Slime – Do You Know What Your Kids Are Playing With?

Posted on March 15, 2017

Guest post by Carolyn West of This Talk Ain’t Cheap.

Last week I wrote a blog post about the concerns I had with kids making slime at home.

In case you’re unfamiliar with this “plaything,” it’s a gooey, silky substance that kids like to roll in their hands because it feels good. They just hold it and squish it. But the ingredients they use to make it, and the way they combine different products made me question slime’s safety. My post went viral, and nobody was more surprised by that than I was. I was bombarded by people criticizing me for my post and accusing me of fear mongering and of not having any idea what I was talking about. But for every negative comment I received, there were hundreds of others from parents thanking me for shedding a light on this topic. It turns out there are many more kids out there having similar reactions to mine after playing with certain types of slime. Chemists and doctors shared their knowledge with me about the dangers of mixing chemicals and the fact that our kids are coming into contact with products that were never meant to be played with.

The fact is that although the FDA tells us a product is safe, it is our responsibility to use it for its intended purpose. We already know that each of us may react differently to substances in our environment. Some of us are allergic to pollen, grass, fruits, or nuts. Those reactions can range from itchy eyes to sore throats, or even death in connection with some types of peanut allergies. Life is hard enough without having to worry about our possible reactions to chemicals.

Traditional slime components like Borax and glue aren’t meant to be toys, but there are safe, food-based ingredients for our kids to use, and plenty of recipes for safer slime. There are some great ones online at Cool Mom Picks. I encourage you to check them out.  

As a parent, I felt it was my responsibility to share my story and leave it up to you to decide what is best for your children. Our mission is to encourage our kids to create and experiment, as long as safety is a number-one priority. Please be aware of what your kids are playing with… even when those products are deemed “safe” to use.