HOW TO MAKE CLASSIC BORAX SLIME
Before today, I had never attempted to make homemade slime. It seemed like it would be intimidating and take along time. But surprisingly enough, it using this easy slime recipe it wasn’t difficult at all and making classic borax slime is one of our favorite ways to teach kids about chemical bonds.
Since this first attempt at slime, we have made tons of other versions! This version is made with Borax, and is the classic Borax slime that most people think about when you think about homemade slime. But there are a lot more ways to make slime! You can see all our slime recipes in one place here.
If you are ready to take on the challenge of homemade slime here is how we did it:
Check out the full list of summer slime recipes!
THE ORIGINAL BORAX EASY SLIME RECIPE
Read on to see how to make this easy slime recipe! And if you love this slime recipe, try these other versions: fluffy slime, edible candy slime, laundry starch slime, and baking soda slime.
THE SCIENCE OF BORAX SLIME
Slime is made when boron mixes with the polymer chains in the glue, creating strong, but flexible bonds between the molecules. There are so many fun tweaks you can make to a basic slime recipe, like my kid’s favorite, fluffy slime! Since this slime does contain borax, if you have a sensitivity to it, you may want to try our baking soda slime instead.
DON’T MISS: THE ULTIMATE LIST OF SLIME RECIPES!
TIPS FOR MAKING YOUR EASY BORAX SLIME RECIPE A SUCCESS
If this is your first time making slime, you should follow along with our post on slime troubleshooting. Luckily,liquid laundry starch slime made with clear glue is the easiest slime recipe.
If you don’t want to waste a lot of ingredients, try mixing up a small batch first to make sure you won’t have to tweak it before you make the larger version. We always stock up on gallon sizes of glue and the large laundry starch just in case something goes wrong (but it almost always goes smoothly).
HOW TO MAKE THE ULTIMATE EASY SLIME RECIPE
Follow these directions and you’ll have the best easy slime recpie ever!
CHECK OUT THE SLIME MADE EASY E-BOOK!
What you’ll need to make the easy borax slime recipes:
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Elmer’s Liquid School Glue, Premium Clear, Washable, 1 Gallon, 1 Count – Great For Making SlimeFood Coloring Liqua-Gel – 6 Color Rainbow Kit in .75 fl. oz. (20ml) BottlesPurex Sta-Flo Liquid Starch, 64 OunceOriginal Stationery Arts and Crafts Glitter Shake Jars, Extra Fine, 24 Multi color Set
The Science of Borax Slime
Slime forms when polyvinyl alcohol and borate ion mix. The polyvinyl alcohol is attracted to borate ion, which causes them to form long chain molecules. When this reaction occurs, the two separate materials mix and slime is formed.
Easy Borax Slime Recipe Instructions
Follow these simple directions to make the classic Borax slime!
To make this easy slime recipe you will need:
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Elmer’s Liquid School Glue, Premium Clear, Washable, 1 Gallon, 1 Count – Great For Making SlimeFood Coloring Liqua-Gel – 6 Color Rainbow Kit in .75 fl. oz. (20ml) BottlesPurex Sta-Flo Liquid Starch, 64 OunceOriginal Stationery Arts and Crafts Glitter Shake Jars, Extra Fine, 24 Multi color Set
- Borax
- Elmer’s clear school glue (other brands just don’t work as well!)
- Food coloring
- Glitter
Borax Slime Safety Warning
Make exactly according to this recipe, we haven’t had any problems with slime causing allergic reactions or skin burns. However, some individuals may be more sensitive than others. Don’t let kids play with this slime recipe if you notice any ill effects. Additionally, only make this version of slime if your kids will not put it in their mouths. Borax powder (and glue) should not be consumed.
EASY SLIME RECIPE DIRECTIONS
Mix about ½ a cup of water and a teaspoon of borax until the borax dissolves.
Dump 1/2 a cup of clear glue into a separate bowl, and add a few drops of food coloring and a bit of glitter if you like. My kids love sparkly things, so we added glitter, but if your kids don’t like sparkles as much, just add color. Add 1/2 a cup of water to the glue mixture.
Pour the borax mixture into the glue mixture. Stir for a few seconds with the spoon, then use your hands for the rest of the mixing.
The Results
We thought our slime would be really oozy, but it turned out stiffer than we thought it would. This is because Borax slime produces a stiffer consistency when used with clear glue. If you use it with white glue, it will be a little more flexible.
However, it will never be as flexible and stretchy as laundry starch slime, which is why we prefer using laundry starch for our slime. Although contrary to popular belief, laundry starch slime does contain borax and is not a borax-free slime.
When you pull the slime slowly, it stretches like hot cheese. When you pull it quickly, it breaks apart like cold cheese. The girls loved squishing the slime, watching the pieces reform into a solid whole, and in Bo’s case, she loved crumbling our slime into tiny pieces.
Don’t forget to check out the other posts in the 31 days of STEM activities for kids series!
More Easy Slime Recipes
Baking Soda Slime
This is so cool!
I’ve never made Slime and wish I would buckle down and do it. I know it would create hours of fun and I’d be mommy of the day!
You should do it! It really took about 5 minutes from start to finish, then the girls played with it for two days almost solid. 🙂
I just made this, following the directions to a “T.” And, all I got was a liquidy mess. Anything I can do different, or suggestions otherwise? I’ve tried a few recipes on Pinterest, and I just get liquid every single time.
Hi Megan, are you using clear Elmer’s glue and sta-flo starch? I’ve found that’s the best recipe to start with to make slime that holds together well. Use 1 part glue and 3/4 part water mixed together, then add 1 part starch. You should get wonderfully stretchy slime that way!
We’re slime fans and this one my girls would totally dub “Elsa’s”! Pinning for Summer afternoon fun!
That’s true! I should have said it was Elsa’s slime. 🙂
I want to thank you for stating the differences between the Borax and starch slime and the differences between the clear and white glues. I started to make 5 gallons of slime for my niece for Christmas and have been having many problems and nothing I have tried has had the expected results. My results have been just as you have described and I was beginning to go nuts. Now i wish I hadn’t decided to go with a clear slime.
I LOVE this! I am in my first year as a STEM teacher for an elementary school, K-2. Do you have suggestions for slime without glue? We need our glue for other paper projects and my issues are around quantity and supplies. Any suggestions for large groups? I have 15 classes, each, of K, 1st, and 2nd, seeing each group twice a month, and there are 17 to 22 students in each class.
Please help with ideas, and/or directing me on what to do.
Guess I should also say, the school has not yet funded me with a grant or anything, so I am sort of on my own with not too many supplies left. Next year they are planning to help more, but I still need ideas and lessons set up before next year begins. For now, I want to start slime for them to be made in May and June since it’s the end of the year soon.
Thanks for reading!
Ms. Leslie Sanker
S.T.E.M Instructor
Hi Leslie,
Making slime without glue is not quite the same, nor is it cost effective for the most part. All of your alternative slime recipes that are made without glue are going to use conditioner or shampoo, or food substances (like xanthan gum or chia seeds). They will also have more of a “slop-like” consistency. If you’re wanting to make slime and keep costs low, the best thing do to is order a big gallon of clear Elmer’s glue (it’s about $15) and a box of borax powder. That way you can make two gallons of slime for under $20. All alternative recipes are going to be more costly than those ingredients. You can also make ooblek with cornstarch and water, which is even cheaper, but not quite as slime-like.
Hi, we just made the slime and it ended up a liquid mess as well. :0( how much water do you put in? Wondering if we added too much. The recipe said to dissolve the borax in 1/2 cup water. Than add an additional 1/2 cup of plain water to the the glue mixture. So 1/2 cup of glue and 1 cup water total? Is this correct? Found the directions a bit confusing as there was not a place to find exact amounts for the recipe. They were just listed in the recipe.
Thanks!