Entertain the kiddos for hours this Christmas with this easy peppermint slime recipe!
Last week, I made a peppermint sensory salt writing tray for Lennox. He enjoyed this activity so much that finally, today, a week later, I bagged up our peppermint salt to save for later use!
Since he enjoyed last week’s activity and I have lots of leftover peppermint extract, I thought I’d create another sensory Christmas activity for Lennox.
I was planning to make a homemade peppermint play dough, but we still had some plain play dough in the fridge from a few weeks ago, so instead, I decided on SLIME!
We haven’t done slime before, so I knew Lennox would be over-the-moon with a new texture!
I also had fun concocting the perfect slime— it only took me a few tries. The outcome was a perfect textured slime that provoked hours of sensory play. I can’t wait to share some of the experiments we did, so make sure to keep reading to the end of the post!
That said, let’s get on with this easy peppermint slime recipe.
Happy holidays, all.
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Ingredients for this peppermint slime recipe
To make this easy peppermint slime recipe, you only need a few ingredients, all of which you might have right at home!
I used a white Elmer’s glue since I wanted a white-colored slime. However, if you’re going to add colors, clear Elmer’s glue works best. As you can tell, the second slime that I made (which is red) came out a little faded with the white glue.
I buy glue whenever I am out and about at Target or Walmart, but the Dollar Store is a great place to stock up on glue.
Related: The Best Art and Craft Gift Ideas for Preschoolers
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda.
- 2 Tablespoons of saline solution (contact solution.)
I use contacts, so I have contact solution readily at home. However, if you don’t use contacts, buy a travel-sized solution because it can be pricey.
For more sensory input, I added a few drops of peppermint extract to our slime. It filled the room with a minty delight!
- 2 or 3 drops of Red Gel Food Coloring (optional)
- 1/4 cup of Red Glitter (Optional)
- 1/4 White glitter (optional)
Equipment needed
- Plastic mixing bowl
- Measuring spoons
- Mixing spoon
- Storage container
How to make the peppermint slime
This peppermint slime recipe is super easy to make and takes less than 10 minutes!
- Pour glue into a plastic mixing bowl.
- Add in 2 to 3 drops of peppermint extract.
- If desired, add in your drops of food coloring and glitter. With a mixing spoon, stir the ingredients until smooth.
- Add one teaspoon of baking soda. Mix the baking soda into the glue and stir until smooth.
- Add in saline solution. Add in the two tablespoons of saline solution and stir slowly. The mixture will quickly start to become stringy and start sticking together.
- Pick up your slime and knead it by hand. If it is particularly sticky, add another 1/2 tablespoon of saline solution and keep kneading.
- Once your slime is ready, prepare the slime station. Use a plate, table cloth, baking tray, or any other easy-clean surface to allow your child to play on. *Do not let your child use the slime on upholstery or carpets because the slime will absorb into the material.
- Let your child play! See further down in the post for slime play ideas!
- Make sure to supervise your child at all times! Slime is not an edible substance, so make sure they are not putting it in their mouth and ensure that they wash their hands after playing with the slime.
- Once your child has lost interest in the slime, place the slime into an airtight food storage container and place it in the fridge for future use!
Ways to use the peppermint slime
There are so many fun ways to use slime! Below is a list of ideas you could try.
- Add loose parts to the slime. Doing this will encourage imagination and open-ended play.
I added candy canes and jingle bells to our Christmas peppermint slime. Lennox had fun hiding the bells and candy canes and then finding them again!
Lennox also used the objects to create a birthday cake which he said was for my upcoming birthday. How sweet!
Related: Loose Parts Outdoor Activities for Kids
- Add some scissors to the mix and get some fine motor, sensory play.
Slime has a weird, jiggly consistency that makes me want to squeeze the bubbles out of it (oh, and there are bubbles too!) Adding in some safety scissors to the mix will give your child the opportunity to work on their scissors skills and improve their fine motor muscles.
You could also add some math practice by introducing a ruler and teaching your child how to stretch the slime and measure it to a certain length.
Related: Sensory Christmas Activities for Toddlers
- Imprints and tracks
Take those animal figurines and look at the different tracks their feet make in the slime.
Furthermore, you could take cars or monster trucks and drive their tires through the slime! How fun!
- Prewriting activities
Show your child how to use the slime to make lines or letters. Can they make a straight line or a diagonal line? How about a zig-zag line? Maybe they can form the first letter of their name!
Related: Peppermint Sensory Salt Writing Tray for Preschoolers
- Science
Lennox had a blast placing the slime over different objects and watching how the slime would mold to different surfaces.
Our first experiment was with a Magna-Tiles house made by Lennox. We placed the peppermint slime ball onto the house and watched how it melted down over the side.
Related: The Best Open-Ended Toys for Bilingual Toddlers and Preschoolers
Next, we used a small glass to see what would happen. The slime went inside the glass as well as down and around the edges. How cool!
- Get some gross motor play
WIth enough space, and nothing valuable that could break, take the slime and let your child swing it around. They will be amazed at how stretchy this substance is! Lennox and I swung it in circles over our head and it stretched long as a jump rope!
- Currently as I write this post, Lennox is breaking the slime up and turning it into food for his new nutcracker! I love the endless play opportunities provided by slime!
Well, amigos, there are some ways to use your slime, but I am sure I could keep thinking of a million more! But that’s the fun thing about slime. It’s sensory and open-ended!
Once the slime play has come to an end, make sure to store it away for future use and bring it out on the coldest of cold winter days!
Happy holidays, all!
