Slime can be a bit of a hit and miss toy - some children love the gloopy, messy fun, while others hate the fact it sticks to their hands (we have a suitable alternative in our list below). But there's no denying the popularity of this form of sensory play.
Playing with slime can be a brilliant way for children for experience new and fun textures, develop their language skills as they try to describe the sensations, and can help promote feelings of calm through play. Get a sense of the viscous fun and the clean up required by checking out my account of introducing my nephew to slime - so much glutinous and slippery fun!
In many cases, you can buy slime toys for less than £10, but do make sure that you check the age range guidance before purchasing, and make sure that younger children are supervised when playing. It can also help to make sure you have aprons, like these from Amazon, as well as waterproof tablecloths or mats handy to help contain the fun.
9 slime toys that kids will love
Age: 3+
A popular slime gift according to Amazon, this slime starter pack includes a clear glue base, four different glitters and an activator solution that will turn the glue from sticky to slimy. Safe and washable formula.
Age: 3+
For slimy fun without the slimy mess, this colour-changing slime putty is a great solution. The putty reacts to temperature so will change colours in your hands or when put into warm water, only to change back when it cools down again.
Age: 5+
Curious kids will adore conducting experiments to understand more about slime and how it's made. This toy set encourages scientific thinking as players make a glow in the dark slimy alien, a bouncy putty ball and a 'funny noise' pot and more.
Age: 3+
With an inflatable tray to help contain the mess, and eight accessories including dinosaurs and trees, there's lots to stimulate the senses. It includes five sachets of slime mix, and when you run out, you can buy refills.
Age: 3+
I tried this with my nephew when he was three years old and he LOVED it. It's drain safe, so can be easily and safely disposed of. But take my advice - use it in a bowl and not in the bath - it's very slippery, even when you're trying to clean it up.
Age: 6+
With two different colours of ready-made slime and four different decorations to mix in, this is a really fun textural experience. The bucket keeps mess to a minimum and each has a surprise character for kids to find, and there are multiple characters to collect.
Age: 5+
Dinosaurs, volcanoes and slime? What more could you want! With Lava Slime Surprise, intrepid budding-archaeologists have to dig through lava slime following a volcanic eruption to uncover bones to form a dinosaur figure. Top notch, Jurassic fun.
Age: 6+
Take slime to the next level with this mixer toy. The mixer spins, so when you add the fluffy white slime and the vibrant dye powders, you can create marble effects and swirls in the slime. You can also add fun decorations to personalise it further.
Age: 8+
More experiment fun is on the cards with this sludge and slime kit. Kids will love making an invisible monster, slimy snakes, gloopy goo and multiplying slime balls. You can extend the fun with some household extras too.
Why do kids love slime?
Slime is popular with kids for a multitude of reasons - it's tactile, it's messy, it's creative and it's great to play with others. As GoodtoKnow expert panellist and child development expert, Dr Amanda Gummer explains, these interactive play experiences "will help children develop essential social skills such as cooperation, communication, and even resilience, laying a solid foundation for positive relationships and interactions with others as they get older."
Engaging in sensory play can also help foster calming play, which can be especially helpful if you have a child who worries. Discovering the new textures and listening for the squelchy sounds can help to focus the mind on the senses and play more mindfully.
Plus, slime is kinda disgusting, and kids tend to love disgusting stuff, as the popularity of these gross-sounding games goes to show. And if playing with the slime creates some questionable sound effects then all the better!
Is slime safe for children to play with?
If you buy your slime from a reputable retailer in the UK, and you do you research and only buy products with the CE mark, which means it meets safety standards, then you can safely assume that it's safe for your child to play with. But it never hurts to be cautious when buying toys of this nature.
In 2018, research from Which? found that eight out of the 11 best selling slime toys weren't actually safe for children to play with. The products were found to have a toxic level of a chemical called Boron, which could lead to skin irritation, diarrhoea and vomiting. As a result of findings, those toxic products were removed from sale in the UK.
Even so, young children should always be supervised when playing with slime toys, and hands washed thoroughly when play is over. If you're worried about your child potentially ingesting the slime, you could follow our recipe to make your own edible slime instead.
