How to make slime without borax and only two ingredients!
Have you ever wondered how to make slime without borax? This gak recipe is only two ingredients and is Borax free! Yep, only two ingredients and you will be able to really impress your kids and keep them entertained for hours!
How to make slime without borax
Updated! I saw on the Today Show how Borax can burn kids while making slime. I was shocked at the severity of the skin burns and checked to make sure my recipe was completely safe. Which it is! To be extra cautious always have kids fully wash their hands after playing.
Slime Ingredients
Whether you call it gak or slime it is still the same thing and easy to make. You might already have these simple ingredients at home! This recipe is easy and really works!
- liquid starch
- white school glue
- liquid food coloring
- ziplock bag
In this recipe, the liquid starch is the activator. In my other slime recipe baking soda and contact solution make the magic happen (we also add shaving cream to make it extra fluffy). Try adding more of the activator ingredients to get the desired consistency. Be careful though…. too much will make it stiff. First, be sure to spend plenty of time kneading the slime before adding more ingredients. Be sure to slowly add extra ingredients. The slime forms slowly sometimes.
The best part it is a safe recipe. This recipe uses liquid starch instead of borax. This is more diluted. Why? Sometimes Borax can cause skin burns, so just to be safe we opted for a different recipe! We can’t stop making this slimy stretchy concoction at our house. Make this super easy two ingredient recipe with your kids knowing it is safe. Read below for the gak recipe with step by step instructions.
Slime Recipe
Mix equal parts of liquid starch and glue together. We placed 1/4 cup of liquid starch and 1/4 cup white school glue into a sandwich bag and added about 3 drops of green food coloring. We do have the best luck with Elmer’s white school glue. Using a ziplock bags makes this mess free.
Next, add in 1/4 cup glue into the bag.
Mix well. It will start to form a solid blob. There might be a bit of liquid that will not mix in, just remove the blob of slime and discard the bag with the extra liquid. This takes time to allow the slime to form.
Take it out of the bag and have fun! Slime is so mesmerizing! It is hard to keep from touching it which makes it a wonderful sensory activity.
Here is a printable slime recipe!
Slime Recipe
Whether you call it gak or slime it is still the same thing and easy to make. You might already have these two ingredients at home!
Ingredients
- liquid starch
- white school glue
- liquid food coloring
- zip loc bag
Instructions
Mix equal parts of liquid starch and glue together. We placed 1/4 cup of liquid starch and 1/4 cup white school glue into a sandwich bag and added about 3 drops of green food coloring.
Recipe Notes
We do have best luck with Elmer's school glue.
What does liquid starch do to slime?
Glue is a liquid polymer made up of long, repeating, and identical strands. This means that the tiny molecules in the glue are in strands like a chain. When you add the liquid starch, the strands of the polymer glue hold together, giving it a slimy feel. The liquid starch contains sodium borate and acts as a cross-linker that connects all the long strands together. They mix until the substance is less like the liquid you started with and thicker and rubberier like slime!
Where do you buy liquid starch?
We find our liquid starch in the laundry section at the grocery store. We use Sta-flo starch like this. (affiliate link). Looking for more ways to impress your kids? Now that you have liquid starch to create slime you can also use the liquid starch to make the coolest marbleized paper.
More Easy Ways to Make Slime!
Check out all these recipes! I have found 14 of the best slime recipes. You will find magnetic, mood changing, bubbling, spaghetti and more! It is easy to create homemade slime can be pretty forgiving. Let your kids get creative. They can try using glitter glue for a glittery concoction! I have even seen one recipe called for foam beads to make floam.
Here are the ones we make again and again at our home. You will find that most all of these recipes are made without borax powder. Liquid starch does contain a little bit of borax and contact solution contains boric acid. Don’t forget you can also use contact lens solution if you prefer. I think you will find that the following recipes are safe and won’t irritate the skin. However, always make sure to wash hands after playing with slime and adult supervision is best.
Clear slime needs to set a few days but is super stretchy and CLEAR!
Have you tried butter slime? It is more like a stretchy clay.
This fantastic fluffy slime is a huge hit at our house!
Check out my glow in the dark slime recipe. Now you know how to make slime without borax you can even make it glow!
Yes, you can make slime WITHOUT glue!
Here are the best tips for making slime less sticky
Slime Tips and Tricks:
- Borax is good for squishy slime, but not ideal for long lasting slime or a super stretchy slime.
- Use liquid starch when you want it to last longer.
- Keep it a sealed baggie or airtight container and it should last for a couple of weeks or even months. Toss it out if it grows mold or dries out.
- Too liquidy add more glue 1 tablespoons at a time. Be sure to mix well after each Tablespoon. Remember it comes together slowly.
- Too sticky try adding more starch 1 tablespoon at a time, again mixing well.
- If you get slime on carpet, clothing or in the hair remove it with white vinegar. For clothing soak the affected area in vinegar for a minute then rub to dissolve. Wash and dry as usual.
More Kids Activities
I have loads of more kids activities to keep children engaged and learning. No reason to be bored!
Keep kids laughing with these kids jokes and these funny knock knock jokes. Kids loved these jokes.
Boredom Buster Activities These activities utilize your computer, paper, and printer! Make fun paper toys for hours of fun perfect for a rainy day.
50 Kids Crafts and Activities This large list of kids activities keep kids engaged in crafting and playing! These are perfect ideas for summer fun!
Don’t forget to fill out a summer bucket list!
Here are over 100 fun summer activities for kids!…..
and if you love crazy concoctions try making oobleck! It is amazing!
Love😍😘slime
SAFE SLIME RECIPE
· 1/2 TBSP of Baking Soda
· 1 TBSP of Contact Solution
· 4 fl oz Elmer’s White school glue
· Your choice of food coloring
1. Find a bowl, cup, or plate to mix your slime in
2. Pour out the entire contents of a 4oz of Elmer’s school glue into the bowl.
3. Add ½ TBSP of baking soda and mix
4. After mixing, add your choice of food coloring.
5. Mix and/or add more food coloring until you get the color you want
6. Add 1 TBSP of Contact solution
7. Mix until slime forms and it begins to get harder to mix
8. Take the slime out and begin kneading with both of your hands
9. If needed, add ¼ TBSP Contact solution to make the slime less sticky.
But I'd never heard of liquid starch. It sounds like I should get some!
xo Nicole
i found that if you use 2 spoonfuls of glue and then 1 spoonfull of sta flo (so basically 2 parts glue to 1 part liquid starch) it tends to come out really well. You dont have to mix it for more then a minute before a thick blob forms and you can take it out of the mixing container and mix it more with you hands.
Try mixing the food coloring with the starch first and see if that makes it easier. There will be some liquid left over, just leave it in the bag and remove the blob of slime. As kids work with the slime the texture will change. It might not be perfect but will still provide hours of enjoyment.... and the best part no borax, so it won't cause any skin burns.
Very disappointed as it didn't come out. We used
1/3 cup Elmer's glue and 3 drops of red food coloring
And then added 1/3 cup of liquid starch. It never
Formed a ball. We kept mixing and mixing in the
Baggie. Sigh. I'm sure I missed something.
Thanks
Also - if you have extra liquid just add more glue to it and you'll get more gack! It worked for me.
Thanks again for another fun project!
Jason