Many kids say that slime has a calming, focusing quality. Slime is a form of sensory play, meaning it stimulates the senses. Sensory play can be soothing for kids, and is often used in play therapy for this reason.
Slime gives children a sensory experience whilst stimulating their curiosity. Slime provides a kind of 'sensory play', which helps to engage a kid's senses, stimulate creativity, and can have a calming, in-the-moment effect.
Aside from the visual and tactile elements of slime, the sound it makes when people play with it provides a type of ASMR relief. There are even those who add a fourth sensory pleasure to their creations by including essential oils in their recipes, giving it aromatherapy properties.
Slime can do something similar for anyone experiencing stress or tension. Slime is a tool that can help release tense muscles, lead to relaxation, and decrease any physical symptoms of stress by giving you a physical outlet through which you can discharge that stress through your hands.
Many kids are so interested in slime that they'll happily give up some TV or video game time to make it. Many kids say that slime has a calming, focusing quality. Slime is a form of sensory play, meaning it stimulates the senses. Sensory play can be soothing for kids, and is often used in play therapy for this reason.
Great news: slime is for both kids and adults, too! Make slime at home using simple ingredients that you can easily measure and mix. Making slime is a fun and creative activity for you and your children.
As far as I can tell, kids of almost every age are interested in slime. It's one of the only activities in my office that appeals to preschoolers as well as preteens. Slime is so much a part of kid culture right now that children of all ages know what it is.
The squeezing and stretching action that most people naturally do when playing with slime can help release tension, aiding in relaxation. Practicing relaxation tools when your child is calm helps them access and use the skill when upset. Focus on the color, sensations, smells, and sounds of the slime.
Common Slime Problems:
Too hard: You probably didn't put in enough water. You might need to remake your slime. Won't gel: There are two reasons this can happen: 1) you didn't wait 3-5 minutes for the bonds to form, or 2) you didn't add enough starch.
Positive sensory input (for instance squeezing a load of lovely gooey slime) activates part of the nervous system which helps us rest. While all the senses can make us feel relaxed, the sense of touch is thought to be a route to a meditative state - which means feeling very calm.
Each week, they share the latest news whether it's something happening within the group or a topic that's gone viral since the last episode. On January 19, Slime revealed that he was permanently banned from Twitter after making a joke about Pointcrow on the platform.
Legal Requirements for a Slime Business
While there are no specific permits or licenses necessary to sell slime online, aside from any business permits and licensure needed for any business, you should take certain safety precautions when selling slime online.
You can set up your own website or use an established website to sell slime. Etsy, eBay, Craigslist, and even Instagram and Facebook are popular sites for selling homemade items like slime. Create an account on your preferred site or sites if you don't already have one.
“The tactile sensation of playing with slime can serve as a temporary distraction from a person's emotions and stress, which helps them to take a break and regroup, so they are better equipped to handle their stressors.”
Slime doesn't go bad, but you may want to toss it if it develops mold or if it dries out. Refrigerated slime, kept in a baggie, should last for a couple of weeks and can last months in a sealed bag unrefrigerated. If slime contains borax, it shouldn't spoil at all.
When more than one child is playing with slime, it's similar to sharing markers or clay. The germs on a child's hands can transfer to anything that is touched — the table, the marker, the slime.
In a nutshell, yes, slime is perfectly safe for most kids.
Borax is actually used as a soap and a disinfectant in many products. Besides Borax, the two most common activators used in slime making are liquid starch (Sta-Flo) which contains sodium tetraborate and saline solution which contains boric acid.
“Most slime recipes out there call for Borax, a strong alkaline substance like lye,” said Mark Johnston, program coordinator of the Regions Hospital Burn Center. “If used improperly or carelessly, it can cause chemical burns.” According to Johnston, close parent supervision is key to making sure your child stays safe.
One incredible sensory toy is slime. Thanks to the many textures and smells associated with slime, this sensory play activity helps kids connect with nearly all their senses. As they squish and pull the slime, they can focus on how it feels and looks as it changes shape.
Consider limiting how long children play with slime. There are currently no scientifically studied time periods, but a half an hour every day is a good general guideline. Everyone should wash hands with soap and water after touching or playing with slime.
When kids' senses are engaged, it's easier for them to focus and feel calm. Sensory play, like slime-making, promotes motor and cognitive development. While your kids can learn about science and mathematics when making slime, it is also a simple, fun and pressure-free activity.
The satisfying sounds, shapes, colors, and textures of slime are extremely mesmerizing, and because of this, has been shown to help relieve anxiety.
Norway and the United Arab Emirates have also banned select slime brands sold in their respective countries, and Health Canada is “advising Canadians to avoid using boric acid for arts and crafts projects, such as homemade slime or modeling clay.”
Already a subscriber? But slime is no longer just for kids: While it's been around for decades, social media has thrust it once again into the spotlight. The childhood preoccupation has experienced a renaissance on TikTok, surging in popularity over the past few years.