Goo, slime or flubber. However you say it, it is squishy squashy fun. You can make your own slime at home with glue and a laundry detergent called Borax. Chemically speaking, the tiny particles that make up the glue react to, then bind with the tiny particles that make up the borax and water solution. Then a new substance is born when they mix.  For older kids with science curiosity, there is a wonderful explanation of the chemical reaction at the LSU outreach website.

Activity: Adult supervision is needed. The ingredients to create slime are:

• 1 bottle of regular Elmer’s glue (4  ounce size)
•  5 drops of food coloring.
• 1/2 cup of warm water, as needed.
• 1 teaspoon of Borax.

Steps to get your goo:

Pour the glue into a large bowl. Work somewhat quickly so it doesn’t dry out.

Put about 5 drops of food coloring into the glue and stir with a wooden spoon.

Stir the Borax into the warm water.

SLOWLY pour the borax and water solution over the glue while you stir quickly.   

The glue will turn to slime prettty quickly, usually within 30 seconds or 10 stirs. But keep stirring or squishing with your hands to get as much of the water mixture incorporated into the glue. You can store your slime in a ziploc plastic bag for several days, up to 2 weeks. But it will eventually dry out.

Kids love to play scientist and mixing things.  We tried this twice—once with regular glue and once with clear gel glue. The second time it looked more like thick jello, and it wasn’t as stretchy .

Books:  This green slime masterpiece  is an oldie-but-goodie I had to include:  Bartholomew  and the Ooblek by Dr. Seuss.  What’s more slimy than slugs? For older kids try The Slug Monster of Webster County by R. Lewis McGhee.