Slime Recipe with Starch- Non-toxic!

Slime Recipe with Starch

This slime recipe made with starch is an easy project that only takes a few ingredients.  It is very slimy and sticky so it is a lovely sensory activity for children.  As it is made out of starch, it is also taste safe and edible (though it won’t taste very nice).  It is easy to make either in a microwave or on a stovetop by slowly heating it up. 

My children love playing with it. They enjoy how it feels and mixing and combining different colours of slime together doubles the fun.  They have enjoyed playing with this by itself, in our mud kitchen, and mixing it with things like flowers and leaves.

What you need – Slime recipe with starch

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• Tapioca Flour (or other starch) (UK)
• Water
• Food colouring (UK)
• Bowl
• Spoon
• Microwave (Alternatively, you can cook it on the stove)

Mix equal parts tapioca flour and water with several drops of food colouring.  E.g. 1 cup of tapioca flour with 1 cup of water.

Stir it until it is evenly mixed and then heat in the microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir it up and then microwave again for 30 seconds.  It will slowly begin to become jelly like.  Continue to heat for 30 seconds at a time and then stir thoroughly until it becomes clear.  This will probably take about 3 minutes in total.  You can then rinse it with cold water quickly to cool it down.  Finally, knead it together and it is ready to play with.

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I’ve found that it doesn’t store very well.   However, if you wrap it up, and keep it in the fridge, you can revive it a bit with some boiling water and then heating it up on the stove or in the microwave.

Questions to ask

• What does it feel like?
• How can you change its shape?
• Can you pull it, press it, squash it, etc?
• Would you like to add anything to it?  Does it change it?

What they get from it

This is a lovely sensory slime for children to play with.  It is taste-safe so it is great for children of all ages and particularly those who still like to explore with their mouths.  Sensory play is beneficial for learning, language and memory development.  Research has shown that sensory experiences help assist children’s learning by making and reinforcing connections in the brain (Papatheodorou & Moyles, 2012, Gascoyne, 2012, and Gascoyne, 2016).

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Take it further

As I mentioned, my children love using this slime in their mud kitchen.  They like adding in water, flowers, leaves and whatever else they want to experiment with.  It can be nice for children to use their imagination to explore and play with it.

You may want to see some of my other sensory play posts such as, Corn Starch Paint, or Psyllium Slime.

References

Papatheodorou, T. & Moyles, J. (2012) Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Early Childhood. Sage.

Gascoyne, S. (2012).  Treasure Baskets and Beyond: Realizing the Potential of Sensory-Rich Play.  McGraw-Hill Educaiton (UK).

Gascoyne, S. (2016).  Sensory Play: Play in the EYFS.  Andrews UK Limited.