Slime is stretchy, versatile, and oh-so satisfying. But to make slime, you need an activator, which is the substance that turns regular ingredients into ooey gooey fun. We’re breaking down what you need to make slime at home, plus sharing tips from slime experts to take your slime game to the next level!
Making Slime Activator: Quick Steps
Slime expert Amy Sheree says to make a simple slime, “Mix about 1 cup (240 ml) of school glue with 1 or 2 pumps of lotion. Dissolve 1 tsp (3.8 g) of Borax in 1 cup (240 ml) of water, then gradually stir 1 tsp (4.9 ml) of solution at a time into the glue. Mix and stretch the mixture until it comes together.”
Steps
Expert Q&A
Video
Tips
- Customize your slime with food coloring, glitter, and mix-ins. You can add a few drops of food coloring to any slime recipe to create your own colorful slime. It’s best to add the food coloring to a wet ingredient, like glue or shampoo.
- Glitter glue makes a good alternative to adding glitter directly to the slime, but loose glitter works great too.
- Try hiding small toys in the slime to create a fun scavenger hunt activity.
Thanks - Store slime in an air-tight container for up to a week. When you’re finished playing with the slime, box it up in a plastic container with a lid, or place it in a zip-top plastic bag. Some slimes will last longer than others, but after about a week at the most, discard the old slime and mix up a new one.
- Food-based slimes containing cornstarch or fiber powder should be discarded after about a day.
Thanks
Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about making slime, check out our in-depth interview with Summer Ames .
References
- ↑ https://www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-and-experiments/homemade-gak
- ↑ https://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/Pediatrics/BoraxSlime
- ↑ https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/how-to-make-slime
- ↑ https://youtu.be/unRLl2MUKM4?t=31
- ↑ https://www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-and-experiments/diy-monster-slime
- ↑ https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/liquid-starch-slime-easy-sensory-play-recipe/
- ↑ https://www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-and-experiments/make-and-measure-blob
- ↑ https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/make-fiber-slime-recipe-borax-free-slime/
- ↑ https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/how-to-make-corn-starch-slime-recipe-with-glue/