Recipe · Crunchy
Crunchy slime: the slime that crackles under your fingers
Crunchy slime crackles under your fingers thanks to fishbowl beads or foam beads. The recipe, the right amounts, and the safety rules to follow.
- DifficultyEasy
- Time15 minutes
- Makes1 ball
- Recommended ageAges 6+, with an adult
Crunchy slime is all about the sound: when you squeeze it, the beads inside crunch and crackle. It’s the favorite texture of ASMR videos. Two options: fishbowl beads (flat plastic beads sold as vase and fishbowl filler, often in craft stores) or foam beads (then the slime is called “floam”).
Ingredients
- ½ cup (120 ml) clear or white PVA glue
- ½ cup (120 ml) water
- ¼ to ½ tsp (1.25 to 2.5 ml) baking soda
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) contact lens solution with boric acid and sodium borate
- ¼ to ⅓ cup (60 to 80 ml) fishbowl beads (or foam beads)
- Food coloring (optional)
Supplies: a mixing bowl, a spoon, a tray.
Need more or less? Recalculate the amounts for this recipe to fit your bowl or the number of kids.
Why these ingredients? What the activator does and which glue to choose.
Steps
- Mix the glue and water, then the food coloring.
- Add the baking soda.
- Pour in the beads and stir: they spread out better in the liquid.
- An adult adds the contact lens solution a little at a time.
- Knead over the tray. Squeeze it: it should crunch.
How do you know it worked?
The beads should stay inside the dough without falling out every time you touch it. If they escape, there isn’t enough glue to hold them: next time, use a few fewer beads.
The most common slime fails
- The beads fall out everywhere
- Too many beads for the amount of slime. Take some out, or make a little more base to hold them.
- It doesn’t crunch enough
- Add a small handful of beads, and choose flat beads rather than round ones.
- The beads fly off and stick to everything
- Foam beads are very light and attracted to static electricity. Pour them into the glue while it’s still liquid, over the tray, rather than onto the finished slime.
Another problem? The Slime Fixer goes through every symptom.
Variations and ideas
- In a clear slime, colored beads really stand out.
- Foam beads make a lighter floam that you can almost mold.
- Every slime texture name is explained in the glossary.
How to store it
Airtight container. You can save the beads when the slime is done: you don’t have to throw them away.
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