Patriotic Slime
Hey There,
Since the weather had been getting "nice" (sort of), we wanted to gather the WB kids for a fun, outdoor craft activity. Sun + Crafts = Outdoor Fun! Turns out, Mother Nature was all "Not really in the mood", so we had to resort to another activity.
Slime is all the rage right now, so much so, that we walked into Michael's and found all of the slime "necessities" right in front of our faces. Apparently, Michael's actually has an entire Slime Headquarters. Wow.
Slime recently received some negative publicity when it was found that Borax, an ingredient typically used to make it, can be an eye, nose, and respiratory irritant. Elmer's quickly stepped in and was like "Nope, no Borax needed here".
So we gathered the essentials and thought "Eh, why not. Should be fun".
Well it was fun. And it was interesting. We learned a few things along the way. A few things that we wished Elmer's (eh-hem) would've told us to make life a little easier.
Here's the endgame:
The kids loved it. And it's a stress reliever for parents:
Weirdly satisfying, right? Yeah, we've done this a million times:
Read on to see how we made this patriotic slime just in time for Memorial Day. Plus, our tips to make this project easier when you have kids who are eager/excited/screaming to make slime NOW!
Red, White, and Blue Slime for Kids
Yup, we had some kids eager to make slime!
Adorable, right? We had hopes that these cute kiddos would mix their glue and baking soda, create a perfect slime consistency, and add their patriotic adornments. NOT WHAT HAPPENED.
Turns out, it takes a while to make slime, and we had some antsy kids wondering why their bowls of glue didn't look like this:
Looks easy, right? Not so much. It worked, but only after some trial and error. Here's what we wish we knew before making it:
- After everything is mixed together, let slime sit for 10-15 minutes before kneading it. Since our kids are young, we'd probably make the slime beforehand next time, then allow them to add embellishments. Apparently, kids aren't good at staring at a white blob for 15 minutes.
- Add a lot of contact solution. The recipe calls for 1 Tbsp., but we easily used between 2 Tbsp. and 4 Tbsp.
Once we discovered this, it was quite easy.
Here's What You Need:
- 1/2 Tbsp. of Baking Soda
- 1 Tbsp. of contact lens solution (more as needed; a lot more, from our experience)
- 4 fl oz Elmer’s White school glue
- Embellishments (we used sequin stars, red confetti, small red/white pom-poms, and glitter)
- Food coloring (optional, definitely messy)
Here's What You Do:
- Pour the entire 4 oz. of Elmer’s glue into a container.
- Add ½ Tbsp. of baking soda and mix.
- If you want to make red or blue slime, here's when you'd add your food coloring. Note: It gets pretty messy and the food coloring will dye hands until they've been washed a few times. Is this worth it? Eh, up to you. Next time, we'd probably just keep it white and add red, white, and blue embellishments only.
- Add 2 Tbsp. of contact lens solution. Mix until the mixture begins to get thicker.
- Allow slime to sit for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove slime and begin to knead it in your hands.
- Add more contact lens solution to make less sticky, if necessary.
FYI: per Elmer's, this project is recommended for kids over the age of 3. Warning: If large quantities of contact lens solution are accidentally ingested (greater than a tablespoon), get medical attention immediately.
So here's what our little ones came up with. Once we figured out the slime consistency, they had a blast!
We put the slime in plastic containers to prevent it from drying out.
Overall, home run in the fun department, but this kids' craft can be a little messy and frustrating. We'd definitely recommend trying it out (or making the slime beforehand) before attempting with the kids.
Have fun!
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About The Author
Tara Saltzburg founded Westyn Baby when her son was an infant battling severe eczema. She was always on the lookout for products that would minimize the irritation and ease his discomfort, but safe, non-irritating pajamas proved difficult to find. Tara started Westyn Baby in 2016 with a mission to create better, safer sleepwear for kids - sleepwear that's exceptionally soft, flame-retardant free, sensitivity-friendly, and durable. Read more about WB sleepwear.
Tara was born and raised at the NJ shore and attended Penn State University, where she played soccer and discovered her love of mountain life. She is a mom of one boy and hopes to eventually have enough kids to form some sort of athletic team. She and her family currently reside in Central Pennsylvania and spend the summers in Stone Harbor, NJ.