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You are here: Home / Play-Based Learning Activities / Dripping Slime Fine Motor Skill Activity
Dripping Slime Fine Motor Skill Activity

November 13, 2015 By Alana Pace 24 Comments

Dripping Slime Fine Motor Skill Activity

One of the easiest activities I make with my kids is slime. Also known by the name of flubber, gak, and slime, this form of play dough takes mere minutes to make and is such a fun form of sensory play! Because Christmas season is nearing, we decided to make this slime “icicle coloured.” Our FAVOURITE thing to do with this medium is to put it into a colander or onto a cooling rack, tie it so it is hanging about 2 feet off of the floor, waiting for the slime to ooze down, and then letting my kids cut the icicles or dripping slime.

Here is the how-to for dripping slime.

 

Not only will your child reap all of the benefits of sensory play, this dripping goo activity teaches about scientific reactions and when put in a colander or on a cooling wrack will drip to create an awesome fine-motor skills and cutting practice activity. Great for play-based learning, early childhood education, practicing scissor use, explaining chemical reactions, and more!

Dripping Slime Activity

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. The price you pay is the same. However, I get a small commision.

What To Use

  • Standard-sized bottle of Elmer’s white glue (120 mL)
  • Food colouring  (optional)
  • Glitter (optional)
  • 1 tsp. Borax
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1/4 cup room temp water
  • Colander or cooling rack for baking
  • Scissors
  • 2 even pieces of string

Instructions

In a cup of warm water, mix 1 tsp of Borax until fully dissolved. Then, set aside. Make sure to set aside because mixing it in too soon will mean you won’t be able to add colour or glitter to your mixture. In a separate bowl, combine 1/4 of room temperature water (this will just make your final product a little larger than if you didn’t use it), the entire bottle of Elmer’s glue or similar, glitter (optional), and as much food colouring until desired colour is reached.

A fine motor, sensory, hand-eye coordination activity

Mix well. I do recommend using fine glitter as bigger pieces of glitter tend to fall out when the slime is manipulated. Add water borax mixture. Then mix with your hands (there will be water left over in the bowl, simply discard water. Option to let the mixture stand for excess water to bead off.

A fine motor, sensory, hand-eye coordination activity

Then, fasten a colander or cooling rack across two chairs. We have also used cupboard handles or our chandelier. Wait about 3-5 minutes for icicles to drip and then cut away!

 

A fine motor, sensory, hand-eye coordination activity

 

What they’re learning

  • Cause and effect as well as the other benefits of sensory play.
  • What is a chemical reaction: the borax chemically reacts with the glue making a liquid into a solid.
  • Fine motor skills, how to use scissors and hand-eye coordination!

 

You can make it seasonal by changing the colours and adding glitter. We made Christmas Tree slime as well as blue for dripping icicles (photographed below).

A fine motor, sensory, hand-eye coordination activity

 

Want more activities like this? Be sure to click below to check out a book I co-authored!

The undeniable power of play is filled with play-based learning ideas for early learners

 

More great ideas like this:

How to make bouncy balls – a fun, hands-on science lesson

Three Simple Science Experiments for Preschoolers

Why Sensory Play is so Important – Backed by research

How to get slime out of carpet

Awesome ways to play with slime

Filed Under: Play-Based Learning Activities Tagged With: dripping icicles, fine motor, food colouring, learning through play, preschool activities, sensory play, slime

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Twitchetts.com says

    November 14, 2015 at 1:09 am

    Will tag you when we do this!! Can’t wait!

    Reply
  2. mamabyfire says

    November 13, 2015 at 11:06 pm

    This looks like so much fun! I keep wanting to make the goo for my kids but I haven’t yet! This is a perfect activity to introduce it to them. Thanks for sharing!!

    Reply
  3. andthreetogo says

    November 16, 2015 at 6:56 am

    How funny, making flubber is on my list of things to do with my daughter this week! Now I will add this experiement to the fun! Thanks!

    Reply
  4. mommyinsports says

    November 16, 2015 at 12:28 pm

    I’ve never made goo! I am totally trying this – perfect for a winter activity where we don’t have winter!!

    Reply
  5. Funny Nanny says

    November 18, 2015 at 5:33 pm

    This is great idea! I miss working with bigger kids and doing fun things like that one. I am definitely remembering this for future 🙂

    Reply
  6. CourtneyLynne says

    November 18, 2015 at 5:36 pm

    Hehehehe how fun!!!! Im going to have to try this with Haylie!!! I’m sure she will love it 🙂

    Reply
    • Alana says

      July 6, 2017 at 10:02 am

      Seriously, this dripping slime activity is so much fun!

      Reply
  7. triciathegoodmama says

    November 18, 2015 at 7:05 pm

    What a great activity! I was just saying that I need to start letting my son use a scissors. This is a great place to start. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  8. Theresa says

    November 18, 2015 at 5:28 pm

    I love that the icicles drip through the cooling rack. It looks really cool!

    Reply
  9. Jules Ruud says

    November 18, 2015 at 10:53 pm

    I love this idea. I remember seeing Katie’s scope about making the goop, but I forgot just how easy it was. I really need to try it, Caleb would love the texture on his hands, I just know it.

    Reply
  10. workingmommagic says

    November 18, 2015 at 6:14 pm

    We are obsessed with this stuff.. and I loved your scope on it! (and for the life of me, I cannot find freaking elmers glitter glue!)

    Reply
    • Alana says

      November 18, 2015 at 6:33 pm

      You know what, the glitter glue does not have the same consistency and isn’t as fun. I say just add glitter and colour ? enjoy!!!!

      Reply
  11. Cindy Calzone (Hometown Queen Bee) says

    November 18, 2015 at 7:34 pm

    This looks so fun…I hope my son (almost 7) isn’t too old for this activity!?!

    Reply
  12. deanna says

    November 18, 2015 at 8:40 pm

    This looks like so much fun. We have made slime but never ,like this. We can’t wait to try it!

    Reply
  13. Jennifer C. says

    November 19, 2015 at 2:03 am

    Wow, this looks like so much fun! Gonna definitely have to try this with my little guy!

    Reply
  14. Deborah says

    November 18, 2015 at 9:37 pm

    I saw your scope on this and I just need to pick up the glue to get our icicle making on!

    Reply
  15. Homemade Experience says

    November 18, 2015 at 9:39 pm

    This is disgustingly awesome, and both of my kids would absolutely love it! 😀

    Reply
    • Alana says

      November 18, 2015 at 10:58 pm

      Tessa, it is so, so fun! Enjoy!

      Reply

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Hi! I'm Alana. When I'm not nursing cold, stale coffee, I usually can be found with the baby on my hip, barefoot, and racing after my two older kids. Thanks to a degree in psychology and a free-range childhood backing onto an expansive evergreen forest, positive parenting and play-based learning are my passions. Read more here.

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