Homemade Flubber Slime Recipe for Kids

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Easy homemade flubber recipe for kids, which uses only a few commonly found household ingredients.  You can make your own Gak, Slime or Flubber (whatever you call it), by following this simple recipe!!  It is also a great easy science experiment that leads to hours of playtime and fun! The perfect way to teach & play at the same time! This recipe does include Borax. 

Make Homemade Flubber Slime for Kids

Flubber is an incredibly easy and gooey kids craft project that kids will love! Buying flubber from the store can be costly, and I found that it doesn’t last long at all.  Coming up with a fun way to make this homemade flubber at home as a weekend kids craft was ideal!

It is so EASY and literally takes a few minutes to make, but has provided HOURS (and I’m not even joking!), HOURS of entertainment!! 

The secret ingredient you’ll need to pick up at the grocery store for this project is Borax, which is a laundry soap additive. You can find it in the laundry soap section of your local grocery store. That is where I usually purchase it.

In case you didn’t know, there are numerous things you can use Borax for. You will want to read this article; 18 AWESOME Uses for Borax – Cheap Alternative, Plus Frugal Craft Ideas

Recommended age: 5+ years old or sensible enough not to eat

Why will you love making this homemade flubber slime kids craft? 

• It isn’t too messy
• Kids love it because it is fun to play with
• It’s a great educational kids craft and science experiment (is it solid or liquid?)
• It can be personalized with colors and even glitter
• As my daughter would say, “it is satisfying”

Supplies Needed: 

• Borax Detergent Booster
• White Glue
• Food Coloring
• Water

Directions to Make Homemade Flubber:

You will need two separate bowls to make each of the following mixes separately. No worries you will be combining them later.

Mix 1

• 3/4 Cup Warm Water
• 4 oz Multiple Purpose School Glue (standard size bottle)
• Food Coloring (Your favorite coloring)

Mix all ingredients together until the mixture is well incorporated.  You can adjust the food coloring until you find the right shade.  It will lighten some when mixed with the second step, so don’t be afraid of going a bit darker.

Mix 2

• 2 tsp.  Borax
• 1/2 Cup Warm water

Mix the above until Borax is fully dissolved.  This should take just a minute or so and can be done with a spoon or wire whisk.

Next, you are ready to combine.  Add Mix 2 into Mix 1. To allow the kiddos to have fun, I had them stirring and mixing the ingredients together, but you really don’t need to do this part at all.

It is a chemical reaction that makes flubber into a mass of goo.

Because of the science behind this recipe, the borax combines with the PVA in the glue and makes a polymer. Once the mixture looks soupy, roll up those sleeves and hand mix for a full 2-3 minutes and VIOLA.  You have been flubberized  (See, now I am making up words).

 Please remember to tell your kids that homemade flubber slime is not a food and should not be tasted. 

How to Store Your Flubber Slime

To make sure your homemade flubber lasts longer, make sure your kids have clean hands before playing with it.  This will keep dirt and germs out of it, and make it last a lot longer for future days of play.

The shelf life of the homemade flubber kids craft is around 3 weeks.  

After that, you’ll want to throw it out and create a new batch to play with.  During the 3 weeks that you store the flubber, make sure to keep your flubber in an airtight container, or a Ziploc baggie.  You’ll also want to note that this should be thrown away in the garbage and not poured down the sink or down a drain.

Making kids craft ideas like this homemade flubber is a great way to include education into playtime.  With so many fun colors you can make, it is also a fun craft idea that would work for any birthday party, or even a sleepover with the kids!  Add some drops of glow in the dark paint and use it to decorate around Halloween!  

The possibilities with this fun homemade flubber slime kids’ craft are endless!

More Kids Craft Ideas:

Upcycled Magnets Kids Craft

Homemade Edible Play Dough

Valentine’s Day Love Bug Craft For Kids