Make Your own Gak or Slime
Kids of all ages love playing with Gak, also known as Slime. This slippery, pliable goop is a fun chemistry experiment and is easy to make in less than 10 minutes. A grown-up should supervise. We have two recipes: the first uses starch and second Borax. If your child likes to put things in their mouth or has sensitive skin, the starch recipe is probably the better option.
Gak Recipe | Slime Recipe using Liquid Starch
What You Need
- 1 8 oz bottle white school glue – Optional* Elmer’s Glitter Glue or Glow-In-The-Dark Glue
- 1 cup liquid starch (in the grocery store or super store laundry aisle; Sta-Flo is a popular brand)
- Food coloring
- 1 ziplock bag or bowl
How to Make Your Gak
- Pour glue and liquid starch into a sandwich bag or bowl then add food coloring
- Mix well. Be patient; a solid blob will form
- If there is some extra liquid, pour it off and enjoy your gak!
Store in an airtight container when you are done playing.
Gak Recipe | Slime Recipe using Borax
What You Need
- 1 8 oz bottle of Elmer’s school glue – Optional* Elmer’s Glitter Glue or Glow-In-The-Dark Glue
- 1 tsp. Borax (in the grocery store or super store laundry aisle)
- 1 cup water and
- 1/2 cup warm water
- Food coloring
How to Make Your Gak
- Get a bowl in which to mix your gak ingredients
- Pour the glue into the bowl
- Add food coloring; the more you add the brighter it will be
- Fill the empty glue bottle with water; shake to loosen the remaining glue then pour the gluey water into the bowl
- Stir until smooth
- Add more food coloring, if desired, and stir again
- Dissolve 1 teaspoon Borax in 1/2 cup warm water. If it’s not dissolving, microwave for 20 seconds at a time until dissolved
- Stir the Borax mixture into the glue mixture. Almost instantly it will become stringy and become slime!
- Kneed by hand until all the water is absorbed
Store your gak in an airtight container, such as a large freezer bag, when you are done playing with it.
Using Borax Safely
Always use Borax carefully. It is considered an irritant and should not be consumed. If a child ingests Borax, call poison control or take them to the hospital.
Try our play dough recipes, too. Play dough is great for younger kids and kids who like to put things in their mouth. Play dough is made with edible ingredients.