Kids love messy crafts and these easy slime recipes will be hours of fun. Most are made with pantry staples and things you have at home.
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Making slime is a great boredom buster and can be an educational science activity too. Slime took off as a trend, but it’s really just a simple polymer called a non-Newtonian fluid. That means that it acts like a solid and a liquid.
It can be a bit messy, but if you protect your workspace there will only be a little cleanup. There are tons of recipes for slime that call for different ingredients. We collected over a dozen that are made with pantry staples, household items, and things you have at home.
What counts as an everyday item is going to be different for different people (ie. You won’t have contact solution unless you wear contacts.), but we’ve tried to include slime recipes with things you probably already have at home or could pick up anywhere.
Some slime ingredients are more kid-friendly than others, so choose a recipe that’s appropriate for your kids and make sure they follow a few rules.
- Wash hands before and after playing with slime.
- Make sure kids know it’s not edible unless the recipe specifically says okay.
- Follow the recipe and avoid substitutes unless they’re included.
- Use caution with ingredients that might cause a reaction or be a choking hazard.
- Slime doesn’t last forever, so toss it out if it gets weird.
Here are a few slime recipes to make.
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Pudding
Make up a batch of edible pudding slime with Team Cartwright for a nature-themed activity that smells incredible and is safe to taste.
Starburst
This starburst slime recipe on Ideas for the Home by Kenarry is made without glue and is so colorful!
Eyeballs
This eyeball slime recipe from Kids Craft Room is the perfect spooky sensory activity for Halloween, but your kids will love making it any time of year.
Glitter
We love crafts with glitter – cleaning up, not so much. So this mess-free glitter slime from Kinder Craze is perfect!
Butter
The bright yellow color of this butter slime is amazing! The recipe from Life’s Carousel just looks like butter – it isn’t an ingredient.
Mermaid
Crafts by Amanda has a great recipe for mermaid slime that’s the perfect shade of turquoise blue for your mermaid-loving kiddos.
Saline
This recipe for slime uses saline instead of harsher ingredients. Learn how to make it from Our Family Code.
Clear glue
Lots of slime recipes call for Elmer’s glue and this one at Little Bins for Little Hands is really unique and transparent like glass.
Neon
Make up a batch or several of neon slime in all the coolest colors with this recipe from Simple Everyday Mom.
Ocean
All Things Mama has a fun idea for making blue ocean slime that your kids can play with using plastic toy sea creatures.
Snow cone
Snow cones are a summertime staple. What kid doesn’t love a cold, colorful treat? Visit Kids Activities Blog for a recipe to make snow cone slime.
Blood model
Blood slime is a creative way to teach your kids about the components of blood with a hands-on activity, via Mombrite.
Pineapple
Add a bit of a tropical flair to craft time by making pineapple scented slime, via Fantastic Fun and Learning.
Tide detergent
If you love the clean, fresh smell of Tide laundry detergent, make this Tide detergent slime at Savvy Naturalista.
Rainbow marshmallow
Whip up a batch of rainbow marshmallow slime from The Craft-at-Home Family for an edible craft that’s perfect for rainy days.
Slime is a fun kids’ activity for summer camp, indoors on a rainy day, or as an everyday boredom buster. Make one of these fun recipes with your kids.
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