Ever wish playtime consisted of more than 44 rounds of Candyland, begging your little guys and gals not to bring their new frog friend into the house, or cringing when you hear a crash from the other room? Us too. We decided that the adults are due for an afternoon activity that is just as fun (and easy!) for them as it is for kids.

Enter: essential oil slime! It’s aromatic, it’s science-y, it’s a very good time for all ages.

We promise, the next time your child yells “I want to play with slime!” you’ll be just as excited as they are! And bonus: Adding essential oils to slime is the most fun way to introduce your little ones to aromatherapy.

How do you make slime with essential oils?

Ingredients

4 ounces non-toxic white glue
½ teaspoon baking soda
1–2 tablespoons multipurpose sterile solution (contact solution)
KidScents® GeneYus™ essential oil blend
Natural food coloring (optional)

Instructions

1. Add glue to a bowl.

2. Add food coloring if you’re working with colors.

3. Mix in baking soda until smooth.

4. Add 1 tablespoon contact solution and mix slowly. The glue mixture will start to become stringy as it hardens to form a ball.

5. Pick up the mixture and knead with your hands until it becomes smooth. If it remains too slimy and won’t come together, add ½ tablespoon of contact solution at a time until it is smooth.

6. Add up to 8 drops of essential oil and mix until combined. If the aroma is too potent, use less oil.

7. Get playing! Set out placemats or parchment paper to keep things from getting too messy.

YL tip: Even if you’re having a blast, remember that this slime was made for the kiddos, so be sure to use essential oils* that are formulated especially for little hands like the KidScents® line:

As always, check the label before using an oil topically. Here is a bit more information on diluting essential oils for use with kids.

essential oils for non toxic slime

Storing your slime

To keep everything slimy and fresh (not something we’d ever thought we’d say, but here we are!), store your slime in an airtight container for up to three months. After a few days, the scent of the oil may fade. Get your homemade slime smelling sweet again by adding three drops of oil and mixing well.

A second of science

Why, when you combine these particular ingredients, do you get DIY slime? Science!

Contact solution, glue, and baking soda combined causes a chemical reaction that produces slime, just like combining vinegar and baking soda create a chemical reaction that looks like a volcano. Ready for all the brainy details on the reaction behind slime? The PVA (poly vinyl alcohol) in glue will form a cross-linked bond with the borate ion that forms when you mix baking soda and contact solution. This cross linking stops the molecules from sliding past each other; instead, they stick together for a new gooey slime substance. Cool, huh?

Now you’ve got your hands full of budding science students who want more fun? No fear! Make DIY bath jellies and DIY monster sprays next!

What’s your favorite DIY to make with your children?

Share your tips and tricks in the comments below.

*Avoid using photosensitive oils if playing with the slime outside or going outside shortly after play.