This tiger slime is sure to have the little ones roaring! If you’re a little hesitant or unsure of how to make slime with kids, don’t worry. This recipe is a breeze!
Related: Types of Slime from A to Z
If you ask your students what their favorite zoo animal is, I’m sure they’ll have a ton of different answers. And let’s be honest – those answers can even change day to day, based on changing interests.
Either way, I’m sure that the tiger will be pretty popular. And what’s not to love?! Tigers are the world’s largest cats. While they may not purr like your average house cat, their roar can be heard from miles away. And not to mention the famous orange and black tiger stripes! Each tiger has a unique striped pattern on both its fur and skin.
So it’s easy to understand kids’ fascination with tigers. They’re unique, beautiful, majestic, and powerful. In fact, this tiger slime is based on one of my son’s buds . . . he’s been interested in tigers much of his childhood.
If your students love tigers, they will have a blast learning all about tigers before they pounce on this slime fun!
Tiger Slime
I’m certain this will be a hit with not only the preschoolers but any tiger fans, young or old! It’s super easy to make, which is a big plus in my book. All you really need is one batch of black slime and one batch of orange slime.
Then let the kids twist and turn the slime to create a unique striped pattern, just like a real tiger! This slime can go with a wide variety of preschool themes, like animals, the zoo, or even a unit about patterns! Of course, there doesn’t even need to be a reason or theme to make this slime!
Tiger Stripes Slime Materials
Creating slime is a lot of fun and even though the kids may not realize it, it’s really more of a science experiment. And what does every good science experiment start out with? A list of materials.
Here’s what you’ll need to make the slimy tiger stripes with your students:
Here are some other basic things for any of your slime activities:
Small tiger toys are a great complement to the tiger slime, too. These aren’t required, by any means. But I think they another dimension to the kids’ play.
How to Make Orange Slime
To get an authentic tiger look, we created black and orange striped slime. Let’s start out with the orange portion.
First, pour the entire bottle of clear glue into the mixing bowl. Most standard bottles of Elmer’s glue are 4 ounces. But if you’re anything like me, you purchase glue in bulk. If that’s the case, just measure out 4 ounces of glue using a measuring cup.
Next, fill that same glue bottle up with warm water and pour it into the same bowl as the glue. If you measured glue from a larger container, just measure out 3 to 4 ounces of warm water and add it to the bowl. Mix well.
And now it’s time to add the color! Start by adding about a tablespoon of the orange liquid watercolor and mix. Then you can mix in more based on how vibrant you want the slime to be. We may have added a little too much orange this time, which resulted in a deeper orange than I originally planned. I don’t think it detracts from the end result, though!
The final ingredient is the liquid starch. Slowly stir in 4 ounces of liquid starch to the mix. Mix all of the ingredients for about two minutes, until the slime has formed.
This last step is super important, so be sure not to skip it! Knead the slime for two to three minutes until it reaches the perfect consistency.
How to Make Black Slime
Once you’re finished making the orange slime, it’s time to make the black slime. The directions for this one are exactly the same as the orange slime. Just swap out the orange liquid watercolors for black liquid watercolor.
I’ll just recap the directions, just in case:
- Combine 4 ounces of clear glue with 4 ounces of warm water. Mix well.
- Add in about a tablespoon of the black liquid watercolor and stir until combined. If your slime isn’t quite as rich of a color as you’d prefer, mix in a bit more black liquid watercolor.
- Then, add in 4 ounces of liquid starch and stir for about two minutes until fully incorporated.
- Finally, take the slime out and knead the slime until it reaches your desired consistency.
And there you have it! Your orange and black slimes are all set to create your striped tiger slime!
Playing With The Tiger-Striped Slime
In my experience, the kids lead the way when it comes to playing and exploring. While we adults may have some fun ideas for the slime, I know kids can come up with even more clever ideas!
Of course, this particular slime lends itself to a stripe effect. So you might consider prompting the kids to lay strips of each color out and let them twist and turn the slime to make a unique pattern. The zig zag method we used in our zebra slime is also very effective at creating a unique pattern!
It is important to note, however, that the black and vibrant orange colors of the slime will eventually begin to meld together, creating more of a muddy brown color. So, if you want the tiger stripes to last a bit longer, just make sure the kids don’t mix them too much. And even when the colors begin to mix and change, the kids will still have sensory fun with the slime!
I also chose to lay out some small plastic tiger toys next to the slime in case the kids wanted to use them in the slime. Some kids might use the toy tigers, creating paw prints, playing out scenes with the animals, or having them talk to one another.
Related: Unicorn Slime: Two Different Ways to Make It
Other kids may be more interested in slime itself. Slime is a unique sensory sensation, so you may see kids stretching it, rolling it, swirling it, and twirling it. You may even see the kids creating a tiger shape or face with the slime.
I love seeing how creative the kids get with the slime and this activity is no exception. The opportunities for playing and learning are endless!
Slime Safety
As I mentioned before, making slime is really a science experiment of its own. And with that in mind, we must treat it as such.
Children must be supervised by an adult when handling materials, when creating the slime, and when playing with the slime.
From the materials to the final slimy product and toys, nothing from this activity should be placed in anyone’s mouths. And if that’s a concern with any of the kids, there are some really easy ways to alter this project to make it safe for everyone participating.
One alteration you may consider is putting the slime in a bottle, jar, or zip-top bag for safe play. Or safe play may just look like more hands-on attention and supervision. You know your students best, though! So, just keep their needs in mind when it comes to safety.
Next, make sure that the kids wash their hands before and after making or playing with the slime. While I’ve never had any students develop a skin reaction to making or playing with slime, it is not out of the realm of possibility. So keep an eye out for that.
And lastly, remember that science experiments for kids are a great tool for learning and fun. So make sure the kids have lots of safe, educational FUN!
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