To do fun science experiments at home with your child is to nourish a lifelong love of learning through science. This hands-on messy play ignites children’s natural curiosity by providing, exciting, engaging, experimental practical STEM experiences. Children learn without realising as they are having so much fun! CEO of Junior Einsteins Science Club, Tracey-Jane Cassidy MA MSc, shares a fun science experiment: How to make safe, simple slime.
How to Make Safe, Simple Slime
Scientific Concept: Non-Newtonian fluids (liquids that do not behave like water behaves!)
To make your slime you will need:
- 1 packet of cornflour
- Water
- A bowl or container
- A cup or jug for the water
- Glove (optional)
- Food colouring (optional, but fun!)
Method for slime:
- Place all your cornflour into your bowl or container.
- Get a cup of water and add a few drops of food colouring if using.
- Add the water slowly to the cornflour while gently stirring.
- Keep adding water to get your slime to a slimey’ consistency! You will need about 2 cups of water.
- Your slime is ready to play with!
Once your slime is ready, stir it slowly with your hand and see how gloopy and drippy it is. But try punching your slime very quickly and it suddenly becomes as hard as stone and not like slime at all, crazy right?
You may also enjoy reading – Hands On Science for Your “Junior Einsteins” Parties, Camps and Classes and Events.
The Science Bit
Your slime is made out of teeny, tiny little jagged pieces that look like rocks (under a microscope). When you punch the slime, the little jagged pieces jam together and you can’t get your hand through. But if you move the mixture around gently, the little pieces have time to tumble over each and the water moves in between them so the mixture flows like slime.
You will find this slime experiment along with 9 other fun science experiments in the new Junior Einsteins Science Club book: Slime, Bubbling Potions & Exploding Rockets!
You may also enjoy reading – Watch Out! Some Slime for Kids Contains Dangerous Levels of Boron
Junior Einsteins Science Club
Creating and doing science experiments and making mistakes develops children’s personal confidence and self-esteem. Group science experiments promote creative thinking, teamwork, imagination and problem-solving abilities. We at Junior Einsteins teach children “how to think…. not what to think”, best preparing them for the unpredictability of the future challenges they will face in our constantly changing world.
Challenges are an important part of team work, confidence building and learning important communication skills. You can teach children that mistakes are not bad. Some of the best scientific inventions have come from a scientist making a ‘mistake’!
You may also enjoy reading – How to Get Slime off Carpets, Clothes, Sofa and Hair!
Did you know you can book Junior Einsteins Science Club for parties & events, after school classes and they run fun science holiday camps?
About the Author: Michelle
