I've been wanting to make a Polka Dot Slime for awhile, but every "polka dot" I tried fell out of the slime. Argh! I kept brainstorming, and finally I nailed it! Oh goodness is this a fun slime!!!! Slimes never get old around here, but it's so fun for me to see how the variations we make to the ingredients change the behavior of the slime (for example our Chocolate Slime stretched for 9 feet!). We discovered that Polka Dot Slime was perfect for BIG WIDE stretches.
SO. MUCH. FUN.
S also liked making little mini-slime polka dots.
Fried slime egg, anyone?
Eeeek! It was just so fun to play with.
X also enjoyed playing with it, but I didn't want to share photos because this slime is meant only for children who are no longer mouthing and understand not to put their hands in their mouth. Glue and Liquid Starch are not meant for little tummies! If you do have a little one who's still mouthing - never fear - we've developed a super rad Edible Slime here.
Now for those of you with older children, here's how to make your very own batch of ULTRA fun Polka Dot Slime:
2 five ounce bottles of clear school glue
Pom poms
Pour two full five ounce bottles of clear glue into a cup or bowl. As per my discoveries in our How To Fix Slime Fails post, I recommend adding a little bit (on the order of Tablespoons) of liquid starch at a time and stirring well in between each addition of liquid starch. You want to keep adding until the slime is no longer sticky/stringy/sticking to the sides of the bowls. For detailed photos of what this looks like, check out our How To Fix Slime Fails post. :) Once the slime is formed and you've kneaded to make it uniform, add your pom poms and knead them in. We added 30 medium pom poms
to ours.
to ours. If you are in the UK or need a liquid starch alternative, be sure to read this post on how to make slime using laundry detergent!
Keep your slime in a sealed container or bag. It will keep for several weeks of play!
If you liked this, you're sure to love our Polka Dot Soup!
Click the photo below to buy it on Amazon or click here to read more about our book!
If you liked this, you're sure to love our Polka Dot Soup!
Click the photo below to buy it on Amazon or click here to read more about our book!
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All activities here are activities I feel are safe for my own children. As your child's parents/guardians, you will need to decide what you feel is safe for your family. I always encourage contacting your child's pediatrician for guidance if you are not sure about the safety/age appropriateness of an activity. All activities on this blog are intended to be performed with adult supervision. Appropriate and reasonable caution should be used when activities call for the use of materials that could potentially be harmful, such as scissors, or items that could present a choking risk (small items), or a drowning risk (water activities), and with introducing a new food/ingredient to a child (allergies). Observe caution and safety at all times. The author and blog disclaim liability for any damage, mishap, or injury that may occur from engaging in any of these activities on this blog.
Polka dot slime -- awesome!!! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Mary Catherine! You gotta try it! It is sooooo fun!!!!
DeleteI love it but it looks messy
DeleteDepends on how and where you play with it. On a slick tabletop it's not messy at all. :)
DeleteAll of your slimes and goo look amazing - but I've been wondering, what do you do with it all when you're finished?
ReplyDeleteI have visions of a giant fluff-covered mixed slime mountain, slowly... gaining... consciousness..! X^D
HAHAHAHHAHAHAA!!!! That is awesome, Zola! Well we keep our playdoughs in sealed stacking containers (we only have three right now) for 4-6 months. Our slimes last around 1-2 months and we keep them in little Ziploc baggies. The sensory materials that don't perish (like rice and beans, etc) we keep stacked in sealed bags on a dedicated shelf in our pantry. So far as I know, being sequestered in Ziploc bags prevents it all from joining and forming consciousness. ;)
DeleteThis looks like so much fun to play with. I have pinned to try later this summer with my son.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Deirdre!!!! :)
DeleteWhen you say 2 bottles of glue what sizes do people use. We buy them in 5 litre containers.
ReplyDeleteIt can be any amount, but the amount shown here is about 1/3 of a litre of glue if that helps. :) The bottle sizes of the Elmer's Clear Glue in the US range from 4-5 ounces on average.
DeleteThe post says two 5 ounce bottles of glue. Which is equal to approx. 296 ml.
Deletelove slime! we have done a few variations, but this looks cool.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it always so much fun? We reallllly loved this version!
DeletePVA glue is white and we use it for wood ...correct? .... can we use that as well;
ReplyDeleteOK, now I'm second guessing myself! I thought I had that term right. I would guess it's whatever liquid glue kids use in school. Like the washable kind to glue pieces of paper together?
DeleteLove this Asia! Such joy! Shared on the Homegrown Friends FB page :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Meredith!
DeleteWhat kind of pom poms are being used is that what makes the polka dots. Not sure on that instruction
ReplyDeleteYes - the pom poms make the polka dots. They are just regular medium-sized pom poms from a craft store (I linked to some examples on Amazon). Any size or style will work! Hope that helps.
DeleteAbout how much liquid starch do you end up using?
ReplyDeleteOooh, hard to say since I didn't measure. Maybe around 1 cup???
DeleteWe like slime, but I find it pretty impossible to get off clothes (and my chair cushions -oops). Any tips?
ReplyDeleteYes! When I was writing our book, I investigated just that. Vinegar works perfectly to dissolve a glue and liquid starch slime. :)
DeleteThis stuff is just mesmerizing! I can't stop looking at it. So cool!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Janine! It's REALLY fun to poke too.
DeleteThis is amazing -- I think it would work well with a Dr. Seuss unit, or for my hypochondriac child (who has literally painted chicken pox onto her body), a "Dr unit." Can't wait to try it!
ReplyDeleteHahahhahaaha! Thank you, Jennifer!
DeleteHi, I am a teacher too. I want to know the scientific explanation fo this, why it happens? so I can explain it to my students. Can you help me, please? thank you!! I loved your ideas...
ReplyDeleteHi Sofia! I am WAY rusty, but I will give it a go. A slime is a non-newtonian fluid that is formed when you mix polyvinyl alcohol (in the school glue we use) and the borate ion (found in the liquid starch). The borate ion makes weak bonds with the polymer chains that make up the glue which links the chains together and gives the slime its shape. I hope that helps! :)
DeleteLove this idea!! About how much will this recipe make? I will have 8 with the possibility of more kids signed up for camp and would love to make this! Just curious on about how much of everything I will need! Thanks! :-)
ReplyDeleteThis is two bottles of 5 ounce glue's worth of slime. I would say this is definitely enough for two kids, and possibly enough for four kids - though if you divide into four sections, I'd use smaller pompoms so it's more fun. I hope that helps!
DeleteThanks for the info! So I've been to 2 walmarts and not one of them had elmer's clear glue! :-( Is the clear glue used just make make the slime clear? Would it work with the white elmer's glue!?
ReplyDeleteOh shoot - I hate when that happens!! We get our clear glue from Michaels and Amazon (Amazon has better prices if you can wait for it to ship). You can definitely use white school glue and it will make a slime, but I don't know how well the pom poms will show up - it's pretty opaque. Hope that helps!!!
Deleteplease help! I have just made slime but it is not stretchy. It crumbles and breaks apart. Is it possible possible to put the slime in a bowl with some water and borax and let it absorb into it. Do you think that will help it become stretchy. Thank you
ReplyDeleteHave you checked out this post:
Deletehttp://www.funathomewithkids.com/2014/06/how-to-fix-slime-that-didnt-work-out.html
Double-check the photos, but it sounds to me like you have too much borax/water. I'd recommend adding more glue. If you send me photos I can help you further: funathomewithkids@gmail.com
Do you think the pompoms would still work in the edible slime recipe?
ReplyDeleteThey would stay, but it would look gross. And pompoms are choking hazards unless you buy the SUPER big size, so I don't know that I'd recommend it...
DeletePSA: polka dot slime = win for 3 yr old, polka dot slime does NOT =win as the hair accessory my 3 yr old thought it might. olive oil treatment and a warm shower make for a very slow process. however johnson and johnson head to toe baby wash worked wonders! almost instantly once we started washing the oil out
ReplyDeleteVinegar also works instantly should you ever again have an unwanted hair accessory, hahaha. :)
DeleteGreat idea def one to try at home and work
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteThis stuff is so fun! The kids (and adults) love it! When we are done, we container it for the next afternoon! Thanks for sharing your wonderful goo recipes!!!
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear it!!!
DeleteWhite Vinegar to get it out of the carpet? :)
ReplyDeleteHahahah yep! :)
DeleteYay!!!! It worked...so happy! Thanks!
DeleteMy little grandchildren LOVED your regular slime! I think I will surprise them and let them make your new polka dot slime next time I visit.
ReplyDeleteOh I'm so glad to hear it!!!!
Delete