Easy Borax Free Watermelon Slime Recipe For Kids

Inside: This watermelon slime is the perfect summer sensory activity for kids! See how easy it is to make at home with your children.

It’s summertime and that means finding activities to keep the kids off the screen all day and engaging their brains. 

Am I right?

Easy slime recipes for kids is the perfect solution!

Slime is simple to make and so much fun for kids to play with. There’s a reason the slime craze has stuck around for so long!!

Today we’re sharing how to make this awesome watermelon slime for kids. Add in watermelon scent to really bring this slime to life or just let kids play with it as is. 

Either way, your kids are gonna love playing with this borax free slime!

Simple Watermelon Slime Recipe 

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. You can read my full disclosure here. 

Slime Ingredients

• 1 bottle of clear Elmer’s glue (or 1/2 cup if you have the large bottle)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1.5-2.5 tablespoons contact lens solution
• Pink and red food color
• Mini black pom poms 
• Watermelon scent (optional)
• Medium mixing bowl
• Fork 
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons

How To Make Slime

1. Measure and pour the clear glue into the mixing bowl.

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2. Add the water and baking soda to the glue.

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3. Add 1.5 tablespoons of the contact lens solution to the mixture and mix well. If the slime is too sticky, add another tablespoon contact solution and mix thoroughly again. Once the slime is the consistency you like, move on to step 4.

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4. Add 1-2 tiny squirts of the pink food coloring to the mixture, then add 1 squirt red food coloring. Mix well. 
5. If you’re adding a watermelon scent, add it now. If not, move on to step 6.

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6. Use your hands to knead the slime together, then add your package of mini black pom poms. 
7. Mix together and play! 

Every time we make a new slime, we say it’s our favorite one, but my kids really had a blast with this one! 

The black pom poms give it an authentic watermelon look and they loved seeing the balls stretch and move with the slime. 

Watermelon Scent For Slime

Adding a watermelon scent to this slime gives it an added dimension of sensory play!

If you add a scent to your slime, be sure it is non-toxic and safe to use with skin, like this one. 

The first time you use a scented slime with your kids, watch for any allergic reactions or skin irritations. 

Also be sure to emphasize that even though the slime smells like watermelon it is not safe to taste. 

Watermelon Slime Substitutions

We think mini black pom poms are the best way to simulate watermelon seeds but there are a couple of other options available. 

You can also purchase foam balls specifically made for slime, but since black is a less common color, you’ll have to purchase it in a kit, like this one. 

Another option is to add dry black beans to the slime. 

Best Food Coloring For Slime

This is one area where it truly pays to get quality!

When we first started making colored slime, we used the standard McCormicks food coloring. It took tons of drops of food coloring to make a vivid colored slime!

And when we were done playing with the slime, it left some dye on our hands (not fun scrubbing off of kids hands). 

After that, we tried switching to a generic gel coloring. It was a little better, but it just didn’t give us the bright color we wanted. 

Finally we did some research and discovered that the best food dye for cakes was AmeriColor gel paste.

We tried it and guess what?! 

It’s the best food dye we’ve tried for slime as well! 

In this slime, we used 1.5-2 tiny squirts of Deep Pink and 1 tiny squirt of Electric Red. It was amazing how saturated the color turned out and it left no dye residue on our hands!

Because of how little you have to add to give it a bright color, these tiny .75 oz tubes are going to last forever!!! 

We highly recommend AmeriColor gel paste if you can get your hands on them. They’re sold on Amazon or likely at any cake decorating shop near you. 

Slime Safety Information

All slime should be made by adults. Adult supervision is needed when a child is playing with the slime. 

This slime is not intended for children under 3 or for any child who may attempt to eat it. If any part of this slime is ingested, contact your doctor immediately. 

If your child has sensitive skin, have them wear gloves while playing with the slime. 

Children and adults should wash hands after playing with or touching the slime. 

More Summer Ideas For Kids

• Free Summer Connect The Dot Worksheets
• Handprint Pirate Craft For Kids
• How To Make Easy Turtle Painted Rocks For Kids
• Paper Plate Ice Cream Craft