Science, Curiosity and Life
I have been asked a lot lately about slime recipes that do not require borax powder (as it is difficult to source in Ireland at the moment); We have tried and tested some alternatives (it’s a tough job but someone has to do it 😉 ) and here are our favourite slime recipes. Read more
People are always asking me for a slime recipe that doesn’t require borax powder. This is one option, making silly putty. We love this recipe, using just cornflour and washing up liquid (or you can use liquid soap instead); just be careful that you use products that you know won’t irritate your child’s skin.
We thought we’d share this one, in honour of St. Patrick’s Day…. with all the shamrocks and the leprechauns and the rainbows 😉
Just click the arrow button on the right of the image below to find out how to make this brilliant rainbow silly putty; it is so easy and my kids loved it!
We mixed all our silly putty together for the rainbow effect but you can keep the colours separate if you prefer. This silly putty is great to play with, mold it in your hand, stretch it, fold it… it makes a great stress busting tool too! It will last for a week or more if you put it in an airtight container or plastic bag but we usually just make a new batch each time.
Let me know if you try this yourself! We have had lots of fun working on other slime recipes and will be sharing them soon so remember to check back or follow the blog to make sure you don’t miss any posts!
Here is a fun science experiment that all kids love….. and no matter how many times a child may have done this one, they are always happy to do it again!
You will need….
*You can pick up the borax powder in your local chemist (See note below)
What you do…
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| This experiment is as fun as it looks! |
If you want to keep your slime just pop it into a Zip-lock bag and seal it and it will be ready for you next time you want some slimey fun!
So what is happening?…
Congratulation… you have just made a polymer!! In simple terms a polymer is a substance made up of lots of molecules arranged in long chains. If you imagine that the glue is like cooked spaghetti, it slides and slips around the place quite easily. When we add the borax to the glue it causes some of the molecules in the glue to stick together making the glue more rubbery and less liquid! Imagine if you took those strands of spaghetti and tied them together in places, the strands would not be able to slip and slide around nearly as much! The borax and glue mixture is just like your knotted spaghetti!
*Where can I get Borax powder?
In Ireland you need to buy Borax powder in a pharmacy. The production is a little erratic and the larger volumes are no longer available! You should be able to get this 100g tub in any pharmacy and it costs about €2.25.
UPDATE 2017: Borax powder is no longer as readily available in Ireland. here is one alternative, using very simple ingredients… check out this post on how to make silly putty.
Or check out our Ultimate Slime Guide for lots of fantastic slime recipes using contact lens solution or laundry detergent.