A ‘slime’-y time at Halloween Hoopla
Clay Swango, 3, tests the strength of his “slime” during Halloween Hoopla at the Peters Township Community Recreation Center.
Isaac Barry, 3, tries his hand at making “slime” during Halloween Hoopla at the Peters Township Community Recreation Center.
Daxton Dallas, 4, is wrapped like a mummy during Halloween Hoopla at the Peters Township Community Recreation Center.
If you want to hear a resounding yes, ask a roomful of preschoolers this question:
“Do you guys like to get your hands messy?”
Sure, they do. And sure, they did during Thursday’s Halloween Hoopla extravaganza at the Peters Township Parks and Recreation Center.
Recreation supervisor Lisa Taylor led a group of 3- to 5-year-olds – a few of their younger brothers and sisters participated, too – through some seasonal-favorite games, activities and the messy, hands-on method of making “slime.”
Rather than the type that’s oozing out of your TV set, the do-it-yourself slime involves mixing a few simple ingredients together and watching the magic as they turn into something that, well, kids are bound to enjoy for Halloween.
“I’m going to show you guys how to make this,” Taylor told the youngsters. “And that way, you can make it at home.”
The possibility seemed to be fine with the good-natured parents and grandparents in attendance, as they helped the children follow the recipe. And for those of you who actually might want to try this at home, it goes something like this:
• Start with some standard white all-purpose glue, which doesn’t necessarily need a cow logo on the label.
• Add an equal amount of water.
• Stir in food coloring. “You’re just going to add a couple of drops, not much,” Taylor explained. “You don’t want to add too much food coloring, or your hands will end up stained.”
• Continue to stir gently.
• Add the “magic ingredient,” 20 Mule Team Borax.
The kids who tried it at the community center had a blast, then put their slime into plastic bags to take home for further fun.
The older folks seemed to enjoy themselves, too.
“It was amazing,” Carly Wheatley, who attended with sons Chase and Nolan, said. “The kids, they love it here. Everybody who works here, they always have the best programs.”