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Now that summer has arrived, it’s fun to take a break, head outdoors and have a little fun! I have been wanting to make slime in the classroom with my kindergarteners, but the traditional recipes with cleaning chemicals made me nervous about harming the sensitive skin of my students. Until I discovered the ultimate three-ingredient glitter slime recipe that uses completely safe materials. Even better yet, this particular recipe doesn’t require any messy food coloring. Do I have your attention? I promise this slime recipe is every bit as amazing as it sounds, and it’s a great summer activity.
Thank you to Elmer’s for sponsoring this blog post. I received compensation and free product from Elmer’s in exchange for writing this post. All opinions are my own and I only support brands and products that I use and absolutely LOVE.
Here’s the fastest, easiest, mess-free slime recipe that you will ever need. The fact that it is glittery is an added bonus!
UPDATE: I have recently learned that not every contact lens solution is ideal for making slime. Here are a few specific brands that may work for you:
On this particular summer day, my friend brought her two daughters over for a little slimey entertainment. Making slime was an item on their summer bucket list, so this was a great opportunity to cross that item off the list and help me test out my new favorite recipe!
The first step was to dump an entire 6 oz bottle of Elmer’s Glitter Glue into our mixing bowl. All of the glitter and color for this recipe comes straight from the bottle of glue. This was my first time using Elmer’s Classic Glitter Glue, but I was an instant fan. All of the glitter and coloring stayed right in the glue. I love that I didn’t have to worry about getting stray drops of food coloring or bits of glitter on our fingers, clothes, or my cute little blue table.
My four-year-old slime assistant did an excellent job of squeezing out all the glue (and the teacher in me loved that it was a great way to strengthen her hand muscles!)
Once the glitter glue was poured into the bowl, it was time to add a few more ingredients. First up, a half tablespoon of baking soda.
Once the baking soda was added to the glue, the girls gave it a quick stir until it was evenly combined in the glue.
Then it was time for the magic ingredient: contact solution! We started by adding just one tablespoon of the contact solution.
It only took a few seconds of stirring and we could see the slime actually beginning to form.
A few more rotations of the spoon and we had a firm, sticky slime-like mixture.
At this point, the girls had to put down the spoon, reach into the bowl and finish mixing the slime by hand.
Our glitter slime was a little too sticky, so we added another quarter tablespoon of contact solution to our concoction.
The extra contact solution worked like a charm. The slimy bits that had been stuck to the girls fingers were easily removed as they finished kneeding the slime. The finished result was a firm, wet, slimy substance.
My little helpers stretched, squeezed, bent, and manipulated that slime in every imaginable way. They had a blast playing with their slime and I loved how this glitter slime recipe didn’t produce any mess or make me worry about the safety of their skin.
Elmer’s is the only brand of glue that I use in my classroom and it’s no surprise that Elmer’s Classic Glitter Glue was a great kid-friendly base for making slime. I am certain that I will be using this mess-free glitter slime recipe often in the future.
You can learn more about Elmer’s products and discover even more fun inspiration for kid’s crafts the Elmer’s website, as well as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Love this recipe and want to make more slime at home? Check out this blog post for making rainbow glitter slime!
I’m a former kindergarten teacher turned work-from-home mom. I still love sharing ideas and resources to make teaching easier, so you can focus on what really matters in the classroom. When I’m not working on the blog, you’ll find me chasing kids around the house with a cold cup of coffee in my hand (some things never change even once you’re out of the classroom!)
©2021 Kinder Craze. All Rights Reserved.
179 Responses
That looks awesome! When you say contact solution, do you mean contact lens solution? Like saline?
Thank you.
Hi Daisy, yes, that’s exactly what I mean! The same stuff people use to clean and store their contact lenses. Crazy, but it works!
MINE WORKED GREAT!!!!!!!
The reason it works is because contact lens solution has Borax in it. Borax is not harmful.
I’ve seen contact solution used and hoped it was non-toxic because I wanted to use it too.
Saline solution is just that…salt water. Contact solution has cleaner and protein deposit removers. So which type do you use? Just trying to clarify.
Thank you!
I used contact solution.
Thank you, Maria!
I can’t wait to make some for the grandkids this summer, and then for my kindergartners next fall.
Just made this slime with my grandkids and it is Great so much fun … and not messy at all
Did it go rancid after a while. I’m trying to find a recipe that will stay good for a long time the last one we made got really gross after just a week
Could you please clarify? There are many types of contact solution. Some have peroxide, some have enzymes, some have lubricants, etc. I think the exact brand/active ingredient is going to be inportnat.
Bio tru works the best
I can’t wait to make some! from a first grader.
it must be a contact solution that contains borax.
Check the ingredients and make sure that it contains a mix of sodium borate and boric acid.
so can i just make salt water? and use in place of contact solution?
Did the recipe make enough for all the girls, or did you make a separate batch for each girl
We made two batches, but if I were making it in the classroom, I would make a few batches and everyone would get a little slime to keep.
WOW works Great
I can’t find the glitter glue anywhere. Do you suppose white glue will work?
Yes! White Elmer’s glue absolutely works too! So does their clear glue. You can always add your own glitter and food coloring.
so can i just make salt water? and use in place of contact solution?
To save money?
I don’t think you can make salt water. Maybe purchased saline solution?
My daughter saw this commercial and wanted to try it, so when I saw it on your blog, I thought we’d go for it. TOTAL FAIL! Not sure what happened, we followed the recipe and advice, and all we got was wetter, stickier glue! Such a bummer.
Oh no! That’s so strange! I actually made a few batches without a single issue. One time I made it outside in the summer heat and another time I made it in the AC. Did you use contact lens solution or just regular saline solution? I don’t think saline solution will work.
We used contact solution. To be fair, the five year old still liked playing in the mess, but it sadly looked nothing like the pictures.
I had to use more baking soda and contact solution than this called for, but it ended up working out.
I had to use probably 1/2c of the contact solution to get it to work
I’m pretty sure that was because your contact solution was too weak
We had the same issue! This was a glittery goo mess! So disappointed:(
Ours was just a runny mess too! ! Tried adding more baking soda no luck, then tried adding borax but still runny
Use 1 1/2 tbsps of contact solution. like it says in the original ingredients list. The written directions just say use 1 tbsp then add 1/4 tbsp if still sticky. Ha I didn’t follow those, and used the 1 1/2 tbsps as stated, and perfect!
Can you store it and reuse?
I am also wondering how long you can store it for
Yes you can store and reuse it! Just put it in a container and there you go!
I cannot wait to try this!
I’m so bummed. It didn’t work for us… ?
I did the exact receipt and it was Awsome, actually I did add a touch more of the solution. And I used Walgreens brand… Perfect.
I gave this a try tonight – it works wonderfully! Thanks for sharing! We loved the color and consistency, and it was so easy. This will be an activity at my daughter’s unicorn birthday party this weekend, and I’ll be using this one in the fall with my kinders, too!
I’m so glad it worked for you and what a fun addition to a unicorn birthday party!
Success!! Thank you! Can you suggest a way to store for later use? Tupperware in pantry perhaps?
I sent the slime home with my helpers, but I think Tupperware or ziplock bags are the way to go!
We made this and it turned out great but after sitting in a Ziploc bag for two days all the liquid came out and it was unusable. I may try storing it in the fridge next time.
Complete fail!! Followed the directions completely, and no matter how much contact solution I kept adding it was a sticky sticky disaster!
I am wondering if the people who had success could share the brand and type of contact solutions they used as I feel maybe that is the trick!!
Elmers pink glitter glue, arm & hammer baking soda & CVS brand contact solution (cheapest on shelf)
I used store brand multi-purpose solution- worked great!
Walmart brand Multi Purpose Contact Sokution and A&H baking side worked great. My daughter is in heaven. Thanks!!!!!
Worked great for us! I used Trader Joe’s baking soda and a cheap bottle of contact solution I found in the travel items area!
So glad to hear that it worked without a hitch!
Helpful tip… the contact solution must have both boric acid and sodium borate. Our first attempt did not work and later learned that the contact solution must have these ingredients. We got the Bio True solution and got it to work.
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for being the only person with a brain here. People keep saying “contact solution”, like they’re all exactly the same. SMH
Oh my goodness no need to be rude. Not everyone is familiar with the ingredients in contact solution.
Thank you for the clarification regarding the ingredients in the contact solution. It didn’t work the first time for us because of this. Wish the blogger would’ve included that info directly into her blog instead of me having to search through the comments to find a solution.
She very well may not have known… I’ve tried many recipes and this is the most successful so far!
great tip!! just attempted recipe, and it is definitely NOT forming into a ball!! lol. my kids are mucking around in a bowl full of glittery glue, but it is not at all like pictured.
I wear contacts, and have just read the label….. my solution does not contain either of those ingredients… have to agree that has to be the difference.
I’m going to try this when I go back to school! Being a blind kindergarten teacher, I need things that won’t make a huge mess. Thank you so much!
Sharon Dudley
http://teachingwithsight.blogspot.com
It didn’t work. It was too wet and it just slid around the bowl.
You may have added too much contact solution. It’s important to start with glue, then add baking soda, then gradually add the contact solution until you get the perfect non-sticky texture.
Cindy Lou Schobert,
Too much activator.
Hello Ms. Maria Gavin im Ms.Tina Green and i would like to say thank you for the great slime project, My students love it. We love doing exciting project and also we made our own with glue, shaving cream, food coloring and toothpaste it came out petty cool the children loved it more than me, it was great we had a lot of fun with it but it was messy to.
It worked great for all three children, we used clear glue in one batch, food colouring and Renu contact solution, hammer baking soda. Two other batches we used white glue. All three were fantastic and so much fun for our 10, 8 and 5 year old. My only question is how do you keep it from hardening? It has hardened in 15 mins.
Thank you for mentioning Renu. It was a total flop with the contact solution I was using. Then I read your comment and ran to grab the Renu. It finally worked. Thanks.
Definitely check your contact solution for the right ingredients, makes all the difference!! Kids loved it!
Can i substitute contanct solution with eye drops
I’m not certain but I don’t think that would work the way you want it to
No, must have boric acid in the ingredients
As long as it has boric acid it is fine. 🙂
i tried, and it worked
The contact lens solution has to say it contains boric acid and sodium nor are or say buffered somewhere on the container.
I’m sorry, sodium borate
Hi Maria is Elmers glue available in the UK. From Patricia
Hi Patricia, I’m really not sure if it is, but you can check to see if it’s available on Amazon
I just made slime with my boys! They love it, thanks!!!
Total fail!
I just made some with only baking soda… 1/2 cup water with 1 tsp baking soda dissolved. Then stir in 1/2 cup glue (must be same amount as water) worked awesome! It did take some time but as it sat the water absorbed in!
I used clear care triple action contact solution and it didn’t work at all. Then I added just regular multi purpose solution and it worked immediately.
After my girls failed twice with two other recipes… we tried this one and it worked perfectly! Thank you! My girls are so so so exited!
Yay! So glad that it worked for you!
This worked perfectly. The recipe is the best because of no food coloring or borax. Thank you. I look forward to learning more from you.
Grandmother of a three-year old.
Well, technically, it does have borax. Most contact solution does. Also, borax is NOT boric acid.
We love this slime recipe, too. We kept it in a tupperware container and it lasted for weeks.
It worked great, directions were spot-on!!
Awful, awful mess! Tried this recipe on 3 separate occasions and it turned out to be a runny mess each time. Disappointed.
Just wondering if it has to be Elmer’s Glue, or will a cheaper glue work. I want to make a bunch.
Make sure you just DONT use glue that dries fast, it should say on the container. Once i tried glue that dried out fast and it dried up in 2 minutes. NOT A JOKE. I suggest Elmer’s glue.
Best recipe I have tried. Easy and not messy. My granddaughter loved it and so did Nana
Please update the recipe to include the info about the contact solution. I just threw $18 worth of sparkle glitter glue in the trash. Didn’t realize until I read thru the comments to try to see why I didn’t work. 🙁
Just had a birthday party yesterday and had 8 kiddo’s ranging from 3 – 8 make their own. Worked great! We used the Wal-mart brand multi-purpose cleaner and also let each child pick their scent and added a drop or 2 of essential oil so it would smell nice. We had lavendar, lemon and orange. When we did the test run last week, my kids mixed all 3 scents and it was great.
This recipe worked wonderful for my 2 boys, one of which has aspergers and loves the texture. But the only problem I am having is after playing with it, it seems to not be as stretchy as when first made. Any suggestions on how to get the stretchiness back? Thank you for such an easy and satisfying slime ?
Soak the slime in water for a bit. Make sure it’s hot or warm though.
Can anyone tell me how many batches of this I might need to make for 20 kids? I don’t want to buy 20 bottles of glue so how many ways do you think I could split one batch?
Maybe you can only buy 10 bottles, make them all, then split each one.
Hope this helps! 😀
This worked amazingly!we just had to add a little squeeze of contact solution when it got sticky. My 10 yr old had so much fun! Oh, and so did I!
It came out great! My boys are super happy and kept them busy for almost an hour! How did you store this after?
It came out perfect! I used Elmer’s classic glitter glue as well. I followed all measurements except for the contact solution.
As mentioned in other posts, the necessary active ingredient in contact solution is sodium borate. From my small experiences making slime with contact solution, I’ve learned that the measurement required by most recipes is NEVER right for me…
I’m not sure if this is because the amount of sodium borate varies with different brands/type. As such, I suggest that you should gradually use more contact solution if need be. Give it a good mix, but ultimately, most of the time for me, my slime mixes just needed more contact solution.
My son loves his glitter slime! 🙂
Just made this with my girls. Easy to make and enough for them to share one batch. I would probably call ours more putty than slime, but they love it! Thanks!
Just made this with my 9 year old daughter, and we both loved it. Never thought slime could be so pretty! Thank you for the easy recipe!
Worked great with the Bausch + Lomb sensitive eyes plus solution, and that was one of the cheaper solutions too! But how can you make it stretchy and not so hard again? It got hard after a few minutes, but not sure what to do about it. Thanks!
After reading all these comments, I was relieved that my first attempt at making slime worked perfect. My only question to other slime makers is how did you tackle the clean up? My slime was difficult to get out of the bowl and ruined my wooden spoon. It stuck to the bowl and spoon and wouldn’t wipe off. I didn’t want it to stick all over my dish cloth and drain pipes. Did anyone else have this problem?
Just made this and it worked great!!! Thank you for this recipe! My only question is how do you store it? In a ziplock or glass mason jar or any kind of container?
I just put mine in a ziplock bag 🙂
Oops- found the answer!
You can use both. Ziploc, container, glass jar, etc
is it easy to clean up?
Does this recipe work well?
This was just shared with me and it is so frustrating. We are all so chemically illiterate! Contact solution has the same components as Borax. Watch this video from Steve Spangler a science teacher and whiz… Please check it out and stop the misunderstandings about Borax (something incredibly useful binding agent in science).
https://www.facebook.com/stevespangler/videos/10155923992822150/?hc_ref=ARSrqli_07on2Ts6KfPpT1wq-HizbUn0d43mOBIOwwbJYNpoLIjuzPkpwzb-lYuCtRQ&pnref=story
I stopped reading all the comments, so if someone did write this please erase…the contact solution must have “boric acid” in it. If this is not on the list of ingredients you need to purchase another brand or type of contact solution!
Hi – just wanted to say that we made this today. We used a generic $2 contact solution and it worked wonderfully. The only thing I will say is that we used probably 3 T. of the solution before it was the right consistency. So even if you don’t buy the expensive solution, it can still work! Thanks for the recipe!
We used off-brand glue and it was just a watery mess. ?
We just made it with our 3 1/2 grandson. It was perfect!!! We are going to do this with his preschool at Halloween. Thanks for the info.
Just wondering what you put the slime into to make sure that it doesn’t get dried out?
A glass jar works well.
What can I add to the slime if it gets too hard and non stretchy after it’s been played with for a while? My step daughter added lotion to hers and I’m thinking she did the wrong thing…
Unfortunately, This means your slime has dried out. And its time to throw it out >:
Other than contact lens solution, what can I use?
Thank you…
You can use laundry detergent, or borax, but i prefer contact solution. Its much much safer.
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My 11yr old & I have tried making various recipes several times & it’s never come out right. We tried yours and it worked great! We used store brand Baking Soda & Wal Mart Equate Brand Saline solution for sensitive eyes for rinsing and storing soft.contact lens. Ingredients include boric acid & sodium borate. It’s beautiful THANKS SO MUCH!
I find it disappointing that the author only answers the positive comments and doesn’t respond to those who had problems. It would be the considerate thing to do. It could help others as well as those posting questions or comments about their failed attempts. Thanks.
I’m so sorry to hear that you had that opinion. I tried to answer the unsuccessful comments as best I could. Often, people with more experience chimes in to help and it wasn’t necessary fir me to comment further. There’s a very helpful community of readers here at Kinder Craze and it’s not always necessary for me to step in
Well said, my friend. Your reply is appreciated. I take your point and re-evaluate my opinion accordingly.
With respect, Mary
Thank you <3
Thanks for sharing! Fantastic recipe! Not messy at all!! 🙂
I followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfectly. I also made a second batch and added regular glitter. It worked well too. Thank you for sharing this great recipe.
Will make this again!!
The slime turned out amazing but, was extremely messy. I don’t know if it was the contact solution we used but everything turned out okay in the end. Although it was just a pain to clean up, we love the slime. It’s very kid friendly.
The slime turned out perfect and was really fun. However, when my 3-year-old pressed it up against her mouth, her lips started burning. We had to wash her all up before she felt better. I am guessing this is a reaction to the contact solution? I used the brand you recommended in your post. Also, it has a chemical smell to it. I am again guessing that it is a reaction from the contact lens solution. It doesn’t smell like that when I make the borax style slime. Just wanted to let others know not to have 3-year-olds press it against their mouths! Thanks for the post. It was very easy to make and no-mess.
The reason the contact solution works and might burn is that it contains boric acid or sodium borate. This is like borax, execpt in smaller amounts. The reson the slime might not work is because it does not contain either of these ingredients. So, if you are going to make slime with contact solution, be sure to make sure in the ingredients it has either boric acid or sodium borate, otherwise, the slime will most likely not work. Hopefully, this was helpful to you!
I am TILLY and how can you and your class get the slime to work i did it at home and i wouldn’t work can you help me
How many kids/students did your batch make for? I’m wondering how I can incorporate this in my class of 30. Thanks!
My daughter is expecting her second little girl. We got our 3 year old for the weekend to give our daughter and husband some quiet time before the new baby arrives. I am a retired kindergarten/ first grade teacher and had to have my weekend planned out to the minute? I saw your recipe and it look much easier than the one I had used while teaching. My 3 year old granddaughter was able to make a batch and loved doing it! She has been busy playing with it for quite some time… even with a 3 year olds short attention span. We had to go get more glitter glue to make some for her cousin! Totally her idea. Thanks for sharing this recipe?
Mine Turned into a soft, non-stretchy glob! i used saline solution, and i was wondering if that works?
If the slime becomes rubbery, put a bowl of water in the microwave and get the water hot but not burning hot. Place the slime in the water for a few minutes, knead and work the slime it will get more workable. You may need to put in water for up to 10 minutes.
That’s a helpful tip! Thank you!
I made this with my 3.5 and 2 year olds and it worked perfectly! We used Bausch + Lomb Renu contact solution because it’s what I use to soak my contacts. They played consistently for 45 minutes, which must be a record!
I do not know what I am doing wrong… I followed all the steps and the slime is so sticky
I bought pink and blue elmer’s Glitter glue and it doesn’t work.
I have tried before with clear glue and adding glitter and that one worked… I wanted to avoid the mess of the glitter this time and it was a complete fail… very sticky slime with glitter glue
This recipe worked so well! I followed your exact directions, but needed to add more contact solution. It was way too sticky. I used the Up & Up Moisture Balance contact solution. Thank you!! 🙂
Can I use baking powder instead of baking soda
It worked perfectly. I just created amazing slime that i cant stop playing with . I totally recommend this recipie.
I followed directions and it worked so well. My 8, 6, and 3 year old thanks you! We used Re-Nu by Bausch + Lomb as the contact solution and it has both boric acid and sodium borate as ingredients.
Just made this slime with my 2 and 5 year old daughters and it turned out AWESOME! Such a simple recipe and I LOVE that it’s only messy at the beginning (which made the girls happy), but it quickly turns into mess-free slime (keeping mama happy)! Win Win!
Can you recommend how much I should divide for a classroom of 17 kids?
Great tip! Thank you 🙂
http://przedszkolnenowinki1.blogspot.com/
This is fantastic!!!! Works perfectly!!!! Thank you for the contact solution tip 😉
I tried this, first with no name brand contact solution, didn’t work. Then I realized I had a travel size of the bio tru, and it worked awesomely! My 4 year old had a blast playing with it!
Just did this and it worked amazingly! Used a 5 oz bottle of Elmer’s glow in The dark glitter glue. Love this recipe thank you!!
I love slime and I make all slime ❤️❤️❤️
This is the best recipe by far.. we used glow in the dark elmars glitter glue and it came out really cool!! Bausch and Lomb biotru was the best choice!
This worked great, thank you! Made me feel like supermom! I think I should have been more patient mixing it before adding too much contact solution. It’s still great but a little more solid & less oozy & slimey than store bought slime. Amazing!
My grandson and I made this slime today. It turned out perfect. We followed the exact recipe. We added the extra 1/4 tsp
of contact lens solution and it wasn’t sticky. He’s been playing with it all day. Thanks for the perfect slime recipe.
Hi love this! My daughter is requesting that we do slime for her 8th birthday I was definitely hesitant but how can I say no!? Anyways I’m hoping I can do this in a few large batches and share with individual to go cups with lids. Wish me luck and any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Hi, I would also like to know how to make glitter slime without contact lens solution, i don’t have any. But I do have tide, borax, baking soda. But I don’t know what is better to use for glitter glue slime
I personally would say borax
Tried this today and it was a flop 🙁 followed directions exactly and it was a liquid and sticky mess. Bummer!
Hi Maria,
I was wondering if you could use anything else then contact lance sultion or borax?
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