Slime: “a moist, soft, and slippery substance, typically regarded as repulsive,” according to the Oxford Dictionary. Slime is encompassed of polyvinyl acetate, borate ions, and H2O, and your desired add-ins! Speaking of slime, on Thursday, July 27th, Mykah and Miguel, 2 RA's, hosted a slime-making event. Everyone had a blast! Being there made me think of my chemistry experiment from last school year on slime. Making slime, and analyzing the chemistry behind it, allowed me to learn about how science is applied everywhere in our lives. So, why don’t we start encouraging children to have the same mindset? Having these fun experiments allows for an increase in science literacy. More specifically, the chemistry of slime can be used to promote science literacy among children. Slime is actually a very popular chemistry concept! According to ThoughtCo, “Two solutions are combined to make classic slime. One is diluted school glue, or polyvinyl alcohol in water. The other solution is borax (Na2B4O7.10H2O) in water. Borax dissolves in water into sodium ions, Na+, and tetraborate ions—hydrogen bonds form between the borate ion and the OH groups of the polyvinyl alcohol molecules from the glue, linking them together to form a new polymer: slime.” According to many studies, introducing these concepts at a young age can positively affect children. “You can use children’s natural curiosity to teach any one of your curricula learning intentions. Setting up investigative play spaces where children can experiment and explore curriculum concepts, where they can practice and learn necessary skills is the key to any successful early childhood learning environment,” writes Janelle of My Teaching Cupboard. Having science literacy implemented into a child’s life, emphasis on the young age, will have positive influence. We need more hands-on opportunities, like slime!