature? What happens if you freeze your slime?

Come up with your own slime experiment!

Try out your own slime science experiment. However, we do not recommend substituting slime activators without knowing what the chemical reaction will be first.

You could…

• explore viscosity
• discover new textures
• learn about non-Newtonian fluids and shear thickening
• explore states of matter: liquids, solids, and gasses
• learn about mixtures and substances and physical properties

More Awesome Slime Recipes To Make

• Fluffy Slime
• Cloud Slime
• Rainbow Slime
• Magnetic Slime
• Glow in the Dark Slime
• Butter Slime

Printable Ultimate Slime Recipes Guide

This is the ULTIMATE collection of slime recipes  every kid wants to make! Explore the best recipes and find the right supplies to make slime time a breeze!

Perfect for kids of all ages , including tweens and teens! Taste-safe recipes are perfect for the youngest slime fans.

What’s Included:

• The Ultimate Slime Guide  contains all the specialty recipes you or your kids want to make! You’ll find all the best tips, tricks, hints, and slime-y info in almost 100 pages!
• The Ultimate Slime Holiday Guide  covers all the best holidays and seasons with special themes and slime-y projects!
• The Ultimate Borax-FREE and Taste-Safe Slime Guide  shows you how to make all the best borax-free, taste-safe, and non-toxic slimes kids love, such as marshmallow slime. These recipes do not use chemical activators such as saline solution, liquid starch, or borax powder, making them truly borax-free.
• The Ultimate Slime Coloring Book  is an easy-to-print coloring book kids will love! Color and design your favorite slimes!
• The Slime Starter Guide  is a fact-filled information guide with everything you need to know to make the best slime ever!
• Slime Science Project Pack  helps you turn slime-making into a science lesson!

13 Comments

• Pingback: 25 STEM Activities for Kids You Need to Know | Posh in Progress
• Pingback: Borax Slime for an Easy Slime and Science Activity with Kids

who is the author of this website?? i need to know for a science project

My name is Sarah McClelland.

Everything looks so pretty! I need some help, I can’t find sta-flo liquid starch in my country, I tried corn starch but its too thick,I tried niagara spray and liquid but won’t work either. I need it to be a flubber starch, with iron to do magnetic starch 😀 Any advice is welcome

What country are you in? Can you find saline solution containing boric acid and sodium borate?

Please email me at [email protected]

• Pingback: Crunchy Slime Recipe for Kids With Fishbowl Beads
• Pingback: Recommended Supplies for Making Slime with Kids
• Pingback: How To Make Slime Recipes with Elmers Glue for Kids Science
• Pingback: How To Make Slime Chemistry Activities for Kids Science

whenever i try make slime it never works and the first time i made a home made slime it was way too sticky and to make work we had to mix store bought slime in to make it activate

Well I am happy to help if you want to email me [email protected]

Comments are closed.

~ Projects to Try Now! ~

Science Fair Projects with Slime

Share this post:, who says slime can’t be used as a tool for scientific inquiry, having trouble thinking up cool and creative slime science fair projects with your kids .

Science fair projects can easily turn into a massive tug of war with your kids – mainly you tugging them to get something done, and them pulling your hair out.

Kids love to make slime. 

Why not combine making slime with your science fair project? OK, you might want to say that making slime in and of itself isn’t really a science fair project – but what if you could use your slime as a tool to amp up your science fair projects?

Below are slime science fair project ideas that promote inquiry based science and will be a ton of fun for your kids.

Don’t forget to grab a small notebook and your camera as you are making your slime and using it to test things. It takes a little extra effort up front, but making your board will be a million times easier if you don’t have to completely redo your project the night before to get content!

7 Science Fair Projects with Slime Science

Because we all need more slime science fair project ideas, right?

1. Magnetic field line slime science

Slime science fair projects are awesome because kids love slime! You will need to make our recipe for magnetic slime first, then you can use it to ask questions such as:

What makes magnetic slime magnetic? 

Instead of adding in iron filings let kids choose a variety of items to add to their slime to see if it makes it magnetic. Ideas include glitter, sawdust, tiny paper confetti, little foam balls, etc.

Try to keep the objects you add in to slime small. Then test to see which slimes you made are magnetic and which are not. Is there a common thread? Can plastics be magnetic? Paper? Metal? You see how this can turn into a stellar science fair project?

What do magnetic field lines look like?

Magnetic field lines are one of the few forces of nature we can actually see (unlike gravity or the strong force). Use your batch of magnetic slime to view the magnetic field lines of a variety of different magnets. Does the shape of the magnet affect the magnetic field lines? Do stronger magnets create more magnetic field lines? What happens when you add magnets together? What if you hold two magnets close to each other?

Did you know? This project won the first place blue ribbon and a district gold medal for one young scientist in a science fair?!?

Project ingredients:.

• Clear slime  (Clear glue, baking soda, contact solution with boric acid, and water)
• Iron filings

2. Glow in the dark slime science

Glow in the dark science fair projects are super cool. Truly awesome . Just imagine if you could make glow in the dark slime the center of your science fair projects? I mean seriously, how cool would that be?

The problem is, it seems like making glow in the dark slime is just for fun. How can you do science with it? Here are some slime science fair project ideas you could do with glow in the dark slime!

First, see our recipe for glow in the dark slime , and proceed from there.

See how the light color affects the glow.

This project requires you to learn how glow in the dark powder glows (yay science!). OF course, why stop there – that is more like a research project and not a science project that asks a question, forms a hypothesis, and challenges you to think of a test, then record results.

Glow in the dark powder absorbs light during the day or from a flashlight and then re-emits is slowly over time.

I will save all the cool details on how this works for you to discover, but here is an interesting question: If the glow in the dark powder absorbs light and then re-emits it, does the color of incident light matter (that is does the color of light you shine on your slime matter)?

You can test this by figuring out a way to measure the intensity of glow in the dark slime after, say, 10 seconds of intense red light, orange light, yellow light…you get the idea. One idea could be to take a photograph of the slime in the dark, at the same camera settings and comparing the images.

See if all glow powders are created equal.

There are lots of different colors of phosphorescent materials that glow in red, green, orange, blue, yellow, purple. The whole rainbow is available, which could make for a really cool experiment.

If you make one big batch of clear slime, split it up, and add in measured amounts of different glow powders into each small chunk, do they glow the same? Yes it glows? Why? No? Why ?

It really makes you wonder, doesn’t it? And that moment of “hmmmmm I wonder” is where all science projects should live.

• Glow in the dark powder
• Contact solution  (with boric acid)
• Baking soda

3. Electric slime

Electric slime is a fun and creative way to make circuits while playing with slime at the same time! Who wouldn’t want to hang out and make fun LED colors all day? Check out our post on making your electrically conductive slime light up and ask yourself this:

Can I make better conductive slime?

This requires you to learn about substances that are conductive and try to mix them into your clear slime base. Test the slime either by looking at the amount of light emitted from your diode or using a multimeter to discover if you made even better conductive slime.

Can I make insulating slime?

This is the reverse of the above. If you can engineer more conductive slime, can you engineer slime that doesn’t conduct at all?

Can I make any color of the LED?

RGB leds allow you to color mix and create a wealth of fun colors. Can you make any color? Is one color more prominent than others? You could make a color map of your slime and LED as a function of location of the battery wire in the slime, then try to figure out why that is.

• Clear slime
• RGB LED  ( these ones  are pricier but a lot larger and more fun for littler hands)
• 9V battery  (you can get 2 for $1 at the dollar store)
• 9V battery cap

4. Test-taking slime science

Here is a cool slime science fair project that I saw at my daughter’s school and just had to snap a shot. It was so well done and incredibly creative.

The student aimed to test if slime made you a better test taker! She used a timed test and the tested the ability to smoosh slime during the test or not. Then, she recorded and graphed the slime with and without scores. 

5. Change the chemistry of slime

Slime is an art. While it is forgiving, you still have to be careful because you can certainly ruin a batch of slime. Which makes you wonder, how important are the ingredients you use in slime? I wonder… Check out our five slime recipes to get started on this project.

Mix up the proportions of your slime recipe

What happens if you double the amount of borax? What if you skip adding water? While you don’t typically have to be measuring your ingredients on the dot when it comes to slime, if you totally botch it your slime will turn out different.

The questions it, different how? You could devise a series of projects that alter the quantities of an ingredient (your variable) and look at how it affects the stretchiness, gooeyness, sliminess of the slime.

Swap out ingredients for your slime recipe

Some slimes use baking soda, what happens if you choose a different base to do this job? Some slimes use boric acid, what if you use a different acid? Does the type of acid or base used matter? What if you use oil instead of water? Does the type of glue matter?

There are a ton of ways to mix up the ingredients in slime and record how that affects the end result. This makes a perfect science fair project. 

6. Engineering slime science

Engineering slime will mean taking our third slime science project idea (mixing up the ingredients) one step further by asking how you can engineer a slime to excel at a particular task. Check out our slime recipes to use as a jumping point.

Create a slime that will make the biggest bubble

How can you mix up a batch of slime that will be stretchy enough to make a huge bubble, yet stiff enough to not just drip to the floor in a puddle of goo? This makes for a great afternoon of making lots of batches of slime!

Create a slime that you can use to build towers

We often use marshmallows to create toothpick towers. Can you think of a way to engineer a slime that could replace the marshmallows? What qualities would that slime need?

7. Use slime to make lenses

Here is our last set of science fair projects with slime. I’m sure there are a ton more ideas out there though. Make some slime lenses!

This will prompt you to learn about how light and lenses work, with the added bonus that you get to play with slime and lasers. Seriously, this is a rad science fair project idea.

Mix up a batch of clear slime and try to use that slime to make lenses that will bring light together, or spread light apart. This will require research on terminology (what is a converging lens?) and ray tracing. You could ask the question, what focal length lens can I make with slime?

• Clear slime  ( clear glue ,  contact solution , baking soda)
• Laser pointer
• Acrylic lenses  (optional but suggested)

I hope you enjoyed our slime science fair project ideas. If you use one, be sure to let us know how it went and what you discovered! Have other ideas of science fair projects with slime? Email us!

Slime Science Project | Everything You Need to Know

By: Author Charlene Hess

Posted on Last updated: September 13, 2023

Are you looking to try a slime science project ? Homemade slime is becoming an increasingly popular thing, and rightfully so.  Slime provides many learning opportunities across multiple subjects, including tactile sensory play, science and chemical reactions, math and ratios, hands-on STEM/STEAM, problem-solving and more. Slime is a good example of a STEM activity .

Typically slime is thought to be a fun activity for younger kids, but there is much to be learned from this fun science activity for older kids too.  Slime science is a fascinating thing and if you’re okay with a messy kitchen, you’re in for a day of fun-filled chemical reactions, creativity, and cause-and-effect reactions that even high school students will enjoy.  

Using the scientific method, your students are well on their way to discovering  the scientific wonders of slime .

Whether you’re looking for the perfect science fair project, an educational activity for your homeschool STEM curriculum , or you just want to have fun with your kids, we’re going to show you the step-by-step process for making slime with your kids.

This article may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy for more details.

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Slime Experiments and Fun Slime Science Fair Projects

When I was in high school, I was considered a very good student. I found most of my classes to be simple and fun, with one exception: chemistry class. I got my first ever C in chemistry junior year, and to this day I still consider that to be one of the hardest classes I ever took. It’s no surprise that I always put off teaching chemistry to my own kids. 

So what does this story have to do with slime?  What’s so educational about slime anyhow?  

The Science of Slime

The fact is, there is a science of slime. For one thing, slime is chemistry in motion.  

Chemistry explains states of matter such as liquid, solid, and gas, and it also explains how these states of matters react under different conditions, especially the formation of new substances.  

Slime is a non-Newtonian fluid, meaning it does not conform to the standard rules of fluid dynamics. Unlike water, which has a constant viscosity, slime can change its viscosity in response to stress. This property is what makes slime so interesting to play with and experiment on.

Slime science projects feature an endothermic reaction, meaning it absorbs heat (energy) rather than giving it off.  This explains why slime gets colder over time.  Then, depending on the recipe you use, certain ingredients change the molecular makeup, also known as cross-linking.  Your student can use the scientific method to test which slime recipes and ingredients cause which chemical reactions.  

Slime also has unique properties when it comes to its behavior under stress. When slime is stretched or pulled slowly, the polymer chains slide past each other, making the slime more fluid-like. However, when the slime is rapidly stretched or hit with force, the polymer chains become entangled and the slime becomes more solid-like.

Other chemistry concepts that making slime involves are:

• Chemical reactions
• Cross-linking
• States of matter

Talk about fun science activity!  It’s no wonder people all over are using this concept as a slime science fair project idea.

Slime is a fascinating substance that makes science for kids fun and engaging.  This simple science activity contains some fascinating information.

You can teach your children why glue stays liquid (because it is a polymer made up of identical long strand molecules, called monomers) until a borate ion ingredient is added to the mixture (connecting the long strand molecules together).  Throughout the mixing process, these ingredients begin to form a thick, rubbery type substance (eventually becoming slime).  

Slime is also a unique substance that can be considered a solid and a liquid (known as a non-newtonian fluid). You can even experiment with making it more or less thick and sticky (viscous/viscosity) by adding foam beads . 

The possibilities are almost endless.   

Easy Slime Recipes

Use these easy slime recipes and experiment with the elements of slime.  Make sure you take good notes so you can use what you learn in your next science project!  Consider testing out multiple basic slime recipes, or perhaps multiple variants of the same recipe, during your science project and see what happens when you combine different ingredients.

For example, in the Borax Slime recipe, what happens if you add less borax? Or more? How much borax would you need to add to turn your slime into a rubber ball? There are so many questions and possibilities to discover!

On that note, feel free to download these free, printable scientific method worksheets .  Perfect for slime science fair projects or other at-home science experiments.

3-Ingredient Slime (without Borax)

You will need:

• 2 (4-ounce) bottles washable school glue (like Elmer’s)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 to 3 tablespoons saline solution, divided
• Optional – 3 drops food coloring

Instructions:

• Pour the glue into a medium bowl.  
• Add the baking soda to the glue and stir until smooth. 
• If desired, add food coloring now.
• Pour in 2 tablespoons of the saline solution and stir slowly. The mixture should begin to harden, eventually becoming stringy. 
• Slowly continue mixing until a ball of slime forms. 
• Knead the mixture by working it between your hands until smooth. If the slime is too slimy, work in another 1/2 tablespoon of saline solution as needed. 
• Store your slime in an airtight container at room temperature for future play.

Tip: use glow in the dark glue for glow in the dark slime!

Puffy, Fluffy Slime Recipe

• 2/3 cup of Elmer’s White Glue
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/4 Cup Water
• 2-3 cups Shaving Cream
• 1.5 Tablespoons Contact Lens Solution (must have boric acid and sodium borate in the ingredients)
• Add the white glue to a bowl. 
• Add water and baking soda, then mix. 
• Add the shaving cream and mix again. 
• Slowly add in contact solution and knead.  

Tip: add 1 TSP and knead for 5 minutes, then add ½ TSP and continue kneading. 

This mixture will be sticky but will be less sticky as you add more contact solution.  Consider adding baby oil to your hands if it’s too sticky.  Store in an airtight container for future play

Borax Slime

Remember – borax is a soap (commonly used along with laundry detergent) and is toxic!  Keep this in mind when using with young children.

• 1/2 cup White glue
• 2/3 cup Water
• 1 tsp Borax powder
• 1/3 cup Water for making borax solution
• 2 tsp Shampoo
• Make a borax solution by mixing borax powder with water in a bottle and shake the bottle until the borax powder dissolves. 
• Mix water, glue and shampoo in another bowl. 
• Slowly add borax solution (1 ml. at a time) to the glue mixture and stir it until it is thick and has the slime texture that you want. 
• Add some oil to the slime to make it not stick to your hands. 
• Knead and stretch until it is the consistency of slime.  

Buttery Slime

Ingredients:

• 3 TBS Corn starch
• 3 TBS White glue
• 3 TBS Shaving cream
• 4 Pinches Baking soda
• 2 TBS Contact solution
• 1/2 tsp Baby oil
• Optional – 3 Drops food coloring
• In a bowl, combine corn starch and white Elmer’s glue.
• Add shaving cream and four pinches of baking soda.
• Add food coloring, if desired.
• Add contact solution and mix until it turns into slime.
• Add baby oil and mix well.

***Consider adding glitter, food coloring, and foam beads to any of your slime mixtures to create different kinds of cool looking slime.

Slime Safety & Precautions

Although most basic slime recipes you’ll find here (and across the internet) are typically child-safe, there are a few safety and precaution tips we’d like to share.

For starters, an adult should always be in supervision of creating the slime. Adults should always be the ones handling any ingredients that are considered chemicals, such as borax powder or laundry detergent. Most slime projects are not suitable for children under the age of 4. 

If you notice any type of skin irritation, discontinue making, using, and/or playing with slime immediately. In some cases, gloves can be worn while playing with slime.  Slime should be played with in moderation and not played with for an extended amount of time.  Most slimes are not edible (and none on this page are) so refrain from putting slime in any mouths.

If you are looking for slime recipes that are safe to eat (and perhaps even delicious!) check out this article on edible slime recipes and other edible science experiments .

How to Make a Slime Science Fair Project

With your slime education and recipe, you are now ready to use your slime concoction for a science fair project!

There are many ways you can do this; however, you can’t go wrong with presenting it through the scientific method. The way you work through this method can be what you show bystanders at your science fair.  

Navigate through the following prompts to create a project worth remembering:

• Brainstorm a question you’d like to answer.
• Research your question.
• Gather any materials and supplies needed.
• Conduct the science experiment that will answer your question and back up your research.
• Gather data and analyze the results.
• Draw your conclusion and check to see if it answered your question.

Slime science project questions to ask:

• Do you need water in your recipe?
• What happens if you add more or less of something?
• How does the substance change over time?

You can also experiment with creating volcanic slime , glow in the dark slime , magnetic slime , and even UV color-changing slime . 

Proper Disposal of Your Slime Experiment

After you’ve finished conducting your slime science experiments, you’ll need to dispose of any leftover slime properly. The following are a few tips for safely disposing of slime:

• Don’t pour slime down the drain: Slime can clog your drains and pipes, leading to costly plumbing repairs. Instead, dispose of slime in the trash.
• Put slime in a sealable container: Before you throw away slime, we advise that you put it in a sealable container to prevent it from sticking to other garbage or leaking out of the trash bag.
• Wash your hands: After handling slime, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
• Consider composting: If you’re using natural materials to make slime, such as cornstarch or flour, consider composting the slime instead of throwing it away. This can help reduce waste and benefit your garden.

Troubleshooting Common Issues with Slime Science Experiments

Sometimes, your slime science experiments may not turn out the way you expected. Here are some common issues and how to troubleshoot them:

• Slime is too sticky: If your slime is too sticky, it may be because you added too much water or not enough activator. Try adding more activator, such as borax or contact lens solution, and kneading the slime until it becomes less sticky.
• Slime is too hard: If your slime is too hard, it may be because you added too much activator. Try adding more water or a few drops of oil, such as baby oil or cooking oil, and kneading the slime until it becomes softer.
• Slime is too runny: If your slime is too runny, it may be because you added too much water or not enough activator. Try adding more activator and kneading the slime until it becomes thicker.
• Slime is lumpy or grainy: If your slime is lumpy or grainy, it may be because you didn’t mix the ingredients well enough or didn’t dissolve the activator properly. Try mixing the ingredients more thoroughly, or dissolve the activator in hot water before adding it to the slime mixture.
• Slime smells bad: If your slime has a bad smell, it may be because you used expired ingredients or didn’t store the slime properly. Throw away the slime and start over with fresh ingredients, and be sure to store the slime in an airtight container when not in use.

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What kind of slime will you be making? Let us know in the comments below!

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Slimy Science! – Make it a project

• Slimy Science! – Make it…

Who doesn’t like slime? You’ll love making it and playing with it! Create a creative and fun Science Fair project out of your fascination with slime. Along the way, learn what it’s like to be a scientist!

What is slime.

There are a lot of different ways to describe different slimes – some alive, some sticky, some gooey, some slippery, and some just plain gross! Slime often results from either a chemical reaction or biological activity. Yep, there is a lot of science behind slime!

Can you believe that “slime” is actually a term that scientists use? For example, biologists have classified hundreds of different species of slime molds and many different species of slime bacteria . Individual slime mold and slime bacterium are so small that you usually can’t see one. But together they can form a big mass or mound (blob) of slime working together as a community for a specific purpose. Smart, huh?

Explore: What slime have you seen? What can you learn about the difference in slime types? What is some of the science behind slime?  Want to learn more? Search the internet for:

• Spongebob Squarepants slime mold
• Scrambled Eggs slime mold
• Dog vomit slime mold
• Hagfish Slime
• Glowworm glue

Common homemade slime ingredients

• White school glue  – makes slime hold together
• Corn starch  – makes slime less sticky
• Contact lens solution or saline solution  – make slime more runny
• Borax/sodium borate (soap)*  – makes slime feel “wet”
• Shaving cream*  – makes slime fluffy
• Fun ingredients (colors, florescence, scents, glitters, etc.)  – makes more fun

*Can cause skin irritation, especially if it comes in contact with an open wound.

Explore: Chemically or physically, how do each of the common ingredients affect the slime properties? What other ingredients do you think you’d like to experiment with?

Simple homemade slime recipe.

• White school glue
• Measuring cups & spoons
• 2 Cups or jars
• Disposable stirrer (spoon or stick)

Directions:

• Mix 1/2 Cup water, 1/4 Cup white school glue, and “fun ingredients” in a cup or bowl.
• In a separate cup, add 3-5 Tablespoons of Borax to 1/4 cup water and stir or shake until fully dissolved.
• Mix small amounts (Tablespoons) of the Borax mixture to the glue/water mixture until you are happy with the consistency.
• Have fun! When done, store in zip bag

+ You can find Borax at most large grocery stores next to the laundry detergent.

Explore:  What did you learn or observe while you were making your slime? What “how” or “why” questions did you have while you were making your slime? Want to explore other slime recipes? Check out  https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Slime .

Now, think like a scientist.

Scientists make observations, ask a lot of questions, then try to find ways to answer those questions. Here are a few questions for you to try to ponder before starting your project:

• What did you observe while you were playing (pulling, touching, pouring, rolling, dropping etc.) with the slime?
• If there was one ingredient you’d like to experiment with changing, then what would it be?
• If there was one thing about the environment around your slime (temperature, surrounding liquid, exposure to air for certain periods of time, etc.), what would it be?
• How do you think changing one of the ingredients or the environment would cause a change to your observations about the slime?

Learn the science behind slime

Okay, you’ve gotten your hands dirty and have had a chance to make slime, play with it, and ask questions! Awesome! Slime is more than just a fun thing to play with and make. Just like everything around you, slime has A LOT of science behind it!

The science behind a topic is called its scientific principles or concepts. Now, it’s time to learn a little more about the science of slime by doing some background research. To do your background research, you can ask an expert, look in books or search the internet. Below are some scientific principles and concepts of slime that would be helpful for you to understand in order to plan your project. When searching the internet, include “kids” in your search to get age-appropriate information. For example, “kids molecule video”.

• Liquids, solids & gasses (Early Elementary School)
• Molecules (Late Elementary School)
• Molecular chain (Middle School)
• Polymers (examples of polymers are white glue, rubber, plastic and DNA) (Middle School)
• Viscosity (Middle School)
• Non-Newtonian Fluids (High School)

Now, be a scientist!

Inquiry science fair project.

If your science fair allows inquiry projects (or demonstrations), then try to answer “why” or “how” questions as part of your project. In your own words, describe the scientific concepts that you learned about and some of the things you observed or discovered. The purpose of an inquiry is to demonstrate what you learned, observed and discovered. Demonstrations are not the same as experiments. But hey, not every scientist is an experimentalist!

Experimental Science Fair Project

When you do an experiment, you choose one thing to change and try to understand the results of that change. This is called Cause and Effect. If your science fair only allows experimental projects that follow “The” Scientific Method, then follow these steps:

• After learning the science behind slime, decide on just one thing that you will change during your experiment and what you will measure. For example, maybe you change the amount or type of ingredient, the environment, timing and you measure the change in texture.
• Write a detailed experimental question that makes it clear what you will change.
• State your prediction as a result of a change that you make.
• Plan how you will set up your experiment, including necessary supplies.
• Determine the potential health and safety risks of doing your experiment.
• Write down a detailed procedure that you can use when doing your experiment.
• Collect and record your data and observations.
• Display your data in a table and graph.
• Look for trends in your data graph.
• Try to explain why your data or observations turned out the way they did.
• Share what you learned with others.
• Create a project board display – refer to Project Display Tips

If you’d like help during each step of your project, then check out Make Science Fair Fun® workbooks . Each of the 22 worksheets will help your child successfully develop their science & engineering skills!

© 2022 STEM World Publishing, Public Benefit Corporation, with permission.

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20 Slime Science Projects with Recipes

Categories Science Experiments

If you have done a quick search in either Google or Pinterest, then you know that there are no shortage of slime recipes out there.

Mixing up the slime and making chemical reactions, using them to make fun science experiments, and even using them to make all kinds of crazy creations is a great hands-on science activity for the classroom!

Here are 20 great slime science projects you’ve got to try. Bring slime into the science fair and used one of these slime science projects as your science fair project ideas.

From turning slime into worms to making different types of slime, you could spend hours just finding different kinds of slime! If you’re looking for a fun hands-on science activity, slime is a great place to start!

Why Try Slime Science Experiments?

Most kids really love slime. Its sticky, messy, and tons of fun to play with.

One of my favorite things to do in the science classroom is to take something that a child loves (in this case, slime) and then explore the science behind it.

We’ve also used slime to illustrate other scientific concepts, because things are just more fun with slime!

Giving kids a chance to explore science in a framework of something they love allows them to develop a love of science that will sustain them even when things get boring in high school or college.

Trying these slime science experiments will help kids establish a lifelong love of science!

What You Need for a Science Fair

You’ll want to have these supplies on hand before doing your science fair project. Shop the included Amazon storefronts to make things easier and don’t forget to download the free science fair planning checklist before getting started!

Science Fair Project Planning

When you’re planning your project, you want to keep everything organized. Click the image below to get my free science fair project checklist so you can start organizing your project from the start.

You may also want to check out this list of science fair project research supplies.

Supplies for a Science Fair Project

There are so many supplies for science fair projects that are individual to each project, but if you want a general list of possible supplies and inspiration for your project, check out my selection of science fair experiment supplies on Amazon.

Supplies for a Science Fair Presentation

Your science fair presentation is important! It should look presentable and eye-catching. Check out this list of my favorite science fair presentation supplies.

What You Need for Slime Science Projects

Most slime is made with a base (usually glue) and an activator. Shop some of our essential slime supplies below:

The Best Materials for Making Slime

Here is what you need to make every basic slime recipe on STEAMsational!

Elmer’s White Glue

Elmer’s Clear Glue

Liquid Laundry Starch

Borax Powder

Slime Activator

Biodegradable Glitter

Measuring Cups and Spoons

Craft Aprons

Instant Snow

Scentless Lotion

Mixing Bowls

Sharpie Markers

Slime Containers

Removable Labels

Stirring Spoons

Shaving Cream

There are a lot more slime recipes if you’d rather just make slime instead of doing science with it!

And if you want to take your slime science projects to a science fair, you’ll need these items , too.

18 Slime Science Projects that Mix Science with Messy Fun!

Take your slime activities up a notch and bring some hands on fun to the science fair with these slime science projects!

How to Make Water Slime that Looks Just Like Fresh Water!

Learning how to make water slime is surprisingly difficult. It takes the right balance of ingredients, mixing, and time to make it turn clear. This slime is a good one to use as an illustration point for why scientists only test one variable at a time.

Solar System Slime Recipe

Space is the final frontier and you can learn all about it with slime! Cover the entire solar system in this solar system slime recipe and learn about the planets there.

Fluffy Galaxy Slime Recipe

Make this super easy pastel fluffy galaxy slime and transform your slime making into an exciting, colorful experience with less mess!

How To Make The BEST Jelly Slime Recipe!

Jelly slime has a pleasing texture and is a sensory experience. Because the jelly slime recipe is lightweight, it is easy for the colors to mix quickly. Use this recipe to show how color theory basics work.

Borax-Free Bubbling Blood Slime Recipe for Kids

With the right materials, you can get slime to act a bit differently! This boiling blood slime looks like it is boiling because the pressure from the carbo dioxide gas creates bubbles on the surface of the slime.

Easy DIY Volcano Slime Recipe that Really Erupts!

Slime is used as the mountain and in the reaction for this super cool slime volcano science experiment.

How to Make a Blood Model Project for Halloween or School

Study blood and learn about the body with this fun slime 3D blood model activity.

Xanthan Gum Bubbling Slime Recipe (completely glue-free!)

Learn how to make slime that bubbles with this cool science activity featuring Bubbling Slime and chemical reactions.

Cornstarch Quicksand

A Non-Newtonian fluid is a material that acks like a solid in some cases and acks like a liquid in others. Cornstarch quicksand oobleck slime is one of the best illustrations of this principle at work.

Easy Slime Recipe with Borax

This is the first slime science activity we ever made exploring polymer chains! This easy slime recipe is still one of the best!

How to Make Slime with Salt

Learning how to make slime with salt explores how different materials interact.

How to Make Tie Dye Slime

Make your own easy tie dye slime with food coloring in this fun science activity.

How to Make Fluffy Rainbow Slime

Learn how to make fluffy rainbow slime and explore the states of matter in this fun activity.

How to Make Sand Slime out of Real Beach Sand!

Experiment with adding sand to slime to make a cool new slime creation when you learn How to Make Sand Slime .

How to Make Edible Taffy Slime You Can Really Eat!

Learn how to make slime mix with science in the kitchen with this edible taffy slime!

How to Make Slime with Baking Soda

The baking soda slime recipe does not last as long as some other slime recipes, but it's easy to clean up and kids who are sensory seekers will love the sticky and gooey feeling more than that of a few other slime recipes. This is the easiest way to learn how to make slime with baking soda.

Glow in the Dark Fluffy Slime

Make your slime glow in the dark with this super cool Glow in the Dark fluffy Slime

Stretchy, Colorful Lava Slime Recipe

Learn about volcanoes and lava using this awesome lava slime.

More Science Fair Experiment Ideas

How to Make Really Big Epsom Salt Crystals

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50 Classic Science Fair Projects for Elementary School

Easy science experiments with household materials

Share this project with a friend!

Exploring the Science of Slime: Engaging Experiments for Science Fairs

Are you ready to get a little messy and dive into the fascinating world of slime? If you’re a science enthusiast with a passion for hands-on experimentation, you’re in for a treat! In this article, we will be exploring the science behind slime and uncovering some exciting experiments that are perfect for science fairs. From understanding the properties of polymers to creating your own unique slime concoctions, get ready to stretch your scientific knowledge and have a blast along the way. Let’s delve into the fascinating world of slime experiments for science fairs!

Table of Contents

Slime Experiments for Science Fair

Slime. It’s not just a gooey, sticky substance that kids love to play with. It’s a fascinating science that involves chemistry and the study of states of matter. So, why not harness the power of slime to create engaging and educational experiments for your science fair project? In this article, we’ll explore how slime can be used to learn and explore different scientific concepts, all while having fun along the way.

The Science Behind Slime

Slime is not only fun to create and play with, but it also provides an excellent opportunity to dive into the world of science. From learning about chemical reactions to understanding the properties of polymers, slime experiments can be a valuable tool for teaching and learning. By creating slime, students can explore concepts such as viscosity, elasticity, and the effects of different ingredients on slime’s texture and consistency.

“Slime is not just a toy; it’s a hands-on way to explore scientific concepts.”

Engaging Experiments for Science Fairs

Ready to get your hands slimy? Here are some exciting experiments that you can try for your science fair project:

1. The Slime Stretch Test

💡 What to Explore: The elasticity of slime

📋 Materials Needed: – Slime (homemade or store-bought) – Ruler – Stopwatch

🔬 Procedure: 1. Start by creating your slime using a tried-and-true recipe or store-bought slime. 2. Take a piece of slime and measure its length using a ruler. 3. Place one end of the slime on a table or surface and gently pull the other end downwards. 4. Use the stopwatch to time how long it takes for the slime to stretch and break. 5. Record your observations, including the length of the slime and the time it took to break.

💡 Pro Tip: “Try using different slime recipes or adding various ingredients to see how they affect the stretchiness of the slime.”

2. Slime and Magnetism

💡 What to Explore: The interaction between slime and magnets

📋 Materials Needed: – Slime (homemade or store-bought) – Small magnets (e.g., fridge magnets) – Tray or surface

🔬 Procedure: 1. Start by creating or obtaining your slimy substance. 2. Flatten the slime onto a tray or surface. 3. Place a magnet on top of the slime and observe what happens. 4. Experiment with different strengths and types of magnets. 5. Record your observations and note any differences in how the slime reacts.

💡 Quote: “Discover the mysterious way slime can interact with magnets and learn about the underlying principles of magnetism.”

Safety Precautions

While slime experiments are a blast, it’s crucial to prioritize safety. Here are some safety precautions to keep in mind:

• Always wash your hands before and after handling slime.
• Avoid ingestion of slime and ensure it doesn’t come into contact with eyes or open wounds.
• Be mindful of any allergies to the ingredients used in slime recipes.
• If using borax or other potentially hazardous substances, follow proper safety guidelines and use them under adult supervision.

“Safety should always be a top priority when conducting slime experiments.”

The Exciting World of Slime Circuits

Ready to take your slime experiments to the next level? You can delve into the realm of circuits by incorporating slime! By adding conductive materials like graphite powder or copper wire, you can create a conductive slime that completes an electrical circuit. This opens up a world of possibilities for exploring concepts like electricity, conductivity, and resistance.

“Unleash your creativity and build circuits in a whole new sticky way!”

Time to Get Slimy and STEM-sational!

Slime experiments are a fantastic way to engage with STEM concepts in a hands-on and exciting manner. By exploring the science behind slime, conducting experiments, and pushing the boundaries of what slime can do, you’ll create a standout science fair project that will leave your classmates and judges in awe.

So, grab your ingredients, put on your lab coat (or apron), and let the slime adventures begin!

“With slime experiments, science fairs become an interactive and captivating experience!”

In the realm of science fair projects, nothing captures the attention quite like the gooey, fascinating world of slime. If you’re in need of some mind-blowing slime facts to amp up your project, look no further. Explore the wonders of slime and uncover its secrets for a truly unforgettable science fair experience. Dive into the realm of slimy wonders here: Slime Facts For Science Fair .

Question 1: What is the science behind slime experiments?

Answer 1: Slime experiments involve the science of chemistry and the study of states of matter. By mixing different ingredients, we can create slimy substances with unique properties. These experiments help us understand concepts such as polymers, viscosity, and the behavior of different materials.

Question 2: Can slime be used for science fair projects and experiments?

Answer 2: Absolutely! Slime is a versatile material that can be used for various science fair projects and experiments. Its properties can be manipulated to explore different scientific concepts and principles.

Question 3: Are there any easy slime recipes available for experimentation?

Answer 3: Yes, there are plenty of easy slime recipes available that you can use for your experiments. These recipes usually involve common household ingredients such as glue, borax, or contact lens solution. They provide a great starting point for your slime-making adventures.

Question 4: What safety precautions should be taken when working with slime?

Answer 4: Safety is always important when experimenting with slime. It is recommended to wear gloves and protective eyewear to prevent any potential irritation or allergic reactions. Additionally, make sure to handle the ingredients carefully and avoid ingesting or getting them in contact with eyes or mouth.

Question 5: How can slime be used to explore different scientific concepts?

Answer 5: Slime can be a fantastic tool for exploring various scientific concepts. For example, you can use slime to create circuits and learn about conductivity and electricity. Adding magnetic materials to slime can help understand the principles of magnetism. The possibilities are endless, and you can get creative with your slime experiments to explore different STEM concepts.

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Slime Science Fair Project

We have made a lot of slime in this household. We have used numerous recipes but we have always done it in fun, not looking at the science behind it . Now we are looking to create our own slime science fair project.

This post contains affiliate links, see my disclosure policy for more information.

Add a little school the next time you make slime. It doesn’t have to take the fun out of making, it just means you can cross science off today’s list.

It is time to compare all our different slime recipes. Which one works best?

Using the scientific method, your students are well on their way to discovering  the scientific wonders of slime .

slime is chemistry in motion.  Chemistry explains states of matter such as liquid, solid, and gas, and it also explains how these states of matter react under different conditions, especially the formation of new substances.  

Slime is an endothermic reaction, meaning it absorbs heat (energy) rather than giving it off.  This explains why slime gets colder over time.  Then, depending on the recipe you use, certain ingredients change the molecular makeup, also known as cross-linking.  Your student can use the scientific method to test which slime recipes and ingredients cause which chemical reactions.  

Other chemistry concepts that making slime involves are:

• Chemical reactions
• Cross-linking
• States of matter

Slime is a fascinating substance that makes science for kids fun and engaging. It’s a simple science activity that contains some fascinating science .

The Science of Slime

We like to compare things. Everything, in fact, in junior high a friend and I compared numerous brands of paper towels to win at the science fair. Yay us! So we compare things here in our homeschool as well. Like comparing different slime recipes.

You can teach your children why glue stays liquid (because it is a polymer made up of identical long strand molecules, called monomers) until a borate ion ingredient is added to the mixture (connecting the long strand molecules together).

Throughout the mixing process, these ingredients begin to form a thick, rubbery type substance, eventually becoming slime.

Homeschool Science Fair Project Planner

Easy Slime Recipes

Use these easy slime recipes and experiment with the elements of slime. Make sure you take good notes so you can use what you learn in your next science project! Consider testing out multiple recipes, or perhaps multiple variants of the same recipe, during your science project and see what happens when you combine different ingredients.

For example, in the borax slime recipe , what happens if you add less borax? Or more? How much borax would you need to add to turn your slime into a rubber ball? There are so many questions and possibilities to discover!

Contact Solution Slime Recipe

Use this contact solution slime recipe and compare it to your own normal slime recipe, or a borax slime recipe , which is what we typically use.

• Bottle of Elmer’s Glitter Glue (6 oz.)
• 1.5 teaspoons (7.5 ml) baking soda
• 1.5 teaspoons (7.5 ml)saline solution (contact solution) with Boric Acid or Sodium Borate in the ingredients
• Spoon or spatula
• Mixing bowl

Instructions

• Empty the bottle of glitter glue into a mixing bowl
• Stir in the baking soda. Mix well.
• Add contact solution and mix until slime forms. You’ll notice it comes together immediately and takes a few minutes to fully form.
• Knead the slime with your hands to get it to a consistency you’re happy with.

What kid doesn't like to get messy and play with homemade slime? This recipe is easy to make and never fails! Just try it and see.

• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp borax
• 1/2 cup glue
• 1/2 cup water
• food coloring - optional
• glitter -optional
• measuring cup
• Using warm water, mix together one cup of water, and the 1 tsp of borax.
• Mix so that the borax dissolves.
• Mix together your half cup of water, and your half cup of glue together. If you are using food color now is the time to do so. If you use clear glue, it is going to be really nice. You can also add in glitter too!
• Mix the two together. I wish I could have gotten a picture of the glue mixing with the borax/water solution as I poured the glue in. A quick stir and you have slime! It really takes next to no stirring for this part.

There was still water left in the cup after mixing the two together, so don't worry if you have left-over water.

On that note, feel free to grab the science fair project planner .  Perfect for slime science fair projects or other at-home science experiments.

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The Scientific Method Gets Slimed

I don’t know about you – but I LOVE teaching the scientific method with a slime science experiment.

The trouble is that it can be difficult to find simple activities that are engaging and fun for students and teachers.

I hated experiments that needed 700 materials and took hours and hours to prep!

That is precisely why I began to come up with my own activities for covering the scientific method in my elementary classroom.

No matter what our age, we all tend to be more engaged when we are involved in a hands-on activity.

This simple slime experiment is fully adaptable to any of the elementary grades.

It’s engaging! And your students are going to love it!

And that means a lot to a teacher, doesn’t it?

What is the Slime Science Experiment?

The slime science experiment uses a fun slime-making activity to teach the process of the scientific method.

It’s adaptable so it can be used in the elementary grades, from first to fifth. Kids will love making flubber or slime! Recording their progress in the provided worksheets becomes part of the process and less drudgery.

This project can be used in the classroom, but it also includes a full digital version that can be used for distance learning. 

I know it’s been difficult to find distance learning science activities, so I actually made a digital version for all of my science lessons. 

Students will follow the directions to make slime, and guided questions will walk them through the scientific method as they complete their experiment and record their results.

What will I need for the experiment?

You will need a few common items to conduct this experiment. These include:

·        Borax

·        Glue

·        Water

·        Food coloring

That’s it. The materials will explain exactly what needs to be done to make slime.

Distance Learning Tip: Use a recorded video of the science experiment!

What’s included in the Slime Science Experiment Booklet?

This simple slime experiment includes a printable version and a digital Google Slides version. Both versions include:

·        Cover page

·        A full explanation of the experiment (perfect for parents working with their kids at home)

·        Guiding questions and hypothesis development

·        Picture and written directions for the experiment

·        Observations in pictures and written form

·        Conclusion

·        Explanation for the science behind the experiment (Includes the fill-in-the-blank option too)

How do I use this in the classroom?

The Slime Science experiment with the scientific method embedded inside can be used in many grade levels. I loved this project for my science club which included 1st-3rd graders. 

It’s designed to be totally adaptable in the classroom. It can be used as a stand-alone unit on the scientific method or even just as a fun Friday activity. 

Students will enjoy this experiment any time, but Halloween is a great time to enjoy making slime.

Grab a copy of the Slimy Science Experiment Booklet

This slime experiment is a great activity to help students learn about the scientific method by being guided through the process.

It’s designed so it’s easy to use whether in a traditional classroom or for a distance learning experience.

You can grab a copy of the slime science experiment here, or grab a copy of all 7 easy science experiments bundled together at a discounted price! 

Do you have other ideas for teaching the scientific method in the elementary grades? Let us know what’s worked for you!

Share this:

You may also like, fun handwriting worksheets for older kids, free formative assessment data collecting checklist for teachers, exploding snowman science experiment, distance learning math activities for a younger crowd, different ways teachers can use digital notebooks for google slides.

Learn STEM by Doing (and having fun)!

How To Make Slime: The Ultimate Guide

MOMMMM!!  Can we make slime??  Pleeeease!!  If you have younger kids, you’ve probably heard this once or twice (or 3,037 times).  My reaction :  ugh .  Making slime isn’t always the cleanest activity and after many a slime “fail”, the kids were often let down.  BUT  making slime is a great STEM activity to teach kids about physics and chemistry concepts (check out our science behind slime experiment).  This guide will not only teach you how to make slime at home, it will walk through how to make slime step by step with recipes we’ve tested.  Let’s science!

*Please note this post contains affiliate links.  This does not cost you any extra money to purchase items; please see our affiliate disclosure for more information.

Who can make slime?  Age range: preschool and up (BUT SUPERVISE!)

Ok.  I’m setting a lower age range here for making slime at home.  Simply put, the little kids are going to want a piece of the action too.  However, like all STEM projects use your judgement and supervise especially with younger kids and especially when working with the different materials or reagents.  We also have a post about how to use slime as a science fair project complete with hypothesis and experiments to analyze over a weekend.  For the slime science fair project, 3 rd graders and up are more likely to grasp the concepts and work through the steps.

Backdrop:  what we’re going to do and why it’s cool

The ultimate guide to slime will help you learn how to make slime at home in a relatively easy manner.  Our favorite part:  the range of slime offerings.  We’ve tested the recipes in our “home” slime lab and lived through the Pinterest fails  so you don’t have to !  Finally, we stepped it up a notch (or tried to at least!) and found unique, peculiar recipes you won’t see elsewhere.  Everyone’s seen the posts about how to make slime with glue and Borax… but how about color-changing slime??  COOL!!  Our slime guide covers:

• Brief background on the science of slime – what makes slime so slimy
• “How to make slime” recipes – what you need (“materials”) and what you need to do step-by-step
• Slime tips – what our kids found challenging, what they liked and what does/doesn’t work

Intro to the Science of Slime

The  American Chemistry Society describes the science behind slime.  Essentially, glue consists of POLYMERS or long chains of molecules that glide along each other.  When Borax dissolves in water it acts on the glue polymers and locks them together – almost like tying logs together to make a raft.  This CHEMICAL REACTION between the Borax and glue creates slime and turns the solution from a sticky mess to a rubbery material (see our science behind slime experiment for more details).

How to Make Slime:  Demonstration

While step-by-step instructions work well for some, pictures also help a ton.  Check out our general how to make slime video below – which ties with the Regular Slime recipe .

How to Make Slime:  Basics

Ingredients vary depending on the recipe below, but the procedures follow the same format.  As always make sure kids are supervised , following the guides and making the products in a safe spot.  First, find a good location.  Some materials stain furniture, clothes and skin (e.g. food coloring).  If your kiddos have allergies or sensitive skin, take appropriate precautions.  Second, before making/following any recipe, also wash your hands to avoid getting dirt/germs in the material.

For all recipes in our Ultimate Guide, you need the following items:

• Mixing bowls, plastic cups
• Measuring cups, spoons
• Mixing sticks/popsicle sticks/wooden spoon
• Paper towels
• Bags/containers to hold slime after it’s been made

Finally, I’d recommend using secondhand containers/mixers or older things you don’t mind getting dinged up.  The local dollar store or garage sales offer great spots to source inexpensive tools (if you plan on making multiple batches).

The Recipes

Without further ado, the links below describe how to make slime…with a number of twists!

• Regular Slime:  How to make slime with glue and Borax
• Light it Up: How to make glow slime
• See Through Slime: How to make clear slime
• Time to Shine: How to make glitter slime

Change of Heart? How to make color-change slime

It’s sooo flufffyyy how to make fluffy slime, slime attraction:  how to make magnetic slime, regular slime: how to make slime with glue and borax.

This one got us started down the slime path!  We consider it a more traditional recipe that holds the most recognition and include a variation below to make colored slime.  While we’ve stuck with Elmer’s (no pun intended), could other brands work?  Sure!  That could ACTUALLY make for a great experiment!!!  Which brand of glue creates the stretchiest slime?

Materials / Process

• Elmer’s school glue – one bottle is ~8 ounces
• Borax laundry detergent ( this is an example – the dry powder form )
• Liquid food coloring ( only if you want a certain color)
• Prepare the Borax .   First, dissolve 1 tablespoon of Borax detergent in 1 cup of warm water.  Mix until everything disappears, then set the solution to the side – we won’t use it until we’ve mixed our glue/water solution in step #3.
• Prepare the glue .  Next, empty the bottle of glue into a mixing bowl or container.  Refill the glue container with water.  Swirl/shake the container to get the remaining glue off the sides and dump into the mixing bowl with the glue.
• OPTIONAL : When mixing the glue and water,  add food coloring drops to change color.  BE WARNED:  This can make for more mess/stains.
• Add Borax solution . At this point, you will want to add a little Borax solution (the one you prepared in the first step).  This is when you CROSSLINK the glue molecules…  it goes from sticky to gooey.  Again, mix like kneading bread dough.  Add more Borax (~1/8 cup) at a time and keep kneading until you get the consistency you like.
• Bag it . When you are done playing with it, put it in a Ziploc bag or container to keep it sealed and prevent it from “drying out”.

Light it up:  How to make glow slime

When I think about glow slime, my second thought:  Halloween!  There are TWO ways to make glow material.  Option 1 : use glow in the dark glue ( like this one from Elmer’s ) as your base ingredient.  These come in 5 ounce bottles so a little smaller than the regular school glue size.  Option 2 : add in a glow product.  While you can use glow powder or even glowing acrylic paint, the glow powder route makes the brightest slime in our experience.  Ultimately, working with glow glue is simply easier.

Option 1: glow glue

• Elmer’s Glow in the Dark Glue
• Borax laundry detergent
• Start with the Borax .  Prepare as described in the Regular Slime recipe.
• Add glue to your container .  Next, empty the glue into a mixing bowl.  Refill the glue container with water.  Swirl the container to get the remaining glue off the sides and dump into the mixing bowl.
• Mix the glue/water .  Before you begin, wash hands.  Then, start mixing the glue/water with your hands.  BE WARNED:  You will get messy. You want to knead it almost like you’re mixing bread dough, but the mixture will be very sticky.
• Add Borax solution . At this point, add a little Borax solution (prepared in the first step).  This will CROSSLINK the glue molecules…  It goes from sticky to gooey.  Again, keep mixing like kneading bread dough.  Add more Borax (~1/8 cup) at a time and keep kneading until you get the consistency you like.
• Bag it . When finished playing with your slime, put it in a Ziploc bag or container to keep it sealed and prevent it from “drying out”.

Option 2: glow alternative (powder, paint)

• Elmer’s school glue – standard, white glue

• Prepare Borax/water solution.    Prepare as described above in the Regular Slime recipe.
• Add glue to mixing bowl .  Next, add ~8 ounces of glue into a mixing bowl or container.  If you used a single container, rinse it with water.  Then, swirl/shake the container to get the remaining glue off the sides and dump into the mixing bowl with the glue.
• Add glow substance .   Next, add your powder or paint to the glue/water bowl.
• Mix slime .  Then, use a wooden spoon to mix.  Remember the mixture will be sticky.
• Add Borax solution to glue .  At this point, add a little Borax solution (the one you prepared in the first step).  This CROSSLINKS the glue molecules…  Mix like kneading bread dough.  As you mix, add more Borax (~1/8 cup) at a time and knead until you get the consistency you like.
• Bag it .  Finally, store slime in a Ziploc bag or container to keep sealed and prevent it from “drying out”.  One note – glow slime uses radiant energy (e.g. sun, lamp) to charge up so exposing it to light keeps the glow.

See Through: How to make clear slime

The easiest recipe (in our view) to make clear slime uses clear glue and Borax.  Be careful using alternative crosslinking agents as your slime may end up less clear than you think.  Lastly, if bubbles appear, be patient and let slime sit for a few days.  Most important, bubbles will disappear over time.

• Elmer’s clear glue – ( not the white stuff – see here )
• Setup Borax/crosslinking mix.    Prepare as described above in the Regular Slime recipe.
• Add glue, water to bowl .  Next, add about 1 cup of glue to a mixing bowl.  Then, add an equal amount of water.
• OPTIONAL:  If you want to add “extras”, like little glitter, sprinkles, pebbles, whatever, now is the time to do it.
• Add Borax solution . At this point, add a little Borax solution (the one you prepared in the first step).  This CROSSLINKS the glue molecules…  Next, mix the material like kneading bread dough.  As you mix, add more Borax (~1/8 cup) at a time and knead until you get the consistency you like.
• Bag it .  Time to play!  As you conclude, use a Ziploc container/bag to store your final product.

Time to Shine: How to make unicorn glitter slime

• Elmer’s colored glitter glue – ( usually comes in three pack of colors )
• Prepare the Borax solution .   Prepare as described above in the Regular Slime recipe.
• Add glue .  First, we use three separate containers to mix the glues separately.  Alternatively, mix all three together.  For each glue bottle poured into a mixing bowl, rinse that container with water (or use roughly the same volume of water).  Finally, pour the “rinse water” into the mixing bowl.

OPTIONAL:  If you want to add “extras”, like little additional glitter, sprinkles, pebbles, whatever, now is the time to do it.

• Add Borax solution . At this point, add a little of the Borax solution prepared in the first step.  This CROSSLINKS the glue molecules…  Mix like kneading bread dough.  As you mix, add more Borax (~1/8 cup) at a time and knead until you get the consistency you like.
• Bag it .  Time to play!  When finished, use a Ziploc container/bag to store.

For this experiment, you should note that the pigment will go from colored to clear at a temperature of ~88 degrees Fahrenheit.  Our best results came with using white glue and no extra coloring.  Finally, because the color change occurs when it is warm, make sure the pigment is COOL to start with so you can get the warmest color.  IDEA:  use a “cold” substance to cool your slime and see how quickly it resets!

EDIT:  Kits are available for purchase through Target and Walmart ; however, we have not tested this one.

• Elmer’s school glue – (just the white kind)
• Thermochromic pigment ( example of what we’ve used – others are likely similar )
• Prepare the Borax solution .   See steps above in the Regular Slime recipe.
• Add glue to mixing bowl .  First, pour ~8 ounces of glue into a mixing bowl, and add roughly the same volume of water to the bowl.
• Add thermochromic pigment.  You will use ~2-3 tablespoons of pigment, assuming you used ~8 ounces of glue in the first step.
• Mix glue/water .  First, wash your hands.  Once clean, start mixing the glue and water with your hands (like kneading bread dough).
• Bag it .  Time to play!  When finished, use a Ziploc container/bag to store the material.

Yes, I love Agnes from Despicable Me.  That’s why I can think of nothing better than including fluffy slime in our guide!  What makes it fluffy?  Well, the secret ingredient….  Barbasol.  Yup, foamy shaving cream.  While we’ve seen others have success with contact lens solution, for whatever reason, Borax is still our go-to crosslinking agent here.

• Elmer’s white glue
• Food coloring (to make it colorful)
• Foam shaving cream (don’t use gel; avoid scented)
• Glitter? (Agnes would approve we think!)
• Add shaving cream .  First, put 1 cup of shaving cream into a mixing bowl.
• Add color .  Then, just use a few drops, but color as you like (if you like).
• Add glue .  Next, add ~1 cup of glue to the mixing bowl.
• Bag it .  Lastly – Time to play!  When finished, use a Ziploc container/bag to store.  Please note as the shaving cream loses air, the slime will probably not hold together.  This is not a longer-term slime.

We wanted to make this one for a while but was.

• Iron Oxide Powder ( we’ve used this one )
• Disposable gloves (yea, it’s that messy)
• Prepare the Borax solution .   First, prepare as described in the Regular Slime recipe.
• Add glue, iron oxide powder to mixing bowl .  Next, add ~1 cup of glue to the mixing bowl.  Then, add a similar amount of water and add ~3 tablespoons of iron oxide powder.
• Mix .  After you wash your hands, mix the glue with a stirring spoon.
• Add Borax solution . At this point, add a little of the Borax solution prepared in the first step.  This CROSSLINKS the glue molecules…  Then, mix like kneading bread dough.  Use gloves if the mixture is too messy and as you mix, add Borax (~1/8 cup) at a time and knead until you get the consistency you like.  Finally, you can pat the slime dry with paper towel to absorb excess liquid.
• Bag it .  Time to play!  Use your magnet to try to move the finished product around.  Finally, when finished, use a Ziploc container/bag to store.

Failures We’ve Had:  Your Mileage May Vary

YouTube is literally coated with how to make slime fails – almost like they’re stuck there!  Ha!  Unsuccessful “how to” projects – Yup, we’ve had a few.  While we don’t detail all of them, next we share a few words of wisdom:

Examples of Fails

• Slime with only glue and water .  First off, you need a crosslinking agent. Without adding something that ties those glue molecules together, your likelihood of success won’t be high.
• Shaving cream, toothpaste slime fails .  This ended up a minty nightmare!  I still have that fresh mint smell on my hands.  Regardless, just avoid it.  I just saved you the cost of a toothpaste and shave can.  You’re welcome!
• No glue slime.   Not that this can’t work.  First, you need a polymer that will be crosslinked to make slime.  Just make sure the “no glue” approach includes a suitable polymer.  Our mileage has varied.
• My slime is brittle! ! Using too much Borax (or crosslinking agent)?  that’s no good, as your slime becomes crackly and breakable.  Be mindful as you mix and go slow.  Finally, you can always add a little more, but once it’s in there you can’t take it back.

Closing Thoughts

One night at dinner as we chatted about slime (strange dinner topic, I know), I was struck by a few comments the kids made:  “I’m not good at making slime”, “Mine didn’t work”.  Almost to the point where the kiddos would rather give up.  While the mom in me wanted to remind them we can’t just give up when things get challenging, it was the scientist in me that spoke up.

As a scientist, failure is a CONSTANT part of the job.

That sounds crazy, right?

Well, after more than a decade in the lab, I’ve had more experiments fail than I could ever count.  What’s most important is the troubleshooting that occurs after the failure and getting back in the lab again.  Should your slime not come together, or your experiment fails unexpectedly – never fear!  This can be a great teaching opportunity!  Finally, remember even if your experiments don’t work like planned, to keep the kiddos focused on the bigger picture and having fun .  Most importantly, please feel free to contact us to help you through the process.

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Complete Guide to Making Slime

by Science Explorers | Feb 7, 2019 | Blog | 0 comments

Kids love slime, and you can help them make it while sneaking in a science lesson. You can even skip the pricey slime kits from the store.

Making slime for kids does not have to be expensive when you use ingredients from around your home. You’ll connect with your kids, engage their creative sides and teach them science. This combination of attributes means slime-making is the perfect activity for elementary school kids.

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What Is Slime?

Slime   consists of long molecules called polymers   that move slowly against each other. Polymers make up the glue, but when you add a secondary ion mixture, the additional product links the polymers into a tighter network than before. The result is a slime that stretches, bounces and flattens in ways the ingredients could do on their own.

Materials You Need

To make slime, you need a glue mixture and a borax mixture. While the borax mixture has substitutes, borax tends to work best for the recipe. The amounts of alternative ingredients will vary. For best results, follow the recipe carefully the first time. However, encourage kids to experiment with what would happen if they change parts of the mixture.

1. Glue Mixture

To make the glue mixture, you will need equal parts glue and water. White, gel or clear school glue all work well to make slime — do not use paste or super glue. If you want to add color or glitter, opt for clear glue. You can find all types of glue at craft stores or office stores.

To save money on school glue for upcoming slime projects, stock up in the late summer when stores offer back-to-school supply sales. During the rest of the year, look for clearance deals, closeouts and coupons to save money. If you need a lot of glue for a major slime party, consider shopping in bulk at a warehouse store.

2. Borax Mixture

The borax mixture creates the bridges between the glue molecules. You will need a 12:1 ratio of water to borax, which converts to   one tablespoon water to one-quarter teaspoon borax . A   four percent solution of borax   in water also works. This percentage equals one tablespoon borax per cup of water. Be careful when handling borax before mixing it into the slime. Some people have skin sensitivities that may flare if they touch borax.

Instead of borax, use liquid starch. You will need   five ounces of glue to two tablespoons water to eight tablespoons   liquid starch. This mixture will replace both the borax and glue mixtures. When mixing, add the starch two tablespoons at a time to the glue, stirring after each addition until the mixture reaches the desired consistency.

3. Extra Materials for Making Different Types of Slime

Depending on if you want to add other ingredients to your slime, you can incorporate extras into the recipe. Use any of the following to change the recipe for a more colorful or creative slime:

• Glow-in-the-Dark Paint:   Adding glow in the dark paint — you need no more than   a six-ounce bottle for 100 portions   of slime — makes the slime glow in the dark.
• Food Coloring:   The most basic way to add color to slime requires adding a few drops of food coloring to the glue mixture.
• Fluorescent Markers:   Soak the fabric part of a fluorescent marker in water until it changes color. Replace the water in the recipe with this colored water for   the slime to glow when you shine a black light on it .

4. Other Supplies

Keep things neat while having fun. Have these supplies on hand to make the slime creation and cleanup faster and more enjoyable both during the process and after the fun is over.

• Disposable Paper Cups:   Give each kid a paper cup to mix their serving of slime in.
• Craft Sticks:   Wooden craft sticks are better than spoons for mixing because the square shape will make it easier for the kids to pull the finished slime off the stick. Also, these sticks are disposable, reducing the cleanup you must do after the experiment.
• Newspaper or Other Covering:   Cover the work area with newspapers or plastic sheeting to protect the surface.
• Gloves:   If kids have skin allergies, offer hypoallergenic gloves for them to use when kneading the slime.
• Resealable Plastic Sandwich Bags:   Keep the slime from drying out by storing it in sealed sandwich bags.

How to Make Slime

While making slime requires a handful of steps, this guide to slime includes numerous variations. These added parts of the process depend on whether you want to add extras to your product. In general, you’ll follow these four steps:

• Prepare the Glue:   Combine the parts of the glue mixture together. Add a few drops of glow-in-the-dark paint to the glue mixture if you want the product to glow.
• Mix the Borax:   Mix up the borax solution.
• Combine the Ingredients:   Slowly mix the borax a few drops at a time into the glue mixture while stirring. If you want food coloring, add it between drops of borax solution. Stop incorporating the borax when most of the mixture adheres to the stirrer. To make cleanup easier, use wooden craft sticks to stir.
• Knead the Slime:   Remove the slime from the stick and knead it thoroughly until it loses its stickiness.

Once you’ve finished making the slime, it’s time to have some fun with your experiment.

Have Fun With Your Slime

While this DIY slime guide mentions how to make standard slime, you can take that idea to the next level. These variations are great slime ideas for kids that you can use whenever you want an educational, creative activity:

• Fuzzy Slime:   Turn your   slime into a fuzzy creature   by mixing in hair from a pet.
• Glitter Slime:   Mix watercolors with the glue instead of water and add glitter to the slime when you mix in the borax. You’ll have a shimmery substance that’s as fun to play with as it is to look at.
• Glow-in-the-Dark Slime:   Adding glow-in-the-dark paint makes the slime shine when you turn out the lights.
• Fluorescent Slime:   Under a blacklight, fluorescent slime glows when you turn off all other lights.

Science Behind the Slime: Newtonian vs. Non-Newtonian Fluid

Slime comes from the chemistry of the bonds created when you mix the ingredients. The physical structure of the glue changes with the addition of the borax, making it stretchy and durable. With the combination of household ingredients, you can turn a Newtonian fluid into a non-Newtonian one.

Isaac Newton — yes, the gravity guy under the apple tree — did more than create the gravity formula. He also brought to science the description of fluids and how their pourability reacts to temperature changes. Newtonian fluids only change viscosity and pourability from temperature shifts, while non-Newtonian fluids change from other influences.

Fluids are things that flow. Those that flow like water and   change in viscosity compared to temperature   are Newtonian fluids. When you think of fluids, you probably think of water or juice, which are all Newtonian fluids. These respond to temperature changes by changing their viscosity, or how well they pour. Even things like syrup can be affected by temperature, which is why most people heat pancake syrup before using it. Heat makes the syrup thinner, or less viscous. If you refrigerate syrup, it becomes too thick to pour. This is because the cold temperature causes the syrup to become more viscous.

Meanwhile, non-Newtonian fluids   don’t change their pourability when heated or cooled . They need physical stress to cause them to thin or thicken. For instance, if you hit the base of a bottle of glue or stir it, the glue thins enough to pour. The fluid in your joints, synovial fluid, is a non-Newtonian fluid that thickens when under high amounts of stress. When you move a joint quickly or encounter an impact, the liquid thickens rapidly enough to create a cushion for your joints. In the absence of a sudden impact, the fluid is a thin coating that lubricates the joints’ movements.

Slime is a non-Newtonian fluid because it stretches easily when you slowly pull it, like Silly Putty. However, you can break it if you pull it quickly. The key to this action comes from the bridges the ions build between the long glue polymers.

What If You…?

Here’s the part where the kids get to be scientists. Encourage questions about changing the amounts of ingredients and ask the kids to predict what will happen. Have them experiment to see if their predictions were correct or not. This method is how science works. Scientists make educated guesses and then conduct experiments to see whether their ideas were right.

Here are three experiments you can consider trying with slime.

1. Change the Borax

The borax solution creates the bridges between the glue polymers. Reducing the borax will make the slime thinner. If you fail to put in enough borax, the slime will not form at all.

Putting in too much will make the slime too thick and unusable. The reason behind this lies in the ions. Too much borax creates too many bridges, which tighten the network of polymers too much. The polymers cannot stretch without breaking because they have too many connections between them.

Try using liquid starch instead of borax. See what happens to the result. Generally, you will need more liquid starch than borax. Some people find borax slime irritating to the skin. Liquid starch may be better for those with sensitive skin.

2. Adjust the Water Amount

With so few ingredients, you have a few ways to adjust the recipe. Changing the borax amount is one way to alter the slime. Another method involves changing how much water you use.

See what happens if you eliminate water from the recipe or increase the amount of water you use. Over time, the slime will dry out as the water naturally evaporates. This dehydration will cause the slime to no longer be as pliable as it   turns into a tough plasticky substance .

3. Conduct Experiments

Do a series of tests and observe what happens to the slime. Try out the following and note your observations. You can also sketch if you want to for each situation:

• Drop the Slime:   Try dropping the slime. Does the height make a difference? Does the result change if you let the slime fall from six inches compared to four feet?
• Squish the Slime:   Does squishing the slime as hard as you can change its properties? What happens to the slime? Does its shape stay after you let go, or does it return to its original form?
• Pull Apart the Slime:   Does the speed you pull the slime apart make a difference? What if you pull the slime apart slowly? Compare the results to if you tug at the slime as fast as you can.

Why Science Should Be Fun

Keeping science fun encourages kids of all ages to become curious about the world around them. Science education fosters a wonder about the world around them. Additionally, teaching them experimental techniques gets your kids to ask questions and test their hypotheses. Scientists all over the globe use the same method to create their experiments as you use to do the slime activity. Scientists call this form the scientific method, and it’s the heart of every scientific investigation.

This slime activity directly relates to the scientific method. Using this stricter method, you can even elevate this activity to older kids who may have already learned this method in school. Here’s how you can apply the slime activity to the scientific method:

• Purpose:   The purpose of the slime activity is to make and study slime.
• Hypothesis:   Your kids’ predictions for the slime are their hypotheses for the activity.
• Procedure:   The procedure is the experiment part. For the slime activity, this is when the kids make the slime and conduct their experiments with dropping, squishing and pulling apart the slime.
• Data:   When kids write down their observations, they collect data from the experiment.
• Analysis:   Analysis happens when the kids look over their results to see any consistent trends. Did everyone’s slime act the same?
• Conclusion:   Drawing conclusions happens when the kids find out if their predictions were right. If they were not correct in their hypotheses, why not? This step in the scientific method is also the part where the kids get to go over what they learned.

If you want your kid to get into STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — later in life, start exposing them to fun science at a young age. It’s never too early to get your kids interested in the world of science.

Keep the Science Fun Going

Fun science experiments like these slime ideas for kids don’t just have to happen once. Keep the kids excited and curious about the world around them with fun, educational activities. After-school clubs and summer camps make it easier for you to give your kids a nudge in the right direction.

If you live anywhere in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware or Maryland and have kids between 4 and 11, check out our   summer camps   and   after-school science clubs . Your kids will have fun with science, be safe after school or during the summer and learn something new at the same time. With so many choices for activities, why not let your kids do something they enjoy that they’ll also benefit from? That’s what we do at Science Explorers — we make learning fun!

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Science Fun

Magnetic Slime Electricity And Magnetism Science Experiment

In this fun and easy electricity and magnetism science experiment for kids, we’re going to make magnetic slime. 

• Liquid starch
• Iron filings or magnetic powder
• Neodymium magnet

Instructions:

Add the bottle of glue, about five ounces, to a mixing bowl.

Stir in about three tablespoons of the iron filing or magic powder.

Slowly mix in liquid starch (about two or three ounces) until the desired consistency of slime is reached.

Most recipes required roughly equal parts liquid starch to glue. For this recipe, a little less liquid starch is required.

Once the desired consistency is reached, remove the slime and knead it with your hands.

Now use the neodymium magnet to attract the slime.

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How it Works:

The liquid starch and glue combine in a chemical reaction that results in slime. The iron filings easily mix into the slime. When the strong neodymium magnet is near the magnetic slime, the iron filings are attracted to the magnet and pull the slime towards the magnet. 

Make This A Science Project:

Try different types of magnets. Try adding different small metal objects to the slime instead of iron filings and see if the magnetic slime behaves the same. Try different types of glue. Try putting the slime in the freezer for several minutes. 

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Your Guide to Science Projects, Fun Experiments, and Science Research

Science Project: Slime/Data

By Janice VanCleave

Step 8: Data

For this Slime experiment, you will be recording the distance that each test sample of slime flows in a specific amount of time.  You should test four or more  slime samples from each Glue Viscosity.

Determine the best way for your to record your data. For example,  a sample data chart is shown. The chart provides spaces to record and average the flow distance for four testings for each Glue Viscosity. 

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