This birthday slime is easy to make and would be perfect for a birthday celebration or a preschool birthday theme. What better birthday party activity is there than to learn how to make slime with kids?!
It’s my personal opinion that you really don’t need a special occasion to make slime. I know not everyone agrees with me on the slime front!
BUT if you are of that mindset, I think this birthday slime fits the bill. This would be great to make with kids at a small science-themed party. And it would also make a great gift for party attendees to take home with them!
On top of that, I think a preschool birthday theme should definitely include this celebration slime. What a great science and/or sensory activity to include in your plans!
Birthday Slime
So grab your party hats and get ready for some slime making fun with the kids.
Celebration Slime Ingredients
If you’re anything like me, you probably have everything you need to make slime already. We seriously buy the ingredients in bulk. It just makes sense for us! If you don’t, that’s okay. You really don’t need much.
Here’s what went into this birthday slime:
And one of the great things about making slime? There are so many different variations and types of slime that you can easily change up the ingredients. If your birthday kid’s favorite color is red, then grab some red glitter instead! No problem at all.
How Do You Make Birthday Slime?
The base of this slime is our favorite liquid starch slime recipe. Keep in mind that you can use your favorite basic slime recipe in place of this one if you’d prefer.
First, pour 5 ounces of clear glue into a bowl. If you buy your glue by the gallon like we do, have the kids help measure it out. Otherwise, just empty an entire bottle of glue into your bowl.
Next up is 4 ounces of warm water. You can technically leave this step out, but I like the feel of slime with a little bit of water added to it. Measure it with a measuring cup or just fill the empty glue bottle up with some water. Once the water’s added, mix well.
Then it’s time to add your glitter! If you feel like coloring the slime a bit more, you can add liquid watercolors or food coloring at this stage too. Be sure to stir things up again once the glitter is added.
After that, add in 4 ounces of liquid starch slowly, stirring as you add. You’ll want to keep stirring until the slime begins to form. This will be apparent when the slime begins to separate from the bowl.
Once the slime has formed, it’s time for a super important step! Knead the slime for about 2 or 3 minutes, just like you’d knead bread dough.
If the slime feels too stiff, add some more water. If it feels too sticky, add a little bit more liquid starch. Then knead it again for about a minute.
When the slime gets to the consistency you prefer, you can add in the birthday confetti! Gently fold it in, or leave that step to the kids.
Related: Pirate Sensory Bottle
Playing with Slime
As I mentioned earlier, I know slime isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But I happen to really enjoy making it for the kids. It’s a ton of fun for most children, it encourages play, and it’s open-ended. Which makes it a big win in my book.
I find it a lot of fun to observe the children as they interact with the slime. Now, not all kids enjoy slime – and that’s perfectly okay! It’s not for everyone, especially children who are sensitive to certain textures.
Those that do enjoy it often approach slime in different ways. So you’ll see the kids play with it in a variety of ways.
Some children will want to stretch the slime, seeing how long they can pull it. You can encourage these kids to measure how far their slime stretches using traditional or nontraditional measurement tools.
Related: Superhero Slime Science and Sensory Play
Others will have fun picking ALL of the confetti out of the slime. Only to turn back around and add it all back in. Talk about fine motor skills at work, right!?
Still, other children will use the slime as part of a pretend play experience. The slime might be a cake or cupcakes for the birthday child. In that case, maybe you can pair it with some muffin or pie tins.
Just remember this specific slime is not taste-safe. But if you want to make a slimy concoction for a birthday celebration, you’re in luck! Check out the amazingly delicious edible birthday cake slime from Sugar, Spice, and Glitter!
Others will want to use the slime as the base of small world play. Maybe their dinosaurs are having a birthday party in the slime! You never know what those active imaginations will come up with.
What Can We Learn with Birthday Slime?
As a preschool teacher, I’m sure you are always looking for the underlying lesson in every activity. And making and playing with slime is full of so many hidden learning opportunities. Here are a few things the children will explore as they make and play with the birthday slime:
- Chemical reactions
- Measurement
- Vocabulary
- Sensory exploration (sight and touch)
- Fine motor skills
- Conversation
- Turn-taking
Of course, that’s not everything the kids can explore with the slime, but it’s a good start. How would your students use this slime?
Slime Safety
Before you jump into making birthday slime with your kids, make sure to read up on the safety side of things.
As with everything here on Fun-A-Day, adult supervision is required at all times.
None of the ingredients, nor the finished slime, should ever be ingested. If you have children who still explore things with their mouths, consider putting the slime in clear bottles or plastic baggies.
Keep an eye out for skin sensitivities. I’ve never come across this, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen in the future.
And make sure everyone washes their hands before AND after playing with the slime.
These simple safety measures help with keeping things focused on the fun and learning!
Children’s Books About Birthdays
You know I can’t pass up a chance to talk about children’s books! Here are some suggestions for birthday books you can read to the kids:
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The post Birthday Slime for a Preschool Birthday Theme appeared first on Fun-A-Day!.