Learn how to make slime and then make this molten lava slime with the kids! It is perfect for exploring a variety of early science skills both in and out of the classroom.
And once the slime is ready to go, the kids will have a blast with all of the sensory and imaginative play. The children can add all kinds of toys to the lava, from dinosaurs to Star Wars LEGO mini-figures.
Below, I outline how we came up with the lava slime recipe. One of the great things about the recipe is how versatile it is. You can make changes to it depending on your preferences and what you have on-hand.
Related: Star Wars Activities
My son and I originally made this molten lava slime years ago. We were inspired by the scene in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith where Obi-Wan and Anakin duel on the planet Mustafar. The planet has lots of active volcanoes, so the two fight amid pools of hot lava.
Obviously, you need to decide if the scene from the actual movie is appropriate for your own kids. This post is focused on sensory and pretend play with slime! Seeing the movie isn’t necessary.
Read below for how we made this gorgeous slime! You can definitely make it the same way we did, or you can tweak things as you see fit.
Lava Slime
This slime is made up of four batches of slime – yellow, red, orange, and gold. You can find the individual recipes below.
The children can help with measuring, mixing, and setting up this slime activity . . . provided they’re under adult supervision the entire time. And as long as they’re old enough to keep things out of their mouths.
You can even outfit the kids with their own safety goggles, aprons, and gloves for slime making.
My son was 7 when we first made our lava slime. He was involved in it from start to finish.
Lava Slime Materials
Here are all of the items we used to make our molten lava slime (I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post):
- Elmer’s clear school glue
- Water (optional)
- Liquid watercolors (or food coloring)
- Glitter (optional)
- Sta-Flo liquid starch
- Craft sticks or spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups
If you and the kids love making slime, I suggest designating a set of mixing bowls and measuring cups just for slime.
How to Make Red Slime
Start off by making the red portion of the lava slime.
Add 5 ounces of clear glue to a mixing bowl. If you like adding water to your slime, you can add about 4 ounces of water to the glue.
Then mix in 1 tablespoon of red liquid watercolors and 1 tablespoon of red glitter. Stir everything well.
Slowly add 4 ounces (about 7 to 8 tablespoons) of liquid starch to the bowl. Stir well as you add the starch.
Related: Snow Paint Sensory Bin with Dinosaurs
Knead the slime for a minute or two, and then check the stickiness and stretch.
If more starch is needed, be sure to add it in a tablespoon at a time before kneading.
How to Make Orange Slime and Yellow Slime
Next are the orange and yellow slimes.
To do so, follow the same basic directions as the red slime above.
The only thing we did differently was the addition of glitter. We put glitter in the red slime, but chose not to add any glitter to the orange or yellow slimes.
You can, of course, add glitter to these slimes if you want to!
How to Make Gold Slime
I have to admit, this one is a favorite of mine. We have made it SO many times over the years. And it never fails to be a blast.
It’s the perfect addition to the lava slime, as it adds just that extra bit of golden glimmer.
You can read here how to make the golden slime:
How to Make Lava Slime
Once you’ve made the red, orange, yellow, and golden slimes, it’s time to put it all together!
Have the kids place the slimes on top of each other on a large tray or platter. The order doesn’t really matter – let the kids decide for themselves.
Related: How to Make Galaxy Slime
From there, add any of the items you’d like to include in your lava slime.
You might add Lego Star Wars minifigures, toy dinosaurs, or even a toy volcano.
Then let the kids play and explore to their hearts’ content!
Related: Simple LEGO Sensory Bottle Kids Can Make
Playing with Lava Slime
Once the slimes were ready to go, my son brought in his Lego bricks and minifigures.
If your children are really into Star Wars, I’m sure they’ll enjoy it too.
We used a variety of minifigures with the lava slime:
- Stormtroopers
- Droids
- Obi-Wan
- Our own hobbled-together version of Anakin
- Lightsabers
- Some random Lego bricks
We didn’t have all of the “correct” Lego items, but that wasn’t a big deal.
My son ran a few different experiments with the slime, mostly focused on how long Lego take to sink.
And of course there was a LOT of stretching the slime and poking it. Because how can you not?!
Related: Superhero Slime
From there, it was an epic bottle over the lava slime.
At the end of our duel, Anakin was left to sink into the molten lava.
The slime bubbled and everything, which added even more dramatic effect to our play.
Related: LEGO Engineering Challenges to Inspire the kids
Once the Lego Star Wars duel was over, most of the slime was mixed together. This resulted in a beautiful, sparkly dark orange slime.
We sealed it up in a lidded container and continued to play with it for weeks.
The lava slime was perfect for our small dinosaur toys, along with a wide range of other toys.
Are you up for making molten lava slime with the kids? If so, be sure to let me know how much fun you have.
For another amazing Lego Star Wars slime idea, check out Epic Fun for Kids’ Yoga Slime. I love that she made it bubble!
Done-For-You Preschool Resources
If you’re a preschool teacher, be sure to check out Preschool Teacher 101 to save you a lot of time! Click on the photos below for more information and pop over to read about our membership options.
Originally published June 29, 2014.
THIS IS SO INCREDIBLY AWESOME! I love that a) both of our “engineers” got so into the creative process with these Star Wars slime activities and b) that we both obviously had a lot of fun with them, too. 🙂 I can’t wait to give the lava slime a try…the mixture of colors is so pretty!
My little engineer (almost 7!) is very interested in making this, but he’s worried that his Legos might get stuck in the slime. I told him they would be fine, but he is very insistent that I double-check with you! The safety of Legos is not to be taken lightly!
Oh my goodness, thank you for the giggle! My Engineer would definitely get along with yours! Yes, the Legos will sink into the slime and get slime on them. Much of the slime can come off by using fingers to remove it. Then giving the Legos a short bath gets the rest! We’ve done this A LOT and the Legos are doing great. 🙂
Thanks! He feels better now, and we have a plan for the afternoon!
Thanks for this post and description! This will be my first go at making slime with my grandchildren. I had one question about the properties of slime. If the various colors of slime are put together, do they mix together? Do you store them separately? Are any of the ingredients staining on clothes, countertops or table tops? Does it dry out or stay ‘slimey’?
Also I used your suggestions also for purchasing the items required for the slime. Thank you for that!
Thanks so much!
Sincerely, Gwen Studnick
How long does the slime keep? I assume you can reuse it for multiple play times? If so, how do you suggest storing it? Thank you!
Do you have to use the clear glue?
You don’t have to use clear glue, but the colors won’t be as vibrant with white glue. 🙂
Hi, I’m thinking about adding this to my son’s kindergarten science fair project! Can you tell me how long the slime lasts? I’m sure he’s going to want to make it as soon as we get the supplies, but the science fair isn’t for another 3 weeks! 🙂
How cool is that Jessica!?!?! I would adore any photos of the slime in use if your son uses it! I’ve had our slime last for quite some time (weeks and weeks). I’d say store it in an air tight container or a sealed plastic baggy. It might not hurt to give it a trial run either way, as some patience is neee to make it. 🙂
I LOVE IT!
Thank you, Ayana! We have had a blast with it!