Has your child taken a sudden interest in slime? It seems to be the newest, hottest, trend among children, tweens, and even some teenagers. The Slime craze is so popular that it is causing craft stores to run out of glue.
Slime is a homemade substance that can be made in any color. It starts out sticky and becomes a gelatinous substance that can be pulled, stretched and squished. There are plenty of recipes and photos of slime on Pinterest. A pastel rainbow colored version is called “unicorn poop.” Some kids are making slime that corresponds to a holiday (such as Valentine’s Day slime and “Pot-of-Gold” slime.)
Other varieties are neon colors, glittery, fluffy, translucent, or glow-in-the-dark. It’s easy to see why kids are having fun making slime and playing with it. The possibilities are endless! Choose what kind of glue to use, add in some food coloring, and mix it all together.
Elmer’s White School glue is one of the main ingredients in slime. It’s also possible to make slime with clear glue or glitter glue. The slime craze has caused a glue shortage. Glue seems to be selling out as fast as the stores can stock it. Some parents are buying gallons of glue, or multiple bottles of glue at once.
Some adults might remember playing with a substance called Oobleck when they were kids. The basic ingredients in Oobleck are nearly the same is what is in Slime. Oobleck requires water, corn starch, and food coloring. There are some slime recipes that use corn starch. Others use liquid laundry detergent.
The thing parents need to be aware of is that many slime recipes call for Borax (also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate). There have been some reports of children who received severe burns on their hands after mixing up a batch of slime.
There are simple things you can do to prevent your child from being burned while mixing slime. Always monitor slime production – don’t let your kids do it alone. Have your child use gloves when he or she is mixing slime. Or, perhaps the safest route, use corn starch instead of borax. Always have children wash their hands after mixing slime.
Slime is so popular right now that it is possible to make some money by selling it. A quick glance at Etsy makes it clear that adults are trying to cash in one the slime trend. Children might be able to sell their homemade slime to classmates whose parents won’t let them make their own. The best time to sell slime is when your local craft stores are out of glue.
Image by Josh Hallett on Flickr
Related Articles on Families.com:
* Kitchen Craft: Slime
* Slime-tastic Party Ideas
* Got Floam? Got Slime? Make Some!
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