Slime

A Lot of the children that come to see us LOVE making slime! Parents not so much!

Slime is a fantastic option for messy play, appealing to the senses and regulating nervous systems. Keeping it boundaried in a container of some kind is important too for your child.

There are alot of things you can do to make slime less messy, so if slime is something you don’t like, consider using a big bowl/container so that the slime doesn’t spill over the edge. Can you and your child make the slime outside?

All play is an opportunity for parent-child quality time, building healthy parent-child relationships and practicing positive parenting tips and effective parenting strategies.

Resources 

Clear  / white PVA glue 

Activator – this can be bought as pure activator or liquid laundry detergent can also be used

Generally we would use ⅔ glue ⅓ activator

Mix this all together with your hands

Add  shaving foam

Add food colouring (this can tend to deactivate the slime so go easy with it!)

Add glitter

Anything else you might like – some children like to add uncooked pasta, this creates texture.

This can be kept in a container preferably with a lid, if the slime is too sticky add some more activator / non-toxic laundry detergent.

The great thing about slime is that it DOES NOT always work out! So there is a great opportunity here for pivoting, looking at why something did not work out, what would they try the next time? If you can model this for your child and then let your child take the lead on what they would do differently.

If your child shows big emotions because the slime did not work out, this is also a great opportunity for you to co-regulate with them. Sitting with them in their disappointment or anger, naming that it’s hard and we feel it. Naming that sometimes things don’t go the way we had hoped, that’s ok, we can figure out another way, waiting for that emotion to pass. 

The clean up can be fun too,  so sharing the jobs, chatting about what the slime felt like in your hands, wondering if Granny / Grandad or Auntys or Uncles would like to make slime too!! Keeping it playful and nurturing is key…play is about fun, no judgment, expectations or shoulds.

Further Play

Naming how it was for you to make slime is important for your child, whether that was positive or negative. It offers permission to your child to reflect on their own preferences allowing them to get comfortable with them and own them. It’s funny for children too to reflect on what we as parents can tolerate or not!