Make slime that actually works — polymer chemistry, kitchen edition

How to do it

1/2 cup clear school glue into a bowl. Add 1/2 cup water, stir. Add food coloring, glitter, whatever they want. Sprinkle in 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, stir. Now the magic ingredient: 1 tablespoon of saline contact lens solution. Stir hard — within 30 seconds it turns from liquid to stretchy goo. Hands in. Talk about why: the glue is full of long polymer chains; the boron in the saline solution cross-links them into a network. Liquid becomes solid because chemistry. Keep it in a ziploc.

What you'll need

• Clear school glue

  Amazon

• Saline contact lens solution (must contain boric acid)

  Amazon

• Baking soda

  Amazon

• Food coloring + glitter

  Free