With Shark Week upon us, my toddlers have been very curious about these mysterious creatures. My husband enjoys watching all the shows and started getting the girls excited about it days ago. Although I’m not a huge fan myself, I decided to jump on the shark train and incorporate it into a mini science activity. The girls and I made SHARK SLIME and they couldn’t have been more excited about it. It was easy to make, so much fun to play with–– and pretty to look at which was a bonus. 😉
Here is what you’ll need:
-6 oz of blue glitter glue (we used Elmer’s)
-1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
-1 ½ tablespoons of contact solution
Or make slime with the Super Squishy Science Lab kit
-mixing bowl
-plastic spoon
Steps:
Pour the glitter glue into the bowl and slowly mix in the baking soda. Once it has been mixed thoroughly, stir in the contact solution. You will notice the mixture begins to thicken, and that means you are on the right track. Start kneading the mixture with your hands until the contact solution is completely mixed in. If it is sticking to your hands, go ahead and add a little bit of contact solution and knead some more. Repeat last step until it is no longer sticking to your fingers and has the perfect consistency. Now you have beautiful glistening ocean slime for your sharks to explore.
To my surprise and theirs, my three year olds were able to follow my directions and make the slime completely independently! With the sparkly ocean slime complete, it is now time to add in some sharks. The TOOB we used includes 10 aquatic predators, specifically the Gray Shark, Leopard Shark, Great White, Whale Shark, Thresher Shark, Spotted Eagle Ray, Blue Shark, Mako Shark, Tiger Shark and Hammerhead Shark.
The girls picked their favorites and put them in the slime. They had a blast pretending the sharks were swimming in the slime, hiding and finding them, and trading sharks to incorporate into their scientific masterpiece. This also ended up being a great activity to work on their fine motor skills.
As we played with our slime, we discussed the differences and similarities of all the sharks. They didn’t realize how many types of sharks there were, and honestly some of these were new to me as well. After about an hour of fun and squishing our creations, we stored our slime in a resealable glass jar. We were able to continue using our slime day after day since the jar helps maintain its moisture. It was also adorable to look at. The girls wanted it out on display in the living room to show off to their grandparents and cousins.
The three ingredients used are non-toxic, making this activity safe for kids of all ages.
Safari Ltd also created a great sing along, which highlights the different types of sharks in the ocean pairing nicely with their products! All great resources for any summer or shark themed party! As Shark Week commences, I know the girls will be even more excited to play with their slime!
Ariannie Machado is a certified Elementary Education teacher with a masters in Special Education and mother of twin toddler girls! Follow along with her on Instagram @ariannie__