How to properly care for slime and where to store slime so it doesn't dry out
Having presented a child with a drool, you need to teach the young owner how to properly care for your pet. Slime, as translated from English slime, needs care, food and habitat. The elements of the game, including the care of the elastic mass, discipline baby and allow you to visually see the result.
Toy Care Features
In order for a slime, or slime, as a toy is called in the post-Soviet space, to serve for a long time, you need to use it correctly. Sometimes a slime is compared to a pet, because it also needs its own "home", hygiene procedures, food and care. It is useful for a child who owns a toy to learn how to perform all these operations, because in this way he learns the rules of care and responsibility.
How to properly store at home
Lizuna, whether it is a purchased toy or a homemade version, must be stored under appropriate conditions, otherwise the service life will be very short. The child should remember the rules of the game with the elastic mass: each time, before starting, you need to wash your hands, and after finishing, remove the toy.
On the one hand, it will discipline the baby and, on the other hand, it will help to give the slime the proper care.
Instructions
Store the mucus-like substance in a cool place between games, preferably in the refrigerator. You can not put a toy in the freezer or on an uninsulated balcony in winter, because if the slime freezes, it will not regain its properties even after defrosting. Unsuitable places to store slime will be shelves near batteries, other heaters, or in direct sunlight.
Slime should have its own "house" - a hermetically sealed container made of material that does not let moisture through. A store toy can be stored in the plastic box it was in when you bought it. If the packaging is broken, as well as for homemade slime, it is necessary to choose alternative options for the "home".
The mass can be placed in a plastic food container or a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. If the slime is small, an empty container of the cosmetic cream used for the face or body with a screw cap is well suited, such a container is pre-washed with warm water and soap and wiped dry. For the slime, you can even use a plastic cream cheese box, also pre-washed.
How to make a storage box with your own hands
If there is no suitable container at hand, you can make a "house" with your own hands.It is not bad to involve a child in the manufacturing process: it will be useful for the owner of the toy to equip the "housing" of his pet with his own hands and show imagination when decorating it .
For the box you need to take a dense material that does not pass moisture. For this, you can use carton milk cartons or tetrapak juice.Three walls are cut to the same height, equal to the height of the final house, and the fourth side will be a lid - it is left longer, of such size that, when folded, it reaches to the opposite side and leans slightly downward.
To close the box tightly, a small magnet can be glued to the lid and a metal piece can be attached to the appropriate place on the wall. Another option is to make a Velcro closure.
The easiest way to secure the lid is to tie the box each time with a string or rubber band.
The outer "house" for a slime can be decorated with any decor to the taste of the owner. Colored paper, stickers, sequins will be used, girls will like lace or bows. It is interesting to design a box in the form of a real house by drawing windows and a door. You can find a name for your pet and write it on the housing.
Effective cultivation methods
Over time, the slime can get smaller. This is because the toy loses moisture. This happens when they forget to put the slime in the fridge after use, store it in an unsealed container, or simply play it in an air-dry room.
The situation can be corrected by increasing the volume of the slime with improvised means:
- The easiest way to grow a toy is to add salt water.To do this, put the slime in a jar, pour a spoonful of warm water, add a pinch of salt and mix well.
- Another method of injecting saline fluid is injection using a conventional medical syringe. The syringe should only be used under adult supervision so that children do not inject themselves with the needle.
- Drool volume can be increased with shaving gel and baby powder, which is sometimes replaced with potato starch or wheat flour. Be sure to put a plastic bag underneath, as the powder will crumble when kneading.
- If kinetic sand was used in making the toy, you can use it to grow slime. The cheapest material purchased from a baby store will do.
- A slime made of modeling clay and gelatin is expanded with air modeling clay. The substance is also sold in the toy departments.
How to eat well
Like a pet, a pet feeds on mucus. The procedure is carried out daily, for example, at night. It is important not to "overfeed" the slime - so it can lose its properties.
The water
They feed the mud with water, soften the hardened mass and increase the size of the toy. For regular daily feeding, simply add a few drops of liquid. In this case, the slime can be placed in a separate jar - "dining room" or drained with water directly into an airtight container where the toy is permanently stored. After feeding, the box with the toy is placed in the refrigerator.
Salt
Only a few grains of salt should be added per day. They are poured onto the surface of a toy lying in a jar, after which the mud is left undisturbed for some time.
Gum
"Delicacy" is given to slime from time to time, it is not used for daily feeding. In order to add a gum to the mass, grind the latter. You can grate it or finely chop it with a knife. The grains will not dissolve in the slime, they will remain visible even after a while, so if you want to avoid this, do not add gum.
What to do if the slime gets dirty in the mud
The game mass is sticky, so dust and debris remain there. It is advisable to handle the slime carefully, trying not to drop it on carpets and dirty surfaces, since in this case it will not be possible to completely clean the toy. How to remove common types of dirt:
- Hair and large debris are removed with tweezers or a needle.
- Wash the slime in a bowl or jar of water for no more than three minutes. Running water can damage the structure with its pressure or even wash the toy down the drain.
- Interestingly, they clean the mud with a syringe without a needle. The dirty mass is removed in part or in whole with a syringe, then expelled, and all the litter remains in a narrow area intended for a needle.
slime diseases
A slime, like a pet, can get sick if it is poorly cared for. Careless handling leads to a change in the structure and a violation of the properties. But if you pay attention in time and correctly determine the cause, mud is quite possible to "cure".
Water
If the mass is "supercharged" with water, dropped into liquid, or bathed for too long, the structure will become watery. Common salt will help correct the situation.
Several crystals are placed on the surface, which absorb excess moisture, after which they are removed, and the toy is left alone for some time.
Solidification
The opposite state of excessive hardness of the mass, on the contrary, is caused by a lack of moisture. The reason may be the dry air of the room where the slime was played for a long time, the box is not tightly closed during storage, or an excess of salt. Mud can be cured with a few drops of water.
Tears often when stretched
The lack of elasticity is corrected by adding cosmetic hand cream or glycerin to the toy. Heat will also help in this situation: the slime is heated in the microwave for just a few seconds.
Mold
If the slime has been in the box for a long time, mold may form on it. In this case, the treatment will not help, it remains only to throw the toy away.
Tips & Tricks
Slime is an ephemeral toy, a purchased slime will last up to two months, homemade and even less. Proper care and careful handling will extend the life of the slime. Dealing with slimes is easy, just remember a few nuances:
- Slime can be handmade, purchased separately or ready to use, the care will be about the same.
- Regardless of the type of slime, whether magnetic slime or glass, it should be stored in a sealed container.
- Before playing, you should wash your hands so that the mass stays clean longer.
It is entirely within the power of its young owner to take care of the slime himself. After explaining to the child the rules for handling, storing, cleaning and feeding mud, you can instill responsibility and discipline in the baby.