How to make DIY slime (no borax, kid-safe)

Tools you’ll need

• — Mixing bowl
• — Spoon
• — Measuring cups

Materials

• White school glue (Elmer’s)
  1 cup
• Baking soda
  1/2 tsp
• Saline contact lens solution

  Must contain boric acid + sodium borate — check the label
  1–2 tbsp
• Food coloring or glitter
  Optional

Step by step

1. 01

   Pour the glue

   1 cup of white school glue into the bowl. Clear glue works too — gives a different look.

2. 02

   Add baking soda

   Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda until fully mixed. This is what makes the slime less sticky.

3. 03

   Mix in color (optional)

   A few drops of food coloring or a pinch of glitter. Stir until evenly distributed.

4. 04

   Add saline solution slowly

   Add 1 tablespoon of contact solution. Stir hard — it’ll start clumping. Add a teaspoon more at a time until it pulls away from the bowl in one piece.

5. 05

   Knead with your hands

   Tip out onto the table and knead for 2–3 minutes. It’ll feel sticky at first, then turn smooth and stretchy. If it stays sticky, add a few drops more solution.

Mistakes to avoid

• Using contact solution that doesn’t list boric acid — it won’t activate the slime
• Adding too much saline at once — slime turns rubbery and breaks
• Skipping the knead — slime stays sticky

If you can’t drill, cut, or paint…

• Fluffy slime: add 1 cup of shaving foam before the saline for a cloud texture
• Butter slime: knead in a small amount of soft modeling clay (Daiso or Model Magic)
• Glitter slime: clear glue + glitter + saline

Shopping list

• Elmer’s white school glue (gallon size if you’re committed)
• Bausch & Lomb contact lens solution
• Food coloring set
• Airtight storage containers