Homemade slime is an all time favorite around here. Whether you call it slime, gak, or putty this homemade glow in the dark slime recipe is a fun activity for kids that will keep them occupied for hours!
Glow in the Dark Slime
Glow in the dark crafts are fun for kids and great for late night parties. One of our favorite slime recipes is this Glow in the Dark Slime! The slime is activated by light then glows in the dark. We have been making this slime for years and have used it as a party favor many times. If you’re hosting a glow in the dark party be sure to check out these amazing GLOW IN THE DARK IDEAS!
There are many ways to make slime and I’m going to share a couple different recipes you can try with kids. Slime recipes can be made with or without borax. If you prefer a no-borax slime recipe, contact lens solution is a great alternative. To make this recipe you will need glue, borax or contact lens solution, glow in the dark paint, and neon green food coloring. The original slime recipe is below and the updated no-borax recipe is further down the post.
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How to make glow in the dark slime
Our original slime recipe:
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- 2 Elmer’s white glue bottles (4oz)
- 3-4 tablespoons glow in the dark paint
- Water
- Neon food coloring
- 1 teaspoon borax
- 1/2 cup warm water< /li>
- Pour the white Elmer’s glue into a bowl. Fill the empty bottles with warm water, place the lids back on and shake the bottles (this will help remove any remaining glue inside the bottle and make it easy to measure your water). Pour the watery glue into the bowl and mix with a spoon.
- At this point you want to add food coloring to your glue (I used a neon green from McCormick).
- Stir in the glow in the dark paint into your glue mixture.
- In a small bowl mix 1/2 cup of warm water with 1 teaspoon of Borax (the warm water will help dissolve the borax).
- Mix the borax water and glue mixture together with a spoon, but but don’t be afraid to use your hands to fully mix the two together.
The special ingredient that makes the glue turn into slime is the borax. Play around with the amount to get the perfect consistency, if you prefer a runny slime use less borax. Also, when you first began mixing the glue and borax water the slime will be VERY runny and a weird texture, don’t freak out! The more you play with it the better the consistency will turn out.
No-Borax Glow in the Dark Slime Recipe
- Elmer’s glue (4 oz)
- 1/2 tbsp baking soda
- 1 tsp contact lens solution
- 1 tbsp glow in the dark powder
How to make glow in the dark slime without borax
- Pour glue in a bowl.
- Add baking soda and glow in the dark powder; stir until well combined.
- Pour in contact lens solution and stir until slime begins to form. Remove from bowl and work the slime with your hands until the consistency is right. Add a couple drops of contact lens solution, if needed.
In case you’re wondering we tried the original recipe with two different glow in the dark paints. We preferred the one on the right from Americana but the Glo-It from DecoArt also worked well with smaller batches.
We also tried this recipe with glitter glue which my daughter loved! You can see the glitter specks in the glow in the dark picture below.
Glow in the dark slime tips
- Slime is too sticky – first, make sure you have knead the slime enough with your hands. After a few minutes if the slime is still too sticky then you can add a couple drops of contact lens solution until the consistency is right.
- How to store slime – always store slime in an airtight container. This can be a plastic bag or container with a lid.
- Should I use glow in the dark glue or powder – we used glow in the dark glue for years and it works great. Recently, we discovered glow in the dark powder and this has been our go-to glowing slime ingredient. The glow is BRIGHT and is easy to mix in with the baking soda.
MORE SLIME RECIPES
- Cauldron Halloween Slime
- Disney Frozen Glitter Slime
- Glitter Ocean Slime Jars
- Beauty and the Beast Slime
- Finding Dory Glitter Slime
- Minions Slime
My kids love that they can shape it with their hands but if left alone it looks like spilled slime. Speaking of slime do you guys remember Nickelodeon’s slime? I may have been born in the 80s but I’m a 90s kid all the way! I always wanted to go on the Nickelodeon shows and get slimed, it always looked like fun! :)
More ideas:
Glow in the dark mason jarsGlow-in-the-Dark Pumpkins
Thanks for stopping by!
Oh how fun!! My kids would LOVE this! Pinning and we will be trying this out soon!
Do you have to do the steps in order can I just mix it all in a bowl at the same time?
lizzie » I would dissolve the borax in water in a separate bowl or even plastic cup then mix everything else together. Hope that helps!
My daughter just used some store bought glow in the dark slime at her OT appt the other day. She has been asking to buy some ever since… and even though it is the right time of year I cannot find it anywhere. You just helped me win the mother of the year award in this house! Thanks so much!!!
My 4th graders are requesting a Glow in the Dark activity. I have 35 students. How much does each batch make? I’m wondering how much glue, etc.. will need. Thanks !
Does it ever really loose its “glow”?
This is awesome! I made regular GAK for my kids a while back but never thought to make it glow in the dark. I’ve got some leftover glow-in-the-dark paint and I am going to make this!
I love this idea! We are doing a Monster’s Inc. birthday party in a little over a week for my little guy too! Does the borax make it toxic or harmful to the skin?
I’m wondering how much of each ingredient I need to make this with 24 kids at a Halloween party? If I intend to send some home with each kid.
If I were to make this for a class of 19 students…how much of each ingredient do you think I would need? lol. Or…to make things easier on you, could you tell me how many ounces of slime your recipe makes? I’ll adjust the recipe accordingly. haha. Thanks so much! Please send your response to my email address :)
Hi, We want to do this for a class party. How much does the original ‘recipe’ make??
Thanks!!
How much does one batch of this make? It looks like it would be great for a class Halloween craft project. Thanks!
Just to clarify, are you saying to add the water that you shook in the 2 empty glue bottles then aditionally the 1/2 cup water mixed with the borax? So…the 8 oz. plus 1/2 cup total??
Hi Gloria, yes add the water from the bottles and the water mixed with the borax. Hope that helps!
How much does this make??
Is borax like a washing machine powder? And is there any substitute, because I don’t think it available where I live.
How long does it stay glow in the dark for?
How much does this recipe make? If I want to make in class with 30 third graders, how long will it take approximately?
Can I make this in paper bowls and can I half it? I’d like to make it with my scouts, but it looks like the recipe makes a lot per kiddo. Paper bowls are just easier fro clean up :-)
I’m planning to use the small/mini mason jars. Approximately how much does this recipe make and how long does it take? Very cool project!
This is awesome!!! Another born in 80s, 90s girl here! I just have a question. How much does this make as is? I have four kids, is it enough to share or should I get enough to make four batches? Thank you!!! :)
How much does this make? I am trying to make this for 50 kids as a 4-H classroom project. Thanks!