We have fabulously discovered Pumpkin Seed Slime! Tis the season for everything pumpkin, right?! We’re all about sensory bins, getting messy, and having fun here at Fun Early Learning. Our students LOVE it! They stay engaged and learning. It’s the best!
Did you know that slime is science?
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Slime is ooey, gooey, messy science that children love! It feels like a solid when you pick it up, but spreads like a liquid! It can be many different colors, glow in the dark, or have textures in it. Slime is awesome! Here are some great teaching moments as you make Pumpkin Seed Slime.
- Newtonian Fluid: Slime has a texture that is not quite a liquid, but not quite a solid either. This is referred to as non-Newtonian fluid. You can pick it up just like it’s a solid object, but it quickly starts to flow like liquid between your fingers. If you place it into an object or container, it takes the shape of it. It all depends on how thick the slime is for how long it takes to go from a solid to flowing like a liquid.
- Polymers: The glue in our slime is the polymer. Polymer’s are long flexible molecules that make the slime thick and stretchy. They slide past each other as a liquid. When enough of the polymer molecules link together properly, the glue solution changes from being liquid to the more solid slime. Awesome, right?!
Here’s what you need to make Pumpkin Seed Slime:
- Large Round Pumpkin
- Knife for Cutting the Top off the Pumpkin
- 1 1/2 cups of Room Temperature Water
- 1 1/2 cups of Elmer’s Washable Clear School Glue
- Large Spoon for Mixing
- 1 1/2 cups of Liquid Starch (you can use the link or it can be found in most laundry detergent aisles)
- Tray (optional)
Directions for Making Pumpkin Seed Slime:
Step 1: Carefully cut the top off of the pumpkin. Loosen the innards and remove about 1/4 to 1/2 the seeds for later activities. Make sure you’ve really gotten a lot of the inside seeds and pumpkin goop loose as this is what makes the slime ‘Pumpkin Seed Slime’.
We used the extra pumpkin seeds for a fun, hands-on math center activity called Counting Pumpkin Seeds. 🙂
Step 2: In a medium bowl mix 1 1/2 cups of room temperature water with 1 1/2 cup of Elmer’s Washable Clear School Glue. Set the mixture aside.
Step 3: Measure and pour 1 1/2 cups of liquid starch into the pumpkin. Then add the water / glue mixture into the pumpkin.
Step 4: Time to get messy! Use your hands (or the spoon if you prefer) to mix everything together until fully incorporated.
Step 5: Enjoy the ooey, gooey, oh so messy Pumpkin Seed Slime!
We had a great time tipping the pumpkin over and watching the slime ooze out, squishing it, and watching it ooze from our fingers back to the tray. Here are some pics of our fun.
