Nothing says summer quite like the 4th of July around here. Complete with fairs, parades, fireworks, cotton candy, and of course our homemade slime recipes. If you have wanted to learn how to make slime, the 4th of July is the perfect occasion to make a fun theme! Our easy 4th of July slime recipe combines the traditional colors of the holiday with a whole lotta sparkle from glitter!
SPARKLING 4th OF JULY SLIME RECIPE FOR KIDS!
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HOMEMADE SLIME RECIPE FOR 4th OF JULY
Summer, the 4th of July, and homemade slime are like BFF’s in this house…
We love slime especially for holidays like the 4th of July. It’s just another way to extend the celebration and keep the kids excited? Why not make a 4th of July slime recipe with the kids?
If we aren’t on the beach watching fireworks, then we are marching in the cub scout parade and eating cotton candy (ok I’m not but my son and husband will be).
I love to use my kiddos love of holidays to inspire our next slime creations. All the lights of the fireworks and carnivals inspired us to make this SPARKLY 4th of July slime recipethat glitters brilliantly.
RED WHITE BLUE SLIME
Our easy, “how to make” slime recipes will show you how to master slime in 5 minutes! We have spent years tinkering with our 4 favorite basic slime recipes to make sure you can make the BEST slime every time!
We believe slime shouldn’t be disappointing or frustrating! That’s why we want to take the guesswork out of making slime!
- Discover the best slime ingredients and get the right slime supplies the first time!
- Make easy slime recipes that really work!
- Achieve awesome slimy consistency the kids’ love!
No more having to print out a WHOLE blog post for just one recipe!
Get our basic slime recipes in an easy to print format so you can knock out the activities!
—>>>FREE SLIME RECIPE CARDS
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BEST 4th OF JULY SLIME RECIPE EVER!
We have 4 unique basic slime recipes that can all be used for this summer holiday slime recipe. You decide which one works best for you. Once you learn the basics, transform them over and over again!
This allows for some flexibility depending on where you live in the world! Not everyone has access to the same ingredients! This is a great recipe to use for slime recipes in the UK as well as Canada.
Each of the basic slime recipes below has the full step by step photos, directions, and even videos to help you along the way!
- Saline Solution Slime Recipe
- Borax Slime Recipe
- Liquid Starch Slime Recipe
- Fluffy Slime Recipe
Our patriotic July 4th slime usesour number one saline solution slime recipe. This is our #1 most viewed slime recipe, and we love it. Awesome stretchy slime in no time is my motto!
We have the best resources to look through before, during, and after making our homemade July 4th slime! We talk more about slime science at the bottom of this page as well as additional slimy resources
- BEST Slime Supplies
- How To Fix Slime: Troubleshooting Guide
- Slime Safety Tips for Kids and Adults!
HOW TO MAKE SLIME STEP BY STEP
Let’s get started making our red, white, and blue slime by gathering all the right ingredients for slime we need to have on hand!
After this slime making session, you will always want to keep your pantry stocked. I promise you will never have a dull slime making afternoon…
Again make sure to look through our recommended slime supplies. I share all out favorite brands that we use to create awesome slime over and over again.
YOU WILL NEED:
You are going to be making three batches of slime for this activity! We made a single batch each of blue, red, and clear with silver glitter slime. You could also add in a white glue slime for a neat look (replace silvery clear slime).
The recipe below makes one batch of homemade slime. To get the swirled look, make three batches total.
- 1/2 cup of Clear Elmers Washable School Glue
- 1/2 cup of water
- Food Coloring
- Glitter
- 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
- 1 TBSP Saline Solution
- Star decorations, star confetti, or other themed accessories (note: confetti stars can be a little sharp)
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HOW TO MAKE 4th OF JULY SLIME
Note, for more detailed information on making this basic saline solution slime recipe, please check out the SALINE SOLUTION SLIME RECIPE page for additional tips, tricks, and videos.
You can read through the quick and easy steps below photos!
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STEP 1: Start by combining clear glue and water and stir thoroughly.
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STEP 2: Next, add glitter, baking soda, and food coloring.
STEP 3: Then, add saline solution and mix!
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4th OF JULY SLIME QUICK STEPS
- Start by mixing glue and water in a bowl until combined.
- Stir in baking soda.
- Next, add food coloring and glitter as desired!
- Time for the slime activator! Add in the saline solution.
- Mix well until slimy blob forms in the bowl and pulls away nicely from bottom of bowl and sides of the bowl.
- Squirt a few drops of saline solution on your hands and knead your slime. You can knead it in the bowl or pick it up and knead it. We usually start in the bowl and then pick it up.
- Saline solution slime likes to be kneaded well. This will improve consistency as well as reduce the stickiness.
Once you have each color made, you can get busy swirling them together. I like to stretch them out in strips next to each other and let them slowly combine. Pick up from one end, and let gravity help the swirl form!
Squish and squeeze!
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THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE SLIME RECIPE
We always like to include a bit of homemade slime science around here! Slime is an excellent chemistry demonstration and kids love it too! Mixtures, substances, polymers, cross-linking, states of matter, elasticity, and viscosity are just a few of the science concepts that can be explored with homemade slime!
What’s slime science all about? The borate ions in the slime activators(sodium borate, borax powder, or boric acid) mix with the PVA (polyvinyl acetate) glue and forms 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 with flow past one another keeping the glue in a liquid state. Until…
You add the borate ions to the mixture, and it then 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 rubbery like slime! Slime is a polymer.
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! Experiment with making the slime more or less viscous with varying amounts of foam beads. Can you change the density?
Did you know that slime aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)?
It does and you can use slime making to explore states of matter and its interactions. Find out more below…
- NGSS Kindergarten
- NGSS First Grade
- NGSS Second Grade
HOW DO YOU STORE SLIME?
Slime lasts quite a while! I get a lot of questions regarding how I store my slime. We use reusable containers in either plastic or glass. Make sure to keep your slime clean and it will last for several weeks. I love the deli-style containers I have listed in my recommendedslime supplieslist.
If you want to send kids home with a bit of slime from a camp, party, or classroom project, I would suggest packages of reusable containers from the dollar store or grocery store or even Amazon. For large groups, we have used condiment containers and labels as seen here.
We have the best resources to look through before, during, and after making your patriotic summer slime! Make sure to go back and read the slime science above too!
MORE SLIME MAKING RESOURCES!
Everything you need to know about making slime is below! Did you know we also have fun with science activities too? Click on all the pictures below to learn more.
- HOW DO I FIX MY SLIME?
- OUR TOP SLIME RECIPE IDEAS YOU NEED TO MAKE!
- BASIC SLIME SCIENCE KIDS CAN UNDERSTAND!
- READER QUESTIONS ANSWERED!
- BEST INGREDIENTS FOR MAKING SLIME!
- THE AMAZING BENEFITS THAT COME OUT OF SLIME MAKING WITH KIDS!
No more having to print out a WHOLE blog post for just one recipe!
Get our basic slime recipes in an easy to print format so you can knock out the activities!
—>>>FREE SLIME RECIPE CARDS
MORE AWESOME 4th OF JULY SCIENCE TO TRY! Click on photos for details!
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