If your students love all things pumpkins, you definitely need to give this easy pumpkin slime a try. Add it to your list of preschool pumpkin activities to do with your students this fall.
Related: Thanksgiving Activities for Preschoolers
I know, I know. A preschool pumpkin theme might seem a bit overdone to some.
But I have to admit, I LOVE exploring pumpkins with kids each fall. I thought I’d get sick of it at some point, but I never have.
Pumpkins are something many children already have some background knowledge of. So it’s not too difficult to take what they know and expand that knowledge.
And if the children haven’t had any experiences with pumpkins yet, a hands-on pumpkin theme is just as fun. You can bring in real pumpkins and give the kids a full experience.
Getting to witness the wonder and amazement in the eyes of a child experiencing something for the first time is priceless!
Easy Pumpkin Slime
Once you’ve done a ton of learning with real pumpkins, let them get their hands “dirty” with this pumpkin slime recipe.
You could even try to make the slime right inside a hollowed-out pumpkin to make a perfectly spooky oozing pumpkin!
Slime Safety
I always like to touch on using slime safety before jumping into how to make slime with kids.
As with all of the activities on Fun-A-Day, the slime making process needs to be supervised by an adult at all times.
The ingredients used should never be ingested, nor should the final product. Because of this, it might be best to engage with slime in different ways just like we did with these monster slime activities!
While I’ve never run into any skin sensitivities, for myself or the kids, that doesn’t mean it can’t happen. So keep an eye out for any allergies or skin reactions to the slime.
Making slime is basically a science experiment, and it should be treated with the proper respect and care. I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir here, but I like to spell that all out just in case!
Pumpkin Slime Ingredients
You just need a few basic ingredients to make your very own pumpkin slime.
Since we’re slime fans around here, I have these items in bulk. If you and the kids love making slime, I highly recommend buying in bulk too. It just makes life easier.
Related: Pumpkin Shape Mats
This is what you’ll need to get started:
- 5 ounces Elmer’s clear glue
- 4 ounces Sta-Flo liquid starch
- 4 ounces of water
- Pumpkin glitter/sequins
- Orange food coloring or liquid watercolors (optional)
You’ll also want a mixing bowl, mixing spoon, and measuring cups. I highly recommend having a set dedicated to science and sensory play.
If you’d like, you can also pull out a mat for the kids to play on.
Directions for Pumpkin Slime
Pour the clear glue into your mixing bowl. If you’re using a big container of glue, have the kids help measure it out.
If you’ve grabbed a bottle of clear glue, just empty that into the bowl. Elmer’s clear glue comes in five ounce containers.
Next up, add the water. Warm water works best. If you used a five ounce bottle of glue, simply fill it up part way with water. Otherwise, measure out about half a cup of warm water.
Mix the water and glue mixture well.
Then it’s time to add the liquid starch. I like to add it slowly, stirring along the way. Mix everything up until a ball of slime starts to form.
Related: Name Activities with Colorful Pumpkin Seeds
Finally, knead the slime for a few minutes until it reaches the consistency you prefer. Kneading the slime is a must, so don’t leave this step out!
After kneading, if your slime is too stiff add a little more warm water. If it’s too sticky, add in a little more liquid starch. Then be sure to knead it again.
Our slime ended up being dyed slightly orange from the pumpkin glitter. You can always add a few drops of orange food coloring or liquid watercolors if the color of your glitter didn’t run, and you want similar results.
Related: Pumpkin Patch Small World Play
How to Make Pumpkin Pie Slime
I wanted to share a tip for taking this pumpkin slime to the next level.
If you’re a regular reader of Fun-A-Day, you know I love multi-sensory activities. I find that children learn so much through their senses, so I like to create activities that encourage that.
I’ve found that scent is a sense that preschoolers really respond to, so when possible I enjoy adding scent to learning activities.
To turn the pumpkin slime into pumpkin pie slime, just add spices!
Add some pumpkin pie spice to the slime as a last step, just like we did in this fall process art. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, add cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, or some mixture of those spices. Of course, ensure that none of your students are allergic first.
Playing with Slime
You can place the slime out for the kids as is, if you want to. Be sure put it on a mat, tray, or table that can hold up to slime play.
Let the children explore the slime by touching it, stretching it, and observing it. They will have a blast with just the slime, let me tell you!
If you’d like to add some additional materials, I have a few ideas. I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Here are my suggestions:
- Pumpkin cookie cutters
- Child-friendly scissors
- Extra pumpkin sequins
- Orange glass gems
- Acrylic pumpkins
- Small pumpkin toys or manipulatives
There are more things you can add to the slime if you’d like. Just make sure whatever you place with the pumpkin slime is okay to get messy.
Science, sensory, and math skills are all explored via this slime activity. Fine motor skills often come into play, as well as vocabulary to describe how the slime looks, feels, and (in some cases) smells.
You can incorporate some math concepts and guide your little ones to figuring out how much slime it takes until it oozes out of the Jack-o-lantern’s mouth!
You could also talk about how slime can be a liquid OR a solid when enough force is applied! For more STEM-related activities, check out this pumpkin STEM challenge.
No matter how the children end up using it, they will be learning as they play with the pumpkin slime.
Ready-to-Use Resources
The complete lesson plans at Preschool Teacher 101 are an amazing, time-saving resource for all preschool teachers!
Become a member of The Pack from Preschool Teacher 101. Check out their membership options today!
Here are a few of the pumpkin-related resources they currently have available. Click on the photos for more information about each resource.
Thank you for the wonderful recipe for slime. It is such a good recipe.
I’m so happy you like it! Thank you! 🙂