Bug Slime For Spring Sensory Play - Little Bins for Little Hands

Nothing says oozing homemade slime-like bugs! Use any of our clear slime recipes to create your own bug slime perfect for insect enthusiasts or an easy spring or summer-themed slime. Homemade slime is a snap to make with our easy slime recipes!

CREEPY CRAWLY BUG SLIME RECIPE

Simple Bug Slime

Spring will be here before we know it, and this bug slime is awesome sensory play for all the creepy crawly fans out there. Make sure to check out our cool Rainbow Slime too!

Because we have been making slime for years, I feel extremely confident in our homemade slime recipes and want to pass them along to you. Slime making is a bit of a science, a cooking lesson, and an art form all in one! You can read more about the science below.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND SLIME

What’s the science behind the slime? The borate ions in the slime activators (sodium borate, borax powder, or boric acid) mix with the PVA (polyvinyl-acetate) glue and form this cool stretchy substance. This is called cross-linking!

The glue is a polymer and is made up of long, repeating, and identical strands or molecules. These molecules flow past one another keeping the glue in a liquid state. Until…

When you add the borate ions to the mixture, it starts to connect these long strands together. They begin to tangle and mix until the substance is less like the liquid you started with and thicker and rubberier like slime!

Picture the difference between wet spaghetti and leftover spaghetti the next day. As the slime forms, the tangled molecule strands are much like the clump of spaghetti!

Is slime a liquid or solid? We call it a Non-newtonian fluid because it’s a little bit of both!

—>>> FREE SLIME RECIPE CARDS

Bug Slime Sensory Play

Yes, he added a fly swatter to our bug slime! Believe it or not but this bug slime was my son’s idea. Definitely not what I would think up. However, it turned out pretty cool I think. Bug slime is the perfect way to welcome Spring too!

Bug Slime Fly Swatter Play Activity Spring Experiment

We love clear slime! This bug slime was pretty cool with the sunlight shining through it!

Bug slime ooze sensory play hands on science experiment

He really developed a great storyline with this bug slime sensory play. Simple plastic bugs are an easy addition to slime!

Bug Slime Sensory Play with bugs and insects Spring activity

Slime bounces too! It’s lots of fun apparently to roll it into a big bouncy ball and bounce it all around. See our bouncy ball recipe!

Bug Clear Slime Recipe Science Activity Sensory Play

Bug Slime Recipe

Need an edible or taste-safe version… How about this pudding slime with gummy worms?

Make sure to wash hands thoroughly after playing with slime. If your slime gets a little messy, it does happen, check out my tips for how to get slime out of clothes and hair!

Supplies:

1/2 cup of clear Washable School Glue
1/4 – 1/2 cup liquid starch
1/2 cup water
2 bowls, and a spoon
measuring cups
bugs

How To Make Bug Slime

STEP 1: In a bowl add 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup glue and mix well to combine completely.

STEP 2: Now’s the time to add color with food coloring if you want to.

STEP 3: Pour in 1/4 cup of liquid starch and stir well.

You will see the slime immediately start to form and pull away from the sides of the bowl. Keep stirring until you have a gooey blob of slime. The liquid should be gone!

STEP 4: Start kneading your slime! It will appear stringy at first but just work it around with your hands and you will notice the consistency change.

SLIME MAKING TIP: The trick with liquid starch slime is to put a few drops of the liquid starch onto your hands before picking up the slime. However, keep in mind that although adding more liquid starch reduces the stickiness, and it will eventually create a stiffer slime.

Store your slime loosely covered in a plastic container for a good week of bug slime play as shown above.