A Fourth Of July DIY For The Kids!

How To Make Star Spangled Slime

The 4^th of July is known for gathering, barbecuing, and enjoying quality time with friends and family. But if us parents really expect to kick back and relax, we are going to need to come up with something to keep the kids entertained!

Whether you are hosting the party this year, or arriving as a guest, this star-spangled slime will be just what you need to engage those little ones.

Slime, A Great Way To Entertain Kids!

Anyone who has school aged children already knows that the slime obsession is REAL! Something about sticky, gooey slime makes kids go nuts. Since 4^th of July is usually hosted out doors it makes this holiday the perfect one to whip up a batch of slime without worrying about it getting all over the house. There are plenty of different slime recipes you can find on the web.

With this recipe you only need 2 ingredients and you don’t need exact measurements or expensive materials. I was able to order the ingredients online and for under $20. Add a small bag of red, white, and blue star glitter and some themed toys and it was easily transformed into a festive Independence Day activity!

North American Wildlife

Usually when you think of Independence Day fireworks and flags come to mind. Of course, we cannot give fireworks to kids and there is only so much you can do with a flag before the fun runs out. So to add some long lasting fun to our slime we are using some well-known North American animals. The bald eagle is the most prominent symbol of America but it’s not the only animal that represents the U.S.A.

The American Bison, commonly called the buffalo is the largest land animal in North America and was used by Native Americans for various resources. The black bear can be commonly found in North American woodlands among deer, beavers and otters. To learn more, you can read about North American Wildlife here. (link Shane’s article)

Adding the animal figurines and the In The Woods Toob adds an nature centered educational element to a fun holiday activity. The figurines provide imaginative and open-ended play to keep the kids entertained even longer.

What You’ll Need

So what exactly will we need to make our American wildlife star-spangled slime?

First we will need 3 ingredients:

-Clear school glue

-Liquid starch

-Red, white, and blue star glitter

Directions

• For the slime you will start by pouring the clear glue into a bowl. (Depending on how many kids you are making slime for will determine how much to use. 1 quart of glue can make enough slime for about 12 kids.)
• After pouring the glue, you will slowly add liquid starch one tablespoon at a time.
• You can mix using a spoon at first and then use your hands to knead the mixture when it starts to get thicker.

Keep adding starch until you have a slightly sticky and stretchy consistency.

• Once the slime mixture is made you can add the glitter in. (You can do it all at once or split up the slime for each child and let them add stars to their individual batch.)

When the slime is ready to go you can add in the American wildlife figurines for some educational sensory play.

Safari Toys

-In the Woods Toob

-Bald Eagle

-Alligator

-Bison

How to use figurines with slime

• Hide the animals in the slime
• Rescue animals from the slime
• Make animal footprints in the slime
• Create landscapes for the animals out of slime.

Once the slime is prepared and the figurines are laid out, there is only one thing left to do: BACK AWAY SLOWLY!  Now is your chance to retreat quietly, find your lawn chair, sit back, and enjoy some down time of your own!

DeAna Dunn is a former educator turned stay-at-home mom to 3 kids under 3 years old. Living life in survival mode. 

Products featured in this post:

• The Bald Eagle is part of Safari’s Incredible Creatures collection. It is a bird of prey found throughout North America, the bald eagle is actually a sea eagle, meaning it lives close to rivers, lakes, and tidewaters, and its diet consists almost entirely of water-dwelling animals. It is the largest eagle native to North America and a prominent symbol of America.
• Featuring many common denizens of a forest, the In the Woods Toob includes an elk, river otter, monarch butterfly, black bear, black snake, bald eagle, beaver, doe, grasshopper, frog, raccoon, and bison. All animals that can be found in North America.