This bug slime without borax would go well with an insect theme unit. It also is a nice one for Spring or Summer. It’s a way for kids to play with bugs without them being real bugs! 
My kids love slime that is super stretchy. That is one of the things we really like about this particular recipe. It has a good amount of stretch to it.
Incorporating the insects into the slime allows for this to be used in your school or homeschool in a science unit. The clear slime allows kids to examine each of the insects and make observations about their characteristics.
Bug Slime without Borax Recipe:
- 5 oz. Elmers clear school glue
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 Tbsp. contact solution (be sure to use contact solution that includes both boric acid and sodium borate in the ingredient list or it won’t work)
- a variety of plastic bugs
Instructions:
- In a bowl, pour 5 oz clear glue.
- Add 1/2 cup water. Mix until the glue has broken up and is incorporated into the water.
- Mix 1/2 cup baking soda in. Baking soda will help determine your slime thickness.
- Add 1 Tbsp. of contact solution. Mix immediately. The slime will be ready to knead when it begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- Knead the slime. It will be sticky at first, but keep kneading it. This should make it less sticky. If you find that it is still too sticky, you can add a little bit more contact solution, a little at a time.
- Once your slime has formed, you can add your bugs and knead them inside.
- Store in an airtight container.
Slime makes an excellent sensory play material. It incorporates the visual, tactile, and proprioceptive sensory systems. Kids can pull, knead, stretch, and squish the slime.
Check out some of our other slime recipes:
