Ahhh, slime. The internet is full of recipes for all manner of the stuff -- unicorn slime, fluffy slime, glitter slime, chocolate slime, just to name a few -- and kids never seem to get tired of making it and playing with it. Making slime is also a beloved activity here, where our therapists use it to target all sorts of speech, language, and occupational therapy goals. Here are our favorite activities for using slime in speech therapy and occupational therapy so that you can try it at home!
Slime Activities for Occupational Therapy
- Tactile processing: Slime is a great way to explore a new texture and learn to tolerate messy play.
- Fine motor skills: Knead, squish, and mold the slime to work on hand strengthening, endurance, and bilateral coordination. Hide and find small treasures in slime like beads or sequins to work on pincer grasp. Practice scissor skills by rolling the slime like a snake and cutting it.
- Self-regulation: Use slime as a sensory break!
- Planning/organizing: To complete the slime recipe, you need lots of planning skills; making a list of ingredients, collecting materials, following a multi-step sequence, and keeping the workspace clean. Making slime is a great way to teach material management.
Slime Activities For Speech Therapy
- Vocabulary/action words: Take turns describing what the other person is doing; pouring, mixing, stirring, squeezing, kneading, squishing, etc.
- Describing words/adjectives: Use your senses as a guide. How does it feel? What does it look like? What does it sound like? How does it smell?
- Sequencing vocabulary: As you follow the directions, use keywords (first, next, then, last) to talk about what you are doing with each step.
- Re-tell: Find someone to tell about the steps involved in making slime.
- Predicting: Guess how the slime will change or what it will do next.
How to Make Slime at Home
Ingredients:- 1/2 cup all-purpose white or clear glue
- 1/2 cup liquid starch
- Small mixing bowl
- Utensil for mixing
- Measuring spoon
- Food coloring (optional)
- Glitter (optional)
Directions:
Step 1. Pour glue into the small mixing bowl.
Step 2. Optional: Add several drops of food coloring and 1 TBSP of glitter if desired and mix well.
Step 3. Slowly add liquid starch and stir until the mixture begins to clump.
Step 4. When it becomes too difficult to stir, knead with your hands on a smooth, clean surface. The more you knead the slime, the more firm and elastic it will become.
Store in a plastic zippered bag or airtight container for up to one month. Have fun!
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