Science lesson: Slime

Today for our science lesson, we made slime. The kids all love it. I am sure on a rainy day we do this again. It was simple and not too messy. Owen kept saying it looked like brains. Grace was bouncing it like a ball. Isabelle just love to squish it and I am sure if Zachary could have gotten a hold of it, he would try to eat it :) The point was to learn how to mix ingredients to make a polymer. We also made science journals. The kids had to draw what they think slime would look like.  Here is the recipe:

How to do the experiment:

Homemade Slime Recipe

Borax
White Glue
Water
Food Coloring (optional)
Ziploc bag

1. Borax is available in the laundry section of your local grocery store. Take a cup of water and add to it 1 Tbs. of borax (approx 4% solution). Stir until completely dissolved.
2. Make a 50% water 50% white glue solution. Take 1/4 cup of each and mix thoroughly.
3. In a ziploc bag, add equal parts of the borax solution to equal parts of the glue solution. 1/2 cup of each will make a cup of slime.
4. Add a couple drops of food coloring.
5. Seal bag and knead the mixture.
6. Dig in and have fun. Remember to wash your hands after playing.
7. Keep your slime in the sealed bag in the refrigerator when not playing with it to keep it longer. Unfortunately it may eventually dry out or grow mold. Just throw it out and start again!  
Explanation:
The borax is acting as the cross linking agent or "connector" for the glue (polyvinyl acetate) molecules. Once the glue molecules join together to form even larger molecules called polymers, you get a thickened gel very similar to slime. If you've tried this recipe (formula) before using blue starch (instead of the borax) with mixed results, you won't be disappointed with this one. Works every time! If you have access to a chemical supply house, try a 4% solution of polyvinyl alcohol instead of the glue for a less rubbery polymer and one that is transparent showing off the color better.