Why slime is so valuable for kids (and adults).

by Jessica Schlegel (BA Education) for Avocadoslimeez / October 2022

We've been playing with clay and mud for a long time, and we know from experience that it's always been fun for children, including us. The whole thing is called "messy play ." " Messy " stands for messy, chaotic, and squishy, ​​but in the case of " messy play," it's in a good way. Slime follows the same path, yet offers very special and unique properties.

As adults, we often focus on anything that might break or get dirty. It might be sticky, stain, or end up under the sofa. In doing so, we lose sight of what our children are missing out on when we forbid them from playing with these things. Adults also benefit from playing with slime.

Why slime is so great? This is explained below for parents, family members, and professionals who work with children.

There is a red summary at the end of each chapter .

Slime and children

Not only is playing with slime incredibly fun for children, it's also beneficial for their development. Here's how exactly:

1. Promoting various skills

• Developing sensory skills : (sensory = relating to the senses) smelling and touching (warm/cold, soft/hard, chewy, yielding/rigid, smooth, flaky, creamy, etc.). Slime can also make a variety of wonderful sounds, which can also be experimented with. Which slime makes the biggest bubbles?
  Which are the loudest sounds? How do the sounds differ?
  The slimes also have a variety of scents.
   Due to the sheer number of types of slime, there are many different textures and the slime behaves differently. This means there's a lot to discover and compare between different slimes, and it can be experienced with (almost) all of your senses (taste is strongly discouraged!)
• Promotion of (fine) motor skills : modeling, cutting, pressing, making bubbles, turning, squeezing
• Promoting language : When playing with the child, you can ask the research questions (see appendix below) and, for example, try to describe in words how the slimes smell or how you would put the different sounds into words.
• Promote creativity and imagination : form shapes, but there is also the possibility of inclusion in the game, e.g. in the play kitchen or as a swamp for the Lego figures
• By allowing messy play, children can not only gain positive experiences, but, according to play therapist Hanson, they can also learn to contain the "chaos." This way, they learn to accept where messy play is allowed, under what conditions , and how to keep the "chaos" within these limits (cf. Hanson 2002, p. 17). At the end of the day, they can also be involved in cleaning up, thus learning responsibility.

 

2. Exploring the world with the senses

• Children can gain many experiences through messy play . One can speak of this as aesthetic appropriation of the world, or, roughly speaking, forming a picture of themselves and the world through the senses, art, and the joy of creating, and presenting it to the outside world, if we adults just look (cf. Hanson 2002, p. 15f.).
• "Children [pursue, author's note] different ways of exploring and designing materials [...]. In addition to the pleasurable activity and the enjoyment of experiencing haptic impressions, it is interesting for children to explore the possibilities of the material . This is about consistency and stability, but also about being able to reverse a design process and try out new design variations [emphasis JS]" (Osterholt, 2010, p. 196f.).
• With clay, children can form concrete shapes and figures. This isn't usually possible with slime. However, Bingsu Slime and Butter Slime, for example, can be shaped and then melted . Every type of slime can be formed into abstract shapes. For example, you can poke holes in it with your fingers and observe how the slime deforms and how long it takes for it to return to its original shape.
• "The deformation, reinterpretation, and alienation aim at combinatorial thinking and the ability to restructure . Like a child's drawing, the three-dimensional designs are representations of the child's inner life and combine the emotional, communicative, fantastic, and unconscious" [emphasis JS] (Osterholt, 2010, p. 198f.).

3. Time together for every family constellation or professional work with children

• With Slime , the different needs of the players can be taken into account.
  For younger children, it is recommended that they use slime only under adult supervision for safety reasons; older children can also use it alone.
• But the best thing is to play together. It's excellent bonding time .
  Children really appreciate it when adults try messy things with them (cf. Hanson 2002, p. 17). Siblings, other family members, or friends can also play together and thus spend a very special time together. Teamwork , in particular, can lead to special achievements, such as making particularly large slime bubbles. For this, everyone needs to coordinate and communicate with each other. A great exercise!
• Slime can also be a great icebreaker for bonding with children. This can be privately as a new family member in a blended family, as a guardian of a new (perhaps shy) foster child, or at a family gathering.
  Even in a professional setting, (new) educators can effectively build relationships with children through messy play with slime, as play therapist Sally Hanson does in her Play Therapy (see Hanson 2002, p. 21f.). This is suitable, for example, for educational professionals (including teachers), nurses in children's wards, or people who work with refugee children.
  
  

4. Age-appropriate play and exploration

• Every child wants to explore and explore, and should be allowed to do so. Slime offers countless opportunities to pursue this urge and to make exploration more free or structured as desired, adapting it to the child's age, needs, and level of knowledge.
  The approaches to research and dealing with STEM topics (math, computer science, natural sciences, technology) can be easily integrated into everyday life with slime, both at home and in daycare centers. This way, you can see what slime is made of and learn about physical properties through experiments. Read more can be found in the appendix below.
  (Recommendation: House of Little Scientists)
• During group play, children can be encouraged to explore and ask questions , test them (e.g., how long can I pull the slime?) , and even express them verbally (e.g., how would I describe the sound of this slime?). You can also work in a research circle . This can provide a precursor to scientific research and show children the joy of science.

 Research Circle (simplified version of the House of Little Researchers):

 

5. Good for concentration problems, stress and anxiety

• Playing with slime helps with concentration because it is basically a fidget toy that satisfies the body's need for movement, thereby improving attention.
  In an interview by Business Insider with psychologist Moritz Daum from the University of Zurich, the following can be found:
   "The body wants to move. It's helpful if it's given a pointless task," explains Daum. We do it unconsciously, all by ourselves: turning the pen in our hand, chewing on a pencil, or biting our nails. So-called 'fidget toys' [...] give the body a task that 'satisfies' the need for movement. This improves cognitive attention. [...] 'An important aspect that these fidget toys must fulfill is that the activity is essentially pointless.' 'Pointless' means: "I don't have to exert any concentration to use them." (Business Insider, June 16, 2017)
• Some children have difficulty concentrating if an activity doesn't provide much sensory input. Thompson and Raisor cite fidget toys or a hand-based activity (such as slime) as a good way to improve concentration in the classroom (see Thompson & Raisor 2013, p. 42). This can also be applied to daycare, nursing homes, or at home, for example, when learning vocabulary.
• Play therapist Hanson observes that playing with slime and other messy materials enables children to cope with difficulties they encounter in the "real" world. They learn different ways to deal with their feelings (see Hanson 2002, p. 29).
• Children can also reduce anxiety and stress by playing with slime . Stress balls are well-known for helping children cope with intense aggression . Slime can also fulfill this function.
• Slime can become a tool for self-regulation for children. They learn to pay attention to their bodies and independently access the tools they have been shown (see Thompson & Raisor, 2013, p. 37). This allows them to act independently when they notice they are unable to concentrate or need to relieve stress.
• Slime itself has no fixed form or expectations. It's a "nothing" and can be played with by children without any major expectations, such as in school.
  When making pottery or clay, you expect a certain product; children have an idea of ​​what a successful or unsuccessful figure will look like, or they sense the expectations placed on them. Slime is simple, and it doesn't have to become anything. It's enough to simply engage with it and be in the moment. Slime offers children permission to simply exist without expectations , which can be very liberating for them (cf. Hanson 2002, p. 24).

Children, too, or especially, have sensory needs. Different children process sensory stimuli differently . Therefore, for the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned that while there are many children for whom playing with slime is good, there are also cases for whom it is (initially) too much (cf. Thompson & Raisor, 2013). It's best to accompany the child and approach it slowly if you have no experience with them. However, if you've seen your child happily playing with mud or play dough, you can usually rest assured. 

Summary:

-> Slime can be used at home as well as by all professionals who work with children (if working conditions allow it)

-> Promotion of skills:
- sensory such as seeing, feeling, smelling, hearing
-motor skills by working with the slime
-Promoting language through shared play
-Promoting imagination and creativity

-> Learn how to limit messy play and clean up responsibly

-> It is a way to make the world your own and to express yourself through the senses and play.

-> Excellent bonding time as a family or in the professional field. Children really appreciate it when adults play messy games with them, and it's a great icebreaker.

-> Children can pursue their natural curiosity, and experimentation can be designed in a more free or structured way. This can inspire them to explore STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and provide a precursor to scientific research.

-> Slime can be seen as a fidget toy and can help keep the hands busy when there is a lack of sensory input, thus increasing concentration.

-> It can also help children deal with fear, stress, aggression, and other big emotions. If you teach it to children, they can later use this tool independently to deal with fear, stress, or concentration problems.

-> Slime offers children a game where there are no expectations of them creating a successful 'product' (like with clay and play dough). They have permission to simply exist and experience, which can be very liberating.

-> It's best to observe your child to see if they generally enjoy messy play . For some children, it's a sensory overload. But if your child likes play dough, mud, and sand, then slime is the perfect toy.

Slime and Adults

It's not just children who benefit from playing with slime. Adults can also use it as a hand activity, to satisfy their curiosity, and to relieve stress.

• Many comments and reviews of slimes show that slime helps adults cope with anxiety and stress and contributes to anxiety and stress reduction.
• Many adults also seem to be sliming while working from home, in video conferences, and during online classes to keep their hands busy and stay focused. Slime can be seen as a fidget toy and helps reduce stress and improve concentration . How this works has already been described (under "Good for Concentration Problems, Stress, and Anxiety").
• Working and playing with slime can be used as a training for the hands as a therapy tool , for example after a broken hand
• According to Pliske, Stauffer and Werner-Lin , (messy) play with the hands can even offer adults with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) a form of self-care and healing (cf. Pliske et al. 2021).
• A study by Forsyth and Trevarrow showed a positive impact on mental health by addressing the sensory needs (including sensory play) of adults.
  A 'sensory room' was created in an acute psychiatric ward for men. It was a place where patients could find peace and engage with fidget toys, among other things (a rocking chair, weighted blankets, noise-cancelling headphones, and lighting options) (see Forsyth & Trevarrow, 2018, p. 1691). The room was intended to serve as a de-escalation space (a place to calm down when emotionally upset or to prevent conflicts from escalating) and was also used to prepare for stressful events. The setting was crucial in providing a separate quiet room and taking the patients' various (sensory) needs into account. Fidget toys were part of an overall concept and could provide people with a tool to help them learn to cope with their emotional stress (see Forsyth & Trevarrow, 2018, p. 1692ff).
  It also turned out that the employees also benefited from this and were able to respond to their own emotional needs, among other things, through the space and the utensils provided (see Forsyth & Trevarrow, 2018, p. 1694).

Adults have sensory needs too, and playing with slime is just plain fun . Give it a try 😊

Summary:

Slime can also offer a lot to adults. It can be used to cope with stress, anxiety, and other unpleasant feelings . It can also help with concentration . It can also contribute to healing your inner child or even help with training after hand injuries . And ultimately, it's just plain fun! 😊

All sources:

• Hanson, S. (2002). When All the World Was Slime. In: Cattanach, Ann (ed.). The story so far. Play Therapy Narratives . Jessica Kingsley Publishers. New York: 13-33
  Google books URL: shorturl.at/cho27. (Accessed on October 12, 2022).
• House of Little Researchers (as of January 2021). The Research Circle. URL: https://www.haus-der-kleinen-forscher.de/fileadmin/Redaktion/1_Forschen/Paedagogik/Forschungskreis_NaWi.pdf
  (Accessed on 12.10.22).
• Forsyth, A.S. and Trevarrow, R. (2018). Sensory strategies in adult mental health: A qualitative exploration of staff perspectives following the introduction of a sensory room on a male adult acute ward. Int J Mental Health Nurse , 27: 1689-1697. URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.12466 (Accessed 12.10.22).
• A. Business Insider, interview with Prof. Dr. Moritz Daum (June 16, 2017). Stop using fidget spinners—they're completely ineffective . URL: https://www.businessinsider.de/wissenschaft/psychologe-erklaert-warum-fidget-spinner-voellig-wirkungslos-sind-2017-6/ (Accessed October 3, 2022).
• Osterholt, N. (2010). Modeling and Crafts. In: Duncker, L., Lieber, G., Neuss, N., & Uhlig, B. (2010). Education in Childhood. The Handbook for Learning in Kindergarten and Elementary School . Fulda: Klett-Kallmeyer.
• Pliske, MM, Stauffer, SD, & Werner-Lin, A. (2021). Healing from adverse childhood experiences through therapeutic powers of play: “I can do it with my hands”. International Journal of Play Therapy, 30 (4), 244-258. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000166. (Accessed 10/12/22).
• Thompson, S., D. & Raisor, J., M. (2013). Meeting the Sensory Needs of Young Children. In: YC Young children 68(2): 34-43. URL: https://openlab.bmcc.cuny.edu/ece110-151l-fall2021/wp-content/uploads/sites/504/2020/08/Thompson-Raisor-Meeting-the-Sensory-Needs-of-Young-Children.pdf. (Accessed 10/12/22).

About the author:

Jessica Schlegel, BA General Education at the Friedrich-Alexander University
Currently writing my Master's thesis in cultural and aesthetic education
5 years of experience in after-school care (education)

Completed training courses at the House of Little Researchers:
"MINT glasses" digital educational offering
"STEM is everywhere" digital educational offering