A Rainy Day Activity
I am always looking for new activities to do with my kids on those rainy days, or times when they are bored and are trying to find something to do. I pull this one out every now and then because 1) it is super easy 2) it isn’t too messy and 3) it keeps them busy for at least 30 min to an hour (which is a long time for my kids!). All it involves is cornstarch and water, and if you want the extra mess….food coloring! I created this layout a while back, this was the first time my kids played with it (it uses Traci’s Weird Science kit and my template set, Half Pack 22)
My son had a playdate a couple of weeks ago so I made it again, they had a blast playing with it.
As I said earlier, all it involves is cornstarch and water. You kind of have to play with the ratio of them until you get the right consistency. The lines are very thin between dry cornstarch, slime, and cloudy white starch water, so mix slowly and add the water only a little at a time. Start with 2 parts cornstarch in a bowl (if you want to add the food coloring, add it now). Slowly, add 1 part water, mixing with a spoon to get all of the powder wet. Have another measure of water handy, and drop in a little at a time, mixing as you go. It will take much less water than you might think to change the consistency much, so add only a few drops at a time. You will know when it is the right amount, as the wet powder will stick together and suddenly start behaving very strangely. It will flow fairly smoothly into the bottom of the bowl, and your fingers will sink into it readily, but if you try to punch it or poke it quickly with your fingers, you won’t be able to penetrate it. These properties are what make it so fun for the kids to play with. If you get really ambitious, you can even turn it into a learning session, this mixture is classified as a Non-Newtonian fluid…for those science geeks out there, you can read more about that here.
Here are a couple of other photos of the kids having fun with it:
**One important note: Do not dispose of this down your sink, it is possible that it may clog your pipes!! I usually just toss it in the garbage.
Here is another slime recipe that looks fun for this kids, but not quite as easy as the cornstarch mixture….perfect for Halloween coming next month!
Happy slime-making!
