If you’re thinking about banning slime from your house, we think you should reconsider. Fostering your child’s obsession with slime can be a good thing, as this popular toy is a chemistry project in itself, and will help your kids with problem-solving, strengthen motor skills, and become a great sensory toy for development. While slime can be messy, slime provides children with a great opportunity to learn about science and more! Read on to find out the 5 reasons kids should play with slime.
1. Slime is science!
Slime introduces kids to the scientific concepts of polymers, fluids, and more. Slime is essentially a chemistry experiment illustrating what happens when two substances combine and their molecular structure changes to form a new substance. Hands-on experiences are the best way to help children understand scientific concepts!
2. Slime is a problem-solving exercise.
When playing with slime, there are so many different variables including how it’s mixed, the ingredient ratio, outdoor temperature, and humidity. At Slime Obsidian, every batch we make has to be adjusted. We begin with basic ingredients and then based on some of the factors described above, we’ll add more glue or whatever is needed. Essentially, creating a batch of slime is a problem-solving exercise in itself, so kids will enjoy discovering the different ways to create slime.
3. Slime demonstrates math and ratios.
Slime recipes are based on the ratio of glue to the amount of activator. When making slime, ratios are helpful because it helps you determine the size of the recipe. Understanding this is helpful when teaching kids about mathematical formulas and ratios while they play with or make slime!
4. Slime is tactile, sensory play.
Typically, sensory play is associated with toddlers and children up to age 6, but there are many opportunities for sensory play that older kids will benefit from, too. Sensory play is important for motor development, and since older kids are still developing those skills, they could use some practice! In addition to refining motor skills, slime helps children regulate their emotions. Playing with slime is a calming activity; kids can knead, stretch, and swirl their slime into different shapes and movements for hours. It’s important and beneficial to give them that sensory play they love!
5. Mastery builds confidence.
Parents try to instill confidence, perseverance, and courage in their kids. What better way to do so than to let them to become experts at an activity that they enjoy. Kids love slime, and they can become obsessed with it. Unlike video games, playing with slime is a hands-on creative activity, so it’s good to allow them to become slime masters so they can build up some confidence.