This scented chia seed slime makes for a calming sensory play experience!
What is ooeey, gooey, and smells like a tropical vacation? This recipe for scented chia seed slime!
Sensory play is an essential part of childhood development. It gives kids the opportunity to experience different textures, helps develop fine motor skills and muscle dexterity, and exposes kids to new visuals and scents.
So why give your slime a scent? Besides exposing children to different odors, essential oils can promote relaxation and reduce stress. In particular, I used Stress Away for this recipe and consistent use of this oil should help reduce cortisol levels. What a perfect tool for calming anxiety or helping children wind down before bedtime!
This easy art recipe is only 3 ingredients and can be used as a base for so many play activities! We used our batch for garden play, adding plastic bugs, garden fairies, and spoons. However, it also would be an amazing addition to a pond unit or would be a great way to teach capacity and the use of measuring cups.
Here’s how we made this fantastic scented slime.
Supplies:
- 1.5 cups water
- 1/3 cup chia seeds
- 4 drops of Stress Away Essential Oil (or an oil of your choice)
- Container for your sensory play (preferably with a lid)
- Additional items for sensory play (plastic figurines, spoons, measuring cups, bowls, etc.)
Directions:
- In your container, combine the chia seeds, water, and essential oil.
- After giving the mixture a little stir, place in the refrigerator to let set for 24 hours or so.
- When the chia seed mixture has changed into glorious scented slime, set out alongside
- Play away! When not in use, cover and return to the refrigerator. Will last 2-3 days.
Looking for another essential oil infused craft material for kids? Check out this recipe for immune boosting play dough.
Needing another sensory activity to do with your children? Read this blog post on indoor snow play. It’s so simple to set up, I almost felt silly sharing it here on the blog!
Happy creating, friends!