If you love rainbows – then you’ll love making this rainbow slime! Kids will love building this rainbow slime with different colors. This is perfect for a spring activity, St Patrick’s Day or even just a rainy day indoor activity!
RELATED:Â Fluffy Slime
Rainbow Slime Recipe
This rainbow slime is so colorful and fun to make! Kids will love helping to make this slime. We just love how vibrant the colors are!
You can use this activity to teach about the science behind slime and also the science of rainbows.
Pair this activity with our Grow a Rainbow science experiment.
The Science Behind Slime
When you add the contact lens solution to the glue, it counteracts the glue and forms a viscous substance of slime which can be shaped and pulled. This slime forms due to the glue molecules cross-linking with the borate ions. This is a bond that causes the large molecules to no longer slide freely past one another (like the substance was when it was a glue). Therefore resulting in the slime substance!
What is Slime?
Slime is a polymer. Other examples of polymers are Jell-O, gum and rubber bands. White glue is also an example of a polymer. A polymer is made of long chains of polyvinyl acetate molecules. These chains slide easily making the substance like glue more easily poured.
 Watch the Video Tutorial!
Rainbow Slime Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make one of the colors (if you plan to make all 6 colors you’ll need to repeat the recipe for each color you want to make).
- 6 oz of Elmers Clear Glue – we like to buy this gallon size of clear glue as it’s a lot cheaper and you can continue to use it to make more batches.
Note: We recommend using Elmer’s glue. Other non-branded glue may not work as well. You can also use Elmer’s white glue however the final slime won’t be as translucent-looking.
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1.5 Tablespoons Contact Lens Solution –  *Important: your brand of contact lens solution must have boric acid and sodium borate in the ingredient list. This is what interacts with the glue to form the slime. We like this brand the best.
SEE: How to Make Slime With Contact Solution for more tips making slime with contact lens solution.
- Liquid Food Coloring – this set comes with all kinds of vibrant colors that you can use to make the slime very vibrant as shown.
NOTE: We often add a little bit of water to our recipe but in this case, since you want to attach the slime together it’s easier if the slime is less stretchy. Therefore, we recommend skipping the water in this case. If you plan on just playing with the colors separately on their own then you can add water if you’d like.
How Long Will the Slime Last?
This slime will last at least a week if stored in an air tight container or bag. We have found it usually will last longer too as long as it’s not sitting out exposed to air when not in use. We prefer to store in a Ziploc bag since it is easy to press out all of the air from the bag.
How to Make Rainbow Slime
1. Follow our steps below to make one color of slime.
Then repeat for each color you’d like to include in your rainbow.
2. You’ll need to follow the recipe and make 6 batches of the slime. One for each color.
Separate them into separate jars before you make your rainbow slime.
3. Line up each color side-by-side.
You won’t need to use the full batch of each color when lining them up, so keep some to the side to do it a few times.
Note: Once you start mixing the colors together they will likely turn brown. Anytime you mix slime colors, just like playdough, the colors do mix up. However, we find it is still fun to make different colors and mix them! To see our rainbow playdough, click here.
Steps to Make One Color of the Slime
*Repeat this for each color you want to make
1. Get a bowl to mix your slime ingredients in.
2. Put 6 oz of clear glue into a bowl.
3. Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and mix in thoroughly.
4. Add 2-3 drops of food coloring in.
Start with 1-2 drops and add more if you want the color to be darker.
5. Slowly add in your contact lens solution.
Reminder: your contact lens solution should contain boric acid and sodium borate or your slime will not form. We like this brand the best. See also our tips on How to Make Slime with Contact Solution.
We like to add a few teaspoons of contact solution at a time and then mix. Once the slime starts to pull away from the bowl you can take the slime out and knead with your hands. It will still be sticky at this point and that is normal. Just keep kneading.
If you find it still too sticky after kneading try adding some baby oil or lotion to your hands instead. You can also add in more contact lens solution if you still find it too sticky. But we like to caution that adding in too much contact lens solution will make the slime become harder and not as stretchy to play with.
6. Repeat the above for each color you want to make.
Once you have all of your colors made. You can twist different colors together to make the rainbow slime.
Try these other slime recipes:
Slime Safety & Precautions
Note: Making slime is a science experiment and safety precautions should still be made when creating slime. By making this slime, you agree to our site terms which you can read here.
- Adults should handle any chemicals and products
- Adults should make the slime
- Always read and follow the labels of products used. If contact lens solution is accidentally ingested, seek medical attention immediately.
- This project is not suitable for children under 4.
- Slime should not be placed in the mouth. Always wash hands before and after playing with the slime.
- If you notice any skin irritation, discontinue use immediately. If you have sensitive skin, wear gloves while making and playing with the slime.
- Slime is a science experiment and should be made and played with in moderation. Do not allow children to make their own slime and do not play with slime for an extended period of time.
More Slime Recipes
Have you tried fluffy slime yet? This is fun to make and the texture is “fluffy”!
See our Unicorn Slime Recipe – our most popular slime recipe!
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