# 1-Ingredient Edible Rainbow Slime
> Cook a spoonful of psyllium fiber supplement with water and food color for about 5 minutes to make a stretchy, borax-free slime that is taste-safe if accidentally mouthed. Make one batch per color for a rainbow.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/sensory-activities-for-kids-1-ingredient-edible-slime-recipe/
- Ages: 2–6 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: medium
- Time: prep 10 min, activity 30 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class · one batch serves about 2 kids
- Skills: sensory-exploration, fine-motor, colors
- Cautions: food-dye, ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- 1 tbsp Psyllium fiber supplement (powder)
- 1 cup Water (household)
- Gel food coloring
- 1 piece Very large microwave-safe bowl (household)
- 1 piece Whisk (household)
- 1 piece Wooden spoon (household)
- Glitter or sparkles (optional)
- Googly eyes (optional)

## Substitutions
- Instead of food color: Kool-Aid drink mix (Adds color and scent. Used by the author and readers.)
- Instead of psyllium fiber: Whole psyllium husks (e.g. from a bulk store) (The author confirms husks work, even on the stovetop. One reader couldn't get it stretchy with whole husks; another ground them first and it worked perfectly.)
- Instead of large bowl: Saucepan on the stovetop (For no-microwave homes. Readers boiled it on high for about 5 minutes.)

## Safety
- Adult does the cooking: the mixture rises and bubbles up, so use a very large microwave-safe bowl and watch it the whole time.
- The slime is HOT in the middle straight out of the microwave or pot. Let it cool and check the center before handing it to kids.
- Taste-safe, not a snack: the ingredients are non-toxic, so an accidental taste is no cause for panic, but don't let kids eat it. Too much fiber isn't good for them.
- Supervise sensory play at all times.
- Flavored or colored supplements and food color can stain hands.

## Before you start
- Check the fiber supplement label: the active ingredient must be psyllium (some 'clear' formulas are inulin or wheat-based and won't work).
- Plan to make the slime on the day of play; it keeps only 2-3 days in an airtight container.

## Steps
1. Put 1 tbsp of psyllium fiber supplement into a really large microwave-safe bowl.
2. Add your favorite food color.
3. Pour in 1 cup of water and whisk well.
4. Adult: microwave on high for about 5 minutes, checking at 3 minutes. If it starts to bubble over, pause, then restart.
5. Adult: take the bowl out and let the slime cool for a minute or so. Stir with a wooden spoon and check that the middle isn't hot.
6. Tip the slime out of the bowl onto the table or a tray. It oozes right out.
7. Squish it, pinch it, stretch it and pass it from hand to hand.
8. Repeat with a new color for each batch to make a rainbow.

## Tips
- More fiber supplement and less water gives a non-sticky, flubbery slime. More water and less supplement gives an ooey-gooey sticky slime. The choice is yours.
- Doubling the recipe (2 tbsp to 2 cups water)? Start checking after 7 minutes. It doesn't always need 10.
- If you add too much water or don't microwave long enough, it ends up gooey. Still fun!
- The best part for some kids is that it doesn't stick to hands. Ours kept passing it from one hand to the other.
- It's so easy to make with just a tablespoon of supplement that we didn't bother storing it. The kids pulled it into tiny bits anyway.
- Stovetop works too: boil on high for about 5 minutes. (from readers)
- If it still looks loose after 3 minutes, microwave about 1.5 minutes more. Slightly sticky means a little less water or a bit more psyllium next time. (from readers)
- Berry-flavored Metamucil gave amazing color and smell but stained hands. (from readers)
- Expired fiber caplets ground to powder didn't work for one reader. (from readers)
- A teacher made it for 15 two-year-olds and then made big batches for the whole center. Plan several batches for a group. (from readers)

## FAQ
**Can I make it on the stovetop?** Yes. Several readers boiled it on high for about 5 minutes, and the author confirms it works on the stove, even with whole psyllium husks.
**What microwave setting should I use?** High for 5 minutes, pausing to check after 3 (for 1 tbsp of supplement).
**Which fiber supplement works?** Any powdered fiber supplement whose active ingredient is psyllium. Regular Metamucil works; so do clear or unflavored store brands with psyllium. Miralax and Benefiber don't contain psyllium and stay watery. One reader's clear Metamucil listed inulin instead and didn't work, but regular Metamucil did.
**Why is mine just watery liquid?** The supplement probably has no psyllium (e.g. Miralax or Benefiber). Psyllium is what forms the slime.
**Why is mine sticky?** Check that your supplement contains psyllium. Using more supplement and less water also gives a less sticky slime.
**Do whole psyllium husks work?** The author says yes, including on the stovetop. One reader in Germany ground the husks first and it worked perfectly.
**What is it called outside the US?** Readers suggest Fybogel (ispaghula husk) in the UK and 'Flohsamenschalen' in Germany. A UK reader used 100% psyllium husk successfully. The author's advice: a generic powdered fiber supplement with psyllium from the drug store.
**How long does it last?** At least 2-3 days in an airtight container. It contains a lot of water, so it eventually goes bad. For a class party, make it in class if there's a microwave, or the morning of the party.
**How much does one batch make?** The post doesn't give a yield. The photos show double batches: 2 tbsp supplement to 2 cups water for each color.
**Is it really edible?** The author says it is NOT for eating. 'Edible' means the ingredients are non-toxic, so accidental ingestion is no cause for panic. Always supervise sensory play.
**Can I add glitter or sparkles?** Yes, the author says you can.

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2014)

Sensory activities are one of our favorite kids activities. Today I share an idea for making non-toxic, borax-free, 1 ingredient edible slime that is ready in 5 minutes. {Click here to access all our [**sensory activities for kids**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/messy-play-2/) we have done till day} Are you intrigued? I was too when I first saw **simple slime idea** here. I also came across Coffee Cups and Crayons's post on [**Borax-Free slime**](http://www.coffeecupsandcrayons.com/make-slime-without-borax/) with similar ingredients. When I followed the same recipe, one of my children loved it and the other had a lukewarm response to it.. So I changed the measurements a little and redid it. Wow, suddenly this flubbery slime became irresistible. They couldn't stop playing with it. Materials Please note that if you want a rainbow slime, buy a store brand clear supplement with Psyllium. If you just want regular orange slime, Metamucil will work great. Clear Metamucil does not seem to work.

- **[Psyllium Husk Powder](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RWUNYM/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Americolor Soft Gel Paste Food Color](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001O8KQP6/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- Water
- Microwave safe bowl

Since I'm receiving a lot of emails with questions, here are a few commonly asked ones ***1.You can do this on a stove top as well. I'm copying a few comments left by people who have successfully done this.*** Dianna Y. says: February 16, 2014 at 12:38 pm (Edit) Just made this on the stove top. It worked out great!! Very excited because we do not use a microwave. I also made it organic/green. Thank you so much!! So easy to make and my daughter is having great fun playing with it right now! Submitted on 2014/02/17 at 11:14 am | In reply to Dianna Y.. Just made this on the stovetop as well and it turned out great! Boiled on high for 5 minutes, and used kool-aid to scent and color it. Love this recipe!!!! ***2. Whole Psyllium Husks work. Check the above comment. Dianna purchased Psyllium Husks to make this recipe.*** ***3. The active ingredient on the fiber supplement should be Psyllium*** Rebecca Submitted on 2014/02/21 at 5:56 am | In reply to Sophie. I used the Walmart generic version- it was labeled as unflavored rather than clear, but the active ingredient was psyllium. Worked like a charm on the stovetop! I purchased a store brand natural fiber supplement instead of the regular orange Metamucil since I wanted to color the slime ( We are big on rainbows, remember? All our [**rainbow activities for kids**](https://www.funlittles.com/tag/rainbow/) here) { Two-Daloo has a fantastic **rainbow sensory activities** round up} In a large ( I mean really large) microwave safe bowl add 1 tablespoon of fiber supplement. Add your favorite food color and then mix in 1 cup of water. Give it a good whisk and place in the microwave for about 5 minutes. But do not walk away. The supplement will rise up so it is very important to use a large bowl so that the concoction does not bubble up and spill over. Check after 3 minutes, if it bubbles over, pause the microwave and then restart it. After 5 minutes you will find this.



or this. You get a cool snake -skin like product. *{ Read the tips at the bottom of the post}*



This snake-skin like product stretches- pretty cool!



And since we are making a rainbow we had to make so many gorgeous edible slime skins.

 

They are easily transferable and oozes out of your container.



When you set it down for play, you can squish it, pinch it, stretch it and what not.



Based on the changes you make in the recipe, you can get a more flubbery substance or a more gooey substance.



The red one is more flubbery than the rest. The green one is the stretchiest.



The best part ( for some kids) is that it doesn't stick to you hands. My child kept transferring her edible slime from one hand to another without any part of it sticking to her hand.



Rainbow tinted slime



**Tips, Tricks and Process**

1. 1 TBSP of clear fiber supplement. The idea is to get something which is not brightly colored like (Metamucil) if you want to do an array of colored slime. If you just want to make one color, Metamucil will work just fine. If you are buying store brand make sure you get the one with Psyllium in it. Some fiber supplements (store brands) have wheat husk in them and I don't think they will work.

2. Add food color to the fiber supplement.

3. Add 1 cup of water. Whisk and microwave for 5 minutes. If you are doubling the recipe, start checking after 7 minutes. Sometimes it doesn't take 10 minutes to get the right consistency.

4. If you add too much water or don't microwave long enough, the slime ends up like this (still fun!)



This a more rubbery slime which is NON-STICKY. More fiber supplement, less water gives you a more non-sticky flubbery slime. More water and less fiber supplement gives you a more ooey-gooey sticky slime. The choice is yours.

Make sure you use a LARGE bowl because the concoction does bubble up.

It is advisable to check the status every 3 minutes and check for your preferred consistency.

Once the slime is made, wait for it to cool down ( a minute or so) It will be HOT in the middle. I used a wooden spoon to stir.

Thanks for reading.

Hope you enjoyed the post

Check back to see a post on play ideas with this slime.. We made a [**SLIMY DINOSAUR WORLD**](https://www.funlittles.com/sensory-activities-for-kids-edible-slime-dinosaur-world/)!



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