Make this easy, non-toxic fluorescent slime (with psyllium husks and B vitamins) in under 15 minutes. Then switch on a black light to see it GLOW.
Have you ever tried making psyllium slime?
It’s a non-toxic slime made from just natural psyllium husks and water. You can squish it, stretch it, pick it up and tear it, and it doesn’t stick to your hands. If you have toy animals, they can prowl around or wallow in it. Great for imaginative sensory play.
But that’s only half the fun. We added a special third ingredient, which makes it fluoresce!
To make fluorescent psyllium slime, you will need:
You should be able to find psyllium husks in the health food aisle of most grocery stores. They are full of fibre and are a natural way to keep you… er…. regular.
Look for vitamin tablets that are high in vitamin A, thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2) or niacin as these are the most fluorescent vitamins. You might have a multivitamin at home already that you could try, otherwise Fun at Home with Kids has done some research on glowing vitamin brands for different countries.
For the glowing effect, you need a dark room and a black light (long wave UV-A ultraviolet light with either LED or blb bulb). The black light we used for this experiment is this black light LED torch
What to do
1. Combine crushed vitamins, psyllium husks and water in a large bowl, and microwave for a few minutes at a time, until it achieves a flubber-like consistency.
Play around with ratios. For this batch we used 3 tablespoons of psyllium husks, 3 crushed vitamin tablets and 3 cups of water, microwaved for 6 minutes, in 2 minute increments. The slime will thicken slightly as it cools.
2. Under an ultraviolet light, the slime gives off a really vibrant yellow-green glow.
Cool! 🙂
Fun Science Fact
A black light shines a special type light (called ultraviolet light) which has a wavelength that humans can’t see. It’s like invisible light energy. Things that fluoresce (such as the vitamins in our slime), absorb this invisible ultraviolet light energy, and reflect it back, except at a wavelength that humans can actually see. That’s why it looks like it glows.
Would you like to give fluoro slime a go? Let me know what you think!
Suitable for
Try this science activity with 1-2 year olds, 3-4 year olds and up! Jewel was 4 years, 2 months & Bumble was 1 year, 9 months when we first gave this a go.
Please note
All kids’ activities on this blog require attentive adult supervision. Parents and carers will need to judge whether a particular activity is appropriate their child’s age and skill level. Click here for more information.
Whilst psyllium slime is non-toxic, and could technically be called edible (or taste-safe), it isn’t meant to be viewed as a ‘food’. It wouldn’t taste very good! But it won’t do any harm if a tiny amount is accidentally consumed.
Low power long wave ultraviolet light (UV-A light), such as is emitted by black lights, is not a hazard and can be viewed without protection. However, as with all torches, please don’t shine directly into eyes.
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