Easy Kid Friendly Slime Recipes With No Borax

Slime is one of the most popular toys with kids these days. These squishy, stretchy toys are great for learning and keeping kids occupied. But one of the factors that may make parents worry about slimes is borax, which is one of its main ingredients. Borax can be potentially risky and dangerous for young kids. However, we have some homemade slime recipes without borax that you can try and keep your kiddo’s safe! Read on this post to learn some easy recipes!

What Is Slime?

Slime is tricky as it can be both solid and liquid simultaneously, but that mainly depends on how much force is applied to holding it. It is a non-Newtonian liquid that can be scooped out and held in hands, but it does not flow like other liquids. Glue and water are two essential ingredients that go into it to give it its slime base. The proportion of these base ingredients can be adjusted to provide the slime with a more rubbery, stickier, or thicker texture. You can also add different colours, glitter, scents, toys, etc., to make it more exciting and fun for your child!

Why Borax Is Dangerous for Kids?

Though borax is a naturally occurring substance and often marked as a ‘green ingredient’, it is not entirely safe for kids. Here are some dangers of exposing borax to kids:

1. Toxicity

If borax is accidentally inhaled or ingested, it gets quickly broken down by the body. It can lead to a severe case of poisoning that may cause organ damage and other complications.

2. Irritation

If the skin is exposed to borax for an extended period, it may irritate the eyes and skin. In some cases, it may lead to skin burns too. This irritation may result in nausea, respiratory problems, mouth infection, vomiting, skin rash, etc.

3. Digestive Complications

Accidental ingestion may cause digestive problems in kids that may include diarrhoea, stomach upset, kidney failure, shock, etc.

On average, a tablespoon or 14 grams of borax is required to make slime. It may come as a startling fact for parents that just 5 grams of borax can be potentially dangerous for a child. Therefore, it is best to skip borax and use other child-friendly slime ingredients to make slime for your kiddo.

How To Make Slime Without Borax At Home

Here are some quick slime recipes without any borax that you can make at home:

1. Cornstarch and glue slime

This is a fairly simple and easy recipe to make slime that includes just a couple of ingredients.

What You Will Need

• 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 cups of craft glue
• 2 cups of water
• Few drops of food colour of choice

Instructions

• Take a big mixing bowl and add water to it.
• Add glue and give a thorough mix to make a uniform mixture of water and glue.
• Add a few drops of any food colour. You may add more colour to adjust the colour that you require.
• Now, add cornstarch slowly to the mixture until you reach a desired consistency of slime.

2. Cornstarch and Shampoo Slime

This recipe can be whipped at any time because all the ingredients are readily available at home most of the time!

What You Will Need

• 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 cups shampoo (any shampoo will work fine)
• ¼ cup of water

Instructions

• In a deep mixing bowl, add cornstarch and shampoo. Mix both the ingredients well.
• Add two tablespoons of water to knead all the ingredients together.
• Slowly add more water to the mixture and keep kneading until you get the desired consistency.
• Ideally, prepare this slime just a few minutes before playing.

3. Glue, Baking Soda, and Contact Solution Slime

This is an excellent fluffy slime recipe that you can try. However, make sure that you check the label for ingredients in the contact solution, as sometimes there may be traces of borax in it.

What You Will Need

• 4 tablespoons contact solution
• 3 tablespoons baking soda
• 3 cups Craft glue

Instructions

• Take a large bowl for mixing all the ingredients.
• Add glue and baking soda to the bowl and mix well.
• Slowly add contact solution as you knead all the ingredients together.
• Keep adding more contact solution until you get a good consistency.

4. Baking Soda, Glue, and Shaving Cream Slime

This recipe will be super fun to try as kids get to play with shaving foam while making their favourite slime.

What You Will Need

• 2 cups shaving foam (you can use any brand)
• 2 cups white glue
• 2 tablespoons baking soda
• 4 tablespoons saline solution
• Few drops of food colour (any colour that you like)

Instructions

• Add baking soda and glue in a big bowl and mix them well with your fingers.
• Add shaving foam to the baking soda and glue mixture and give a thorough mix.
• At this point, add a few drops of food colour to give the desired colour to the slime.
• Add saline solution to the mixture to reach a perfect slime consistency. You can add more saline solution to get the consistency that you want.
• Keep kneading the mixture until you get the slimy consistency. Enjoy playing with this stretchy toy!

5. Baby Powder Slime

With just two ingredients in hand, you can whip up this easy-to-make slime recipe!

What You Will Need

• 1 cup baby powder
• 1 cup  craft glue
• Few drops of food colour (optional)

Instructions

• Take a deep mixing bowl.
• Add glue into the bowl.
• If you wish to add colour to the slime, then this when you should add a few drops of food colour and mix it well with the glue. However, if you want to skip this step, you can do so!

Add baby powder to the glue and keep mixing it until you get a good slime consistency. If you feel the need to add more powder, you can do that.

Safety Tips While Making Slime

As much fun it to play with slimes, it is important to keep in mind some safety tips. Here are some of the things that you should keep in mind while making slime:

• Food colours can sometimes stain hands and clothes. If you wish to avoid adding colours to avoid staining, you can do that. You can also use non-staining food colours to avoid staining.
• If children get slime on their clothes or other fabrics, make sure that you clean it immediately to avoid stains from setting in.
• Even if you are using borax-free recipes to make slimes, make sure that children wash their hands after making and playing with them. Teach kids not to put slime in their mouth while playing with it.
• Store slime in an air-tight container or zip lock pouch when not playing with it. This way, it will stay stretchy and slimy for long.
• You can use tonic water in place of water in your slime recipe, as this will make it glow in the dark. However, if you’re doing so, make sure you tweak other ingredients to get the required consistency.
• Sometimes using ingredients such as juice crystals, glitter, scents, etc., can make slimes more attractive to the kids, and they may get tempted to put them in their mouth. It is advisable to encourage kids not to take slime anywhere close to their mouth or face.

Making slime with your child will not only be a fun and super exciting activity for you and your child but also, by the end of it, your child will also have his favourite toy to play with. If you have been hesitant or had your doubts about making slime at home, try some of the recipes mentioned above that are relatively easy and simple to make. You will be assured that your child is playing with something safe and fun!

Also Read:

Gooey-Woeey Slime Party Ideas for Children
Best Slime Recipes for Children
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