Homemade Slime

Turn cornstarch and water into a vat of quicksand!

Submitted by
Wade Wojcak

What do you get when you mix cornstarch with water? Slime! And it's a fact--kids love slime. (Ever catch The Kids' Choice Awards?) The best thing about slime is that once you're covered in it, you feel like a kid again, no matter what your chronological age. Too bad that feeling stops the minute you switch to cleanup mode! Warning, in case you haven't guessed--this activity is NOT for neat freaks!

Large bowl
Cornstarch: A box will do.
Water: Skip the Evian, just straight from the tap.
Measuring cup: Give it to the kids. It's not like you're using it to bake soufflés! (Or if you are, we bow down to you, Domestic Goddess!)
Large wooden spoon or stick
Food coloring (optional)
A plastic tablecloth or one of those mats for under the high chair: To keep everything in the house from getting slimed!

Cover your table or workspace with the plastic tablecloth. (This activity is really best over a non-carpeted surface, so drag everything into the bathroom, if you have to!)
Have your child empty the box of cornstarch into a large bowl.
Hand her measuring cup, and help her measure out and dump in about 3 cups of water. You may need slightly more, so you'll have to have your slime expert judge how slimey she wants things. (We're guessing pretty slimey!)
Work together to mix the slime with a spoon or stick until it's nice and goopy. Add some food coloring (if you dare…).
Let her dig her hands in the bowl and experiment with the way the slime moves. Sometimes it feels dry, but if she picks it up, it's totally slippery. Try passing some back and forth to see if you can do it! Or maybe Barbie would like to try her hand at digging out of quicksand?!
To clean up, dump the slime in the trash, not down the drain or you'll end up calling the plumber!