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Colored pencils can do a lot more than just fill in a shape. By changing the way you move the pencil, how much pressure you use, and how you layer colors, you can create completely different textures and effects. These eight colored pencil techniques are easy to practice and are great for helping young artists understand line, value, texture, blending, and color mixing. Grab a piece of drawing paper and a few colored pencils, then try each technique in its own little section. 1. Hatching Hatching is made by drawing a series of lines that all travel in the same direction. Keep the lines close together for a darker value or spread them farther apart to make the area look lighter. You can also change the pressure of your pencil to make the lines darker or softer. Try it: Fill a rectangle using only diagonal lines. Start lightly and gradually make the lines darker and closer together. Great for: shading, shadows, texture, and sketching. 2. Crosshatching Crosshatching starts just like hatching, but then you add another set of lines going in a different direction. The overlapping lines create darker areas. You can keep adding layers of crossed lines to build up even more value and texture. Try it: Draw diagonal lines across a small square, then draw another set of diagonal lines going the opposite direction. Great for: deeper shadows, textured drawings, and adding dimension. 3. Stippling Stippling uses dots instead of lines. The closer together your dots are, the darker the area will look. Spreading them farther apart creates lighter areas. This technique takes a little patience, but it can create really interesting textures. Try it: Start with only a few dots, then slowly make them closer and closer together. Great for: rocks, sand, skin textures, shadows, and decorative patterns. 4. Circular Shading For circular shading, move your pencil in lots of small overlapping circles. Instead of seeing individual lines, the marks begin to blend together into a softer texture. Small circles usually create the smoothest result. Try it: Make tiny circles without lifting your pencil very much from the page. Gradually add more layers to darken one side. Great for: smooth shading, rounded objects, faces, fruit, and soft backgrounds. 5. Burnishing Burnishing is a way to make colored pencil look especially smooth and saturated. Start by building up several layers of color. Then press more firmly with your pencil to blend the pigment into the paper. You can use the same color or a lighter pencil over the top. The paper texture becomes less visible and the color looks richer. Try it: Compare a lightly shaded area with an area where you've added several layers and pressed firmly at the end. Great for: shiny objects, bold colors, polished surfaces, and finished illustrations. 6. Blend Two Colors Colored pencils can be layered together to create new colors and smooth transitions. Start with one color, gradually use less pressure, and overlap it with a second color. Work back and forth between the two until the transition looks smooth. Try it: Blend pink into orange, purple into blue, or aqua into lime green. Great for: sunsets, skies, flowers, backgrounds, and color studies. 7. Pressure Gradients One of the easiest ways to change the look of a colored pencil is simply to change how hard you press. Light pressure creates a pale, transparent color. Heavy pressure creates a darker, more saturated color. Try it: Begin at one end of a rectangle using barely any pressure. Slowly press harder as you move across the page. You should end up with one color that gradually changes from very light to very dark. Great for: shading, creating depth, and practicing pencil control. 8. Layering Layering means building color gradually instead of trying to make an area dark all at once. Start with a light layer of one color, then add another color over it. You can continue adding different colors or repeat the same ones. Because colored pencils are slightly transparent, the colors underneath can still show through. Try it: Layer pink over purple, aqua over green, or orange over pink and see what new colors appear. Great for: richer colors, realistic shading, color mixing, and adding depth. Turn It Into a Colored Pencil Practice Page A simple way to practice is to divide a piece of paper into eight sections. Try one technique in each section: Hatching • Crosshatching • Stippling • Circular Shading • Burnishing • Blending • Pressure Gradient • Layering You don't need to draw a finished picture. The goal is simply to experiment with how the pencil behaves. Once you've tried all eight, compare your results. Which technique looks the smoothest? Which one creates the most texture? Which one was easiest to control? Which one would you use again in a drawing? Experimenting like this helps artists learn what their materials can do before they even start a finished piece. A Few Colored Pencil Tips Use a sharp pencil when you want crisp lines and tiny details. Use lighter pressure when building your first layers. You can always make an area darker later. Try not to press as hard as possible right away. Building color slowly usually gives you more control. And don't be afraid to mix colors that seem unexpected. Sometimes the most interesting colors come from layering two pencils you wouldn't normally put together. Most importantly, pay attention to the marks you're making. A colored pencil isn't just a coloring tool. It's a drawing tool, a shading tool, a blending tool, and a texture tool all in one.

Looking for a little creative inspiration this month? This September drawing challenge includes 30 open-ended prompts for kids, teens, adults, classrooms, homeschoolers, and anyone who wants an easy reason to sit down and draw. You can follow the prompts in order, jump in wherever you are in the month, choose one at random, or save the list for whenever you need a quick creative warm-up. Keep your drawings simple, turn them into bigger projects, or revisit the same prompt more than once with completely different ideas. September Drawing Prompts Draw a building shaped like an object Create an animal made from plants Draw what is hiding under the floor Design a machine that solves a silly problem Draw a place where everything floats Turn a piece of fruit into a character Create a map of an imaginary neighborhood Give an object a strange texture Design a vehicle for an impossible trip Draw objects from a mysterious person Build a creature from geometric shapes Draw a scene through a tiny window Imagine what lives inside a tree Design clothes for an unusual adventure Draw one object in three moods Create a monument for something small Draw a room used the wrong way Invent a brand-new flower Draw a quiet place in a busy setting Turn a sound into a picture Design an object with a secret compartment Draw a scene using only silhouettes Create a playground for a creature Draw something slowly disappearing Make a pattern from kitchen objects Draw a doorway between two worlds Invent a tool for a new job Draw a landscape in unexpected colors Create a tiny world on an object Reinvent one prompt from this month There’s no need to start on September 1 or complete every prompt in order. Pick the ideas that interest you, skip around, and make them your own. Use pencils, markers, colored pencils, crayons, paint, collage materials, or whatever you have nearby. These prompts are less about making a perfect finished drawing and more about practicing creative thinking, experimenting with new ideas, and making a little more room for art.

Watercolor is already fun on its own, but adding a few simple materials can completely change the way the paint behaves. These easy watercolor experiments are a great way for kids to explore texture, color mixing, resist techniques, and cause and effect without needing any complicated supplies. Most of these use things you probably already have around the house or classroom. You can try all 10 on one big sheet of watercolor paper, divide a page into sections, or choose a few favorites to explore more deeply. 1. Add Salt Salt creates one of the coolest watercolor textures, and it’s incredibly easy to try. Paint a section of paper with a fairly wet watercolor wash. While the paint is still damp, sprinkle a little table salt or coarse salt over the surface. Then leave it alone until the paint is completely dry. Once dry, gently brush away the salt. The salt absorbs some of the water and pigment as the paint dries, leaving behind light, crystalline patterns. Try experimenting with: fine salt vs. coarse salt, different amounts of water, and different colors. Great for creating: snow, stars, rocks, underwater textures, or abstract backgrounds. 2. Try Plastic Wrap Plastic wrap can create sharp, angular textures that look surprisingly complicated. Start by painting a wet watercolor wash. Tear off a piece of plastic wrap, gently crumple it, and press it into the wet paint. Leave the plastic wrap sitting on the paper while the watercolor begins to dry. Once the paint is dry or almost dry, carefully lift it away. You’ll be left with irregular lines, shapes, and lighter areas wherever the plastic touched the paint. Great for creating: ice, rocks, stained glass, crystal textures, or abstract art. 3. Make a White Crayon Resist This one feels a little like revealing a secret drawing. Before adding any paint, use a white crayon to draw on white watercolor paper. Try stars, hearts, spirals, flowers, patterns, or even a hidden message. Next, brush watercolor over the entire area. The watercolor won’t stick to the waxy crayon marks, so your white drawing suddenly appears. Try experimenting with: different crayons, heavy vs. light pressure, and simple patterns. Great for creating: secret messages, snowflakes, stars, rainbows, or patterned backgrounds. 4. Experiment with Wet-on-Wet Watercolor Wet-on-wet painting is one of the easiest ways to create soft, dreamy watercolor effects. Start by brushing clean water onto part of your watercolor paper. While the paper is still shiny and wet, touch your loaded watercolor brush to the surface. Watch what happens. The color will begin spreading through the water on its own. Add another color nearby and see how they mix together. You don’t have to control every part of the painting. Part of the experiment is seeing where the watercolor decides to go. Great for creating: skies, clouds, abstract paintings, flowers, oceans, and colorful backgrounds. 5. Add Water Droplets Water can actually be used to change watercolor after you’ve already painted it. Paint a wet watercolor wash and let it sit for just a moment. While the paint is still damp, use a paintbrush, dropper, or pipette to place drops of clean water onto the painted area. The clean water pushes the pigment outward, creating lighter circles, blooms, and rings. Let the paper dry without disturbing it. Try experimenting with: tiny drops, large drops, and different stages of dampness. Great for creating: bubbles, planets, underwater effects, abstract textures, or backgrounds. 6. Make Watercolor Splatter This one is simple, messy, and usually a favorite. Load a paintbrush with watery watercolor. Hold it over your paper and gently tap the brush against your finger or another brush. Tiny droplets of paint will scatter across the paper. You can also lightly flick the bristles with your finger for an even finer spray. Try layering several colors. Great for creating: stars, snow, sand, confetti, outer space, or energetic abstract art. Tip: Put scrap paper around your artwork first unless you want the table participating too. 7. Use a Sponge A sponge creates a completely different mark than a paintbrush. Dip a small piece of sponge into watercolor and gently dab it onto the paper. Try using more paint, less paint, more water, or a nearly dry sponge. You can also layer several colors over one another. Great for creating: leaves, tree canopies, clouds, rocks, grass, coral, and textured backgrounds. 8. Lift Paint with a Paper Towel Watercolor doesn’t only have to be added. It can also be taken away. Paint a wet watercolor wash. While it is still wet, press a folded or crumpled paper towel onto the surface and lift it straight back up. The paper towel absorbs some of the paint, leaving lighter areas behind. Try twisting the paper towel, folding it into shapes, or using different amounts of pressure. Great for creating: clouds, highlights, texture, smoke, water reflections, and abstract patterns. 9. Make a Tape Resist Painter’s tape can create clean white lines inside loose watercolor paintings. Place strips of painter’s tape onto your watercolor paper before painting. You can create stripes, geometric shapes, letters, or a simple pattern. Paint watercolor right over the taped areas. Once the painting is completely dry, carefully peel away the tape. The paper underneath stays white. Great for creating: geometric paintings, cityscapes, patterns, names, or modern abstract art. Tip: Painter’s tape is usually gentler on paper than very sticky household tape. 10. Try a Dry Brush Most watercolor techniques use plenty of water, but this experiment does the opposite. Dip your brush into watercolor, then blot away most of the extra water on a paper towel. Lightly drag the brush across dry watercolor paper. Instead of a smooth wash, the brush skips across the textured surface and creates rough, broken marks. Try changing the angle of the brush or using the side of the bristles. Great for creating: grass, tree bark, fur, feathers, waves, rocks, and scratchy textures. Turn It Into a Watercolor Experiment Sheet Instead of trying to make a finished artwork right away, give yourself permission to simply experiment. Divide a sheet of watercolor paper into several sections and test a different technique in each one. You could label them: Salt, Plastic Wrap, Crayon Resist, Wet-on-Wet, Water Drops, Splatter, Sponge, Paper Towel, Tape Resist, Dry Brush Once everything dries, compare the results. Which technique created the roughest texture? Which one created the softest? Which was the most surprising? Which would you want to use in an actual artwork? That little bit of reflection turns a fun painting activity into a great introduction to how artists experiment with materials. A Few Watercolor Tips Watercolor paper will give you much better results than regular printer paper, especially for techniques that use a lot of water. Keep a cup of clean water nearby and rinse brushes between colors. And remember that watercolor often looks different when it dries. Colors usually become a little lighter, and many of these textures become more noticeable after the water is gone. Most importantly, there really isn’t a “wrong” result with these experiments. The whole point is to see: What happens if I try this? And that’s one of the best ways to learn about art.

Art class is a place for making, experimenting, imagining, and occasionally wondering how paint managed to get on the ceiling. But alongside all that creative messiness, there is something incredibly valuable happening: students are learning how to talk about what they see, what they make, and why their artistic choices matter. That is where art vocabulary comes in. Learning words like texture, contrast, perspective, value, and composition does more than prepare students for a quiz. It gives them the language they need to understand art concepts, recognize creative choices, explain their ideas, and participate more confidently in conversations about art. Get the this wordwall for your classroom or learning space: Click here! Vocabulary Helps Students Understand What They Are Doing Students often understand an artistic concept before they know the word for it. They may notice that one part of a drawing looks darker, that an object appears farther away, or that a repeated shape makes the artwork feel connected. When they learn terms like shade, perspective, and pattern, they can finally name what they are noticing. That language helps turn an instinctive observation into a concept they can understand and use again. Instead of saying, “I made this part stand out,” a student may begin to say, “I used contrast to make this the focal point.” That is a big shift. The student is no longer only making art. They are understanding their own artistic decisions. Art Vocabulary Builds Confidence Knowing the right words can make students feel more capable in the art room. Vocabulary gives them a starting point when they are asked to describe an artwork, reflect on a project, or offer feedback to a classmate. Rather than feeling like they have to come up with the “perfect” answer, they have a collection of useful concepts to draw from. Students can talk about: The materials an artist used The way colors work together How an artwork creates movement Which areas stand out How shapes, lines, or textures affect the overall composition What choices they made in their own work The goal is not to make every student sound like an art historian. The goal is to help them realize that their ideas and observations are worth sharing. Art Words Connect to the World Beyond the Art Room Many art terms are not limited to drawing and painting. They appear in photography, architecture, fashion, advertising, science, technology, writing, and everyday life. For example, students may encounter: Pattern in mathematics, textiles, music, nature, and coding. Perspective in drawing, storytelling, history, and conversations about different points of view. Balance in composition, physical education, engineering, and daily routines. Contrast in photography, graphic design, literature, and comparisons between ideas. Texture in art, clothing, food, nature, and descriptive writing. Form and structure in sculpture, architecture, biology, and engineering. Value as the lightness or darkness of a color, while also recognizing that the word has different meanings in mathematics, economics, and personal decision-making. These connections help students understand that art is not an isolated subject. The skills and ideas they encounter in the art room are woven into many other disciplines and parts of the world around them. Get the this wordwall for your classroom or learning space: Click here! Turn Your Word Wall Into an Active Teaching Tool An art vocabulary wall does not have to sit quietly in the background. It can become part of your lessons, discussions, reflections, and classroom routines. Before beginning a project, introduce a few terms students will use. During the lesson, point to the cards as those concepts appear. When the project is complete, ask students to choose vocabulary words that describe their artwork or process. You can also display a featured “word of the week” in the classroom or hallway. Highlight a term that connects to the current project and invite students to find examples of it in artwork, nature, advertisements, clothing, buildings, or objects they see throughout the day. Another simple activity is to introduce a new project and ask: “Which words from our art vocabulary wall do you think might connect to this project?” Students might identify the materials, techniques, elements of art, design principles, or styles they expect to use. This gives them a chance to make predictions while activating what they already know. You could also use the cards for: Class discussions and artwork critiques Vocabulary review games Artist research Reflection prompts Sketchbook activities Early-finisher challenges Small-group instruction Sorting activities by material, technique, style, or concept Matching terms with examples from famous artworks The more students interact with the words, the more meaningful those words become. A Small Personal Note From My Classroom My students used to love looking through art vocabulary cards, pointing out the words they recognized, and seeing how many they already knew. It became a small confidence-building activity without needing to be a formal lesson. Students could discover familiar terms, ask about unfamiliar ones, and connect the words to projects we had completed. There was often a little sense of pride when someone could point to a card and say, “We used that in our last project!” Those moments showed me that vocabulary does not have to feel like memorization. When the words are visible, colorful, and connected to real creative experiences, students naturally begin to use them. Create a Resource You Can Use Year After Year A classroom vocabulary wall can be an investment you continue using throughout your art education adventures. I recommend printing the cards on cardstock, cutting them apart, and laminating them. This makes them sturdy enough to display, move, sort, store, and reuse for different lessons and activities. You do not have to hang every card at once. You might organize them by category, rotate them with each unit, display only the terms connected to a current project, or allow the wall to grow throughout the school year. Because the cards are separate, you can adapt them to your students, your classroom space, and your teaching style. The Refresh Art Room Art Classroom Word Wall includes more than 100 art terms with student-friendly definitions. Use the cards as a full classroom display, introduce them alongside individual projects, or incorporate them into discussions, games, critiques, and creative activities throughout the year. Get the this wordwall for your classroom or learning space: Click here!

Creative restrictions can make it easier to begin, experiment, and discover ideas you would never have planned. You finally have a little time to make something. Your supplies are ready. Your sketchbook is open. And then…nothing. Suddenly, every possible material, subject, color, style, and direction is competing for your attention. Should you paint? Draw? Make a collage? Create something meaningful? Try something new? Make something worthy of framing in a museum? That is a lot of pressure for one blank page. The problem is not always that you have no ideas. Sometimes, you have too many possibilities. Why unlimited possibilities can feel so limiting Complete creative freedom sounds wonderful in theory. In practice, it can leave your brain sorting through endless options before you have even made the first mark. You are not just deciding what to create. You are also choosing: What materials to use What colors to include What the subject should be How large or small to work What style to try Whether the idea is “good enough” No wonder the blank page starts looking a little smug. This is where creative restrictions can help. Give your brain a problem to solve Instead of asking: “What could I possibly make?” Try asking: “What can I do with these ingredients?” That small change gives your imagination a place to begin. You are no longer searching through every artistic possibility in existence. You are responding to a specific challenge. Maybe you decide to create something using only paper scraps, three colors, and curved lines. Now you have a puzzle: How can you use those limitations in an interesting way? That question is often much easier—and much more fun—to explore. Restrictions are not creativity police Creative rules are not there to tell you that you are doing art incorrectly. There is no tiny art referee waiting to blow a whistle because you accidentally used a fourth color. The rules simply give your imagination something specific to investigate. In fact, restrictions can lead you away from your usual habits. When your favorite color, material, or drawing style is unavailable, you have to find another solution. That solution might be surprising, strange, imperfect, or completely brilliant. You may discover: A color combination you would not normally choose A new way to use a familiar material An unexpected composition A subject you would never have planned A delightfully weird idea worth developing further The goal is not to create a masterpiece on command. The goal is to begin exploring. Build your own creative challenge Choose a few simple rules before you begin. A good starting combination is: One material Pick one main material, such as markers, watercolor, colored pencils, torn paper, cardboard, or paint. Three colors Choose them intentionally or close your eyes and select them randomly. Let fate take the wheel for a moment. A ten-minute time limit A short deadline helps you make decisions without endlessly reconsidering every mark. One playful rule This is where the challenge gets interesting. Try using only curved lines, making every shape overlap, drawing without lifting your pencil, or placing the subject somewhere it clearly does not belong. You can follow all four restrictions or choose only two or three. There is no need to make the challenge so complicated that you require a spreadsheet and an assistant. You do not need a brilliant idea first We often imagine that artists begin with a fully formed vision and then simply bring it to life. Sometimes that happens. Other times, the idea appears halfway through a scribble, a mistake, a torn piece of paper, or a color combination that looked questionable five minutes earlier. You can create the rules, begin experimenting, and allow the idea to develop through the process. Start before you feel completely ready. Make one mark. Add another. Respond to what is happening on the page. The finished work does not need to match an image you had in your head because there may not have been an image there to begin with. That is not a failure of planning. That is discovery. Creative-rule ideas to try Here are a few types of restrictions you can experiment with: Material rules Use only one art material. Combine two materials you would not normally use together. Create with recycled objects, leftover scraps, or a tool used in an unusual way. Line and shape rules Use only curved lines. Build the artwork from geometric shapes. Repeat one shape throughout the piece, connect every line to something else, or draw without lifting your pencil. Composition rules Fill the entire page. Leave half of it empty. Make one object unusually large. Crop the subject, repeat it at different sizes, or avoid placing anything in the center. Color rules Use only three colors. Work in shades of one color. Choose only warm or cool colors, or avoid using the subject’s “real” colors entirely. Yes, the sky can be orange. It has been waiting patiently for this opportunity. Time and process rules Finish in ten minutes. Make three quick versions before choosing one. Begin with the background. Add something new every minute, or stop before the artwork feels completely finished. Imagination rules Combine two unrelated subjects. Give an ordinary object a new purpose. Change the scale of something familiar, place it somewhere it does not belong, or create one rule for the imaginary world inside your artwork. What happens when you break a rule? Nothing terrible. These restrictions are tools, not laws. You can follow them strictly, adjust them halfway through, or abandon one when it leads you somewhere more interesting. The most useful rule is the one that gets you moving. Once the work begins to develop, you may realize it needs another color, a different material, or more time. Make that choice intentionally and keep going. The exercise has already done its job: it helped you start. Your turn The next time you have no idea what to make, do not wait for inspiration to arrive wearing a dramatic cape. Choose a material. Pick a few colors. Set a timer. Add one unusual rule. Then begin. Your first idea does not have to be brilliant. It only has to give the next idea somewhere to appear.

Looking for an easy way to make more time for creativity this month? This August drawing challenge includes 31 open-ended prompts for kids, teens, adults, classrooms, homeschoolers, and anyone who wants a reason to pick up a pencil and make something. You can follow the prompts in order, choose one at random, or return to the list whenever you need a quick creative warm-up. Keep each drawing simple, develop it into a larger project, or try the same prompt more than once using different materials and ideas. August Drawing Prompts Design a home for an animal Draw something tiny as a giant Draw a hidden secret door Draw stairs to a strange place Draw something balancing Build a place around one giant object Give an object a new job Draw something hidden in a pattern Design a room for a mood Mix two things together Draw something growing somewhere strange Show one thing changing into another Make a face from objects Draw something from above Draw a place that feels happy Cover an object with symbols Mix nature with a machine Draw a world inside an object Build something from surprising parts Bring an object to life Hide a landscape inside a shape Draw a strange reflection Draw a weird place to sleep Draw a path to somewhere surprising Design a place for a giant Stretch, twist, or squish an object Mix indoors and outdoors Make something ordinary magical Draw using one long line Draw something from memory Draw one idea three ways Save the Full August Drawing Challenge There is no right way to complete these prompts. Use pencils, markers, crayons, paint, collage materials, or whatever you already have nearby. The goal is not to create a perfect drawing every day. It is simply to practice using your imagination, experimenting with ideas, and making creativity part of your routine.

Slime is a fun, hands-on activity that lets kids experiment with color, texture and different materials. These five easy recipes each create a completely different kind of slime, from light and fluffy to crunchy, sparkly and extra jiggly. Choose one to try or make several and compare how they stretch, squish and move. Before You Begin Most of these recipes use contact lens solution as the activator. Check the label to make sure it contains boric acid or sodium borate, since not every contact solution will work for slime. Slime is not edible. Adult supervision is recommended, especially when younger children are mixing the ingredients. Avoid contact with the eyes, and wash hands before and after playing. Supplies You May Need Depending on the recipes you choose, gather: White or clear school glue Baking soda Contact lens solution Water Shaving cream Food coloring Glitter or sequins Foam beads Mixing bowls Spoons or craft sticks Airtight containers 1. Classic Stretchy Slime This is a great place to start if you are new to making slime. It creates a smooth, stretchy texture using just a few basic ingredients. You’ll Need ½ cup white school glue ½ teaspoon baking soda 1–2 tablespoons contact lens solution A few drops of food coloring Directions Add the glue and baking soda to a bowl. Mix until completely combined. Add a few drops of food coloring and stir. Slowly add the contact lens solution, a little at a time. Continue mixing until the slime begins to pull away from the bowl. Knead the slime with your hands until it is stretchy and no longer sticky. Texture: Smooth, stretchy and perfect for beginners. 2. Fluffy Slime Shaving cream gives this slime a light, airy texture that feels a little like a soft marshmallow. You’ll Need ½ cup white school glue 1½ cups shaving cream ½ teaspoon baking soda 1–2 tablespoons contact lens solution A few drops of food coloring Directions Mix the glue and shaving cream together in a bowl. Stir in the baking soda and food coloring. Add the contact lens solution a little at a time. Continue stirring until the mixture begins forming into slime. Knead it with your hands until it feels soft and fluffy. Texture: Light, airy and marshmallow-like. Creative idea: Divide the slime into two or three portions, color each one differently and gently twist them together. 3. Clear Glitter Slime Clear glue creates a glossy slime that is perfect for showing off glitter, sequins and other sparkly additions. You’ll Need ½ cup clear school glue ½ teaspoon baking soda 1–2 tablespoons contact lens solution Glitter or sequins Directions Mix the clear glue and baking soda together. Stir in your glitter or sequins. Slowly add the contact lens solution. Mix until the slime begins pulling away from the bowl. Knead until it stops sticking to your hands. Texture: Glossy, sparkly and extra stretchy. Tip: Clear slime may look cloudy or bubbly immediately after mixing. Let it rest in a sealed container so the bubbles can gradually disappear. 4. Crunchy Slime Foam beads transform regular slime into a textured, crunchy sensory activity. You’ll Need ½ cup white or clear school glue ½ teaspoon baking soda 1–2 tablespoons contact lens solution Foam beads Food coloring, optional Directions Mix the glue and baking soda together. Add food coloring, if desired. Slowly stir in the contact lens solution until the slime begins to form. Knead the slime until it is no longer sticky. Sprinkle foam beads over the slime. Fold and knead the beads into it. Add more beads for extra texture and crunch. Texture: Crunchy, textured and fun to squeeze. Creative idea: Experiment with different amounts or sizes of foam beads and compare the results. 5. Jiggly Slime Adding water gives this slime a softer, wobblier consistency than classic slime. You’ll Need ½ cup clear school glue ¼ cup water ½ teaspoon baking soda 1–2 tablespoons contact lens solution A few drops of food coloring Directions Mix the clear glue and water together. Add the baking soda and food coloring. Slowly stir in the contact lens solution. Continue mixing until the slime starts to form. Knead it gently, then let it rest for a few minutes. Texture: Wobbly, squishy and jiggly. Creative idea: Place the finished slime in a clear container and gently shake it to watch how it moves. Slime Troubleshooting Tips Slime can change depending on the glue, activator and even the weather. Make small adjustments rather than adding a large amount of any ingredient at once. Is your slime too sticky? Add a few more drops of contact lens solution, then knead it again. Too much activator can quickly make slime stiff, so add it slowly. Is your slime too stiff? Knead in a small amount of warm water or lotion. Begin with only a few drops and add more if needed. Is your slime not forming? Check that your contact lens solution contains boric acid or sodium borate. Continue stirring and give the activator time to combine with the glue. How should you store slime? Keep slime in a clean, airtight container when it is not being used. Homemade slime does not last forever, so throw it away if it develops an unusual smell, color or appearance. Turn It Into a Creative Experiment Try making more than one recipe and compare them: Which slime stretches the farthest? Which one feels the softest? Which one makes the most interesting sounds? How does adding more foam beads change the texture? What new color combinations can you create? Can you invent your own slime variation? There is no need for every batch to look exactly the same. Part of the fun is experimenting, adjusting the ingredients and discovering a texture you love.