Did you know that it’s possible to make slime that is magnetic? Magnetic slime has iron in it and is attracted to a strong magnet. It is super stretchy and so much fun. When you hold a magnet near the slime, it oozes toward it, and the slime will “swallow” up a magnet if you let it go! SO COOL.

Magnetic slime is easy to make with our 3 ingredient recipe!

This post was originally written in March 2014 and updated in April 2019. Our updated recipe is easier to follow and is much less messy! Slime has a bad reputation for being messy, and you may be afraid of a “slime fail.” I can assure you, however, that this project will be fun and successful! I do recommend reading the instructions carefully, and you’ll want to try out this project first before doing it with a group.

We love making slime – you’ll also want to check out our recipes for lemonade slime (scented!) and sparkly gold slime. Floam slime is another of my favorites.

What can magnetic slime do?

Magnetic slime is really fun to play with on its own. It stretches and squishes. If you hold it up, it oozes down to the floor in a long strand! Adding the element of magnet play makes it even more awesome. This is a great project to put on your to-do list for a rainy day, spring break, or summer! It would also make a great group activity for a science club or scouting group.

There’s just something about watching a liquid move without touching it… So fascinating!

You can get the slime to move faster if you let the magnet touch it. It’s also cool to feel the magnet stick to the slime.

We also had fun putting the magnet on top of the slime and watching the slime swallow it up!

Supplies Needed for Making Magnetic Slime

These links are Amazon affiliate links, meaning that if you purchase through the links, I will earn a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.

  • Liquid starch – We used Sta-flo Liquid Starch.
  • Elmer’s glue – we used white glue, but the clear might also look cool! This is PVA glue.
  • Iron Oxide powder
  • A bowl for mixing – it does wash out.
  • Plastic spoons for stirring
  • A 1/4 cup measuring cup
  • A 1 Tablespoon measuring spoon
  • A neodymium (rare earth) magnet – A regular magnet won’t be strong enough. Here’s a set on Amazon with two Neodymium Barr Magnets. We ordered ours awhile back, but our Amazon history says we used this link, although the magnets look slightly different.

How to Make Magnetic Slime:

Step 1: Pour 1/4 cup of white PVA glue into your mixing bowl. You may have to use the spoon to scrape all the glue out of the measuring cup.

Step 2: Add 2 Tablespoons of iron oxide powder. Stir well.

You’ll be expecting the mixture to look solid black, like my photo of the slime above. However, it will look more like Oreo cookie crumbs! Don’t worry – it will look solid black in a minute.

Step 3: Pour in 1/8 cup of liquid starch.

Step 4: Stir the glue and starch mixture really well to make sure that it’s all mixed. As soon as you begin to stir, the starch will react with the glue and the slime will start to form.

I ended up with a little bit too much starch. The way I could tell is that there was some unmixed starch in the bowl and on the slime after I had stirred it well. To fix this, I rinsed the slime for just a few seconds under cold water.

Step 5: Knead the slime with your hands.

This is how the slime looked after a quick rinse and a little bit of kneading. I find that it helps to wash my hands after kneading the slime and before playing with it. This helps to make the slime less sticky.

Troubleshooting:

  • If your slime is too sticky (glue-y), knead in a tiny bit more starch. If it’s too stringy, knead in a little more glue.
  • If your slime does not respond to your magnet, the problem is the strength of your magnet. We ordered some new cylinder neodymium magnets which did not turn out to be strong enough!

Here are a couple more important notes:

  • Neodymium magnets are extremely strong! Fingers can easily get pinched when trying to separate the magnets. Be sure to keep the magnets away from cell phones, computer, and other electronics. If you order the smaller disc magnets, make sure that no one puts them in their mouth – these would be very dangerous if swallowed. Overall, this is not a project for kids who still put things in their mouths.
  • Iron oxide powder is not good to breathe. This is why we mixed our iron in with the glue. I have seen some recipes on the internet that recommend kneading the iron oxide powder into the finished slime. We tried that approach, and besides being super messy, I think it’s much more likely to stir up the iron oxide dust.

If making magnetic slime seems like too much of a hassle, you can actually purchase magnetic silly putty – Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty which comes with a magnet and does the same thing. (Although judging by the reviews, I think the homemade slime responds better to the magnet!)

71 Comments

Post a Comment
  1. Dayna@ Lemon Lime Adventures Mar 6, 2014

    Wow! This is simply amazing! We have to add this to our lesson plans for next week! Once we get the materials we will be trying this! Thank you so much!

    Reply
    1. Amber Jun 29, 2014

      I think this is such a wonderful site!!! Being a mom of two boys, I happened upon this site when they're crying in despair because they are so bored. We had made the liquid starch ourselves because I didn't have any. Because we *really* wanted to make this amazing goo and didn't have any ferrous powdered metals around (that I knew of), I decided it might be kind of cool to make our own. Go science! So for others who happen by this site - a good substitute for the ferrous oxide would be laser printer powder (if you have it handy). Otherwise, I highly recommend you order it online because making it yourself (especially with kids around) is either extremely dangerous or takes forever.

      Reply
      1. Elena Mar 8, 2020

        Well although this is an older post I thought I'd still comment... Generally many households do have iron on-hand in the form of fortified cereal! The first thing that came to mind after reading this comment is an experiment I saw ages ago using crushed fortified cereal and magnets. However this would be quite wasteful as one would have to use WAY too much cereal to extract enough iron for the slime recipe. Just a random side note. ☺️

        Reply
    2. Sarah Nov 9, 2015

      thank you so much for putting up this recipe! I am planning to give it as a Christmaas present. can you color it with food coloring?

      Reply
      1. Sarah Nov 9, 2015

        No, the iron powder is black and will totally overpower any food coloring that you might add to it!

        Reply
      2. Jennifer Greenland Mar 22, 2016

        You can order red or yellow iron oxide which will create the magnetic putty, but be more technicolor from amazon.

        Reply
        1. lolz May 5, 2016

          tanks im doing a science fair project and i can make it red now!!!!!!

          Reply
          1. hadiyatou balde Nov 7, 2017

            this is so amazing i used it for my science fair project in 5th grade

            Reply
  2. Leandra Mar 7, 2014

    This looks amazing. How long would it last? Thanks

    Reply
    1. Sarah Mar 9, 2014

      The slime should last for at least a few weeks, and probably longer than that. I think that weather conditions in your area probably affect how long it lasts. We are storing ours in ziploc bags.

      Reply
      1. Renae Apr 28, 2015

        I know this is an old comment but I'm a children's librarian and we always try to send slime home in old babyfood jars. The lids are tight and keep it nice and fresh for over a month!

        Reply
  3. Nancy Mar 8, 2014

    Please be aware that magnets of this strength can cause havoc and even death if swallowed. It would be best to leave them stacked and then wrap them with electrical or duct tape to avoid the temptation to play with them individually. Otherwise, a very interesting activity.

    I also notice that the iron oxide powder on Amazon comes in red, as well. Is there any functional difference in the two?

    Reply
    1. Sarah Mar 8, 2014

      I wondered the same thing about the colors! I'm not sure what the answer to that is. I ordered the black because that's what reviewers on Amazon were recommending for magnetic silly putty.

      Reply
      1. Nancy Mar 9, 2014

        The black does seem to have a Darth Vader quality to it. Thanks for your response. =)

        Reply
        1. Sarah Mar 9, 2014

          Yes, actually the boys at my house were playing Darth Vader with it! LOL...

          Reply
    2. Amber Jun 29, 2014

      Sorry to be nerdling on this issue. There is no major difference other than the compound structure. Each should work as well as the other. The difference in color is caused by the difference in oxidization, really. I think it's also heated and the black may be a bit more prone to magnets. Don't quote me on that. But both have Fe and it's simply (again, I think) an extra oxygen molecule on one than the other (or was that less.)

      Reply
  4. ana Mar 8, 2014

    This would be very poisonous, wouldn't it? I remember reading somewhere about letting little kids play with iron shavings and magnets, that they can be poisoned by very small amounts. No doubt this is too disgusting to eat on purpose but what about little ones getting it in their mouths by accident?

    Reply
    1. Sarah Mar 8, 2014

      I looked up the material safety data sheet for black iron oxide, and it is listed as non-toxic. The main risk is irritation from inhaling it, but with the way it is used in this activity, that should not be a major problem. Sensitive individuals could always wear a mask. The msds says to seek medical attention for ingesting large quantities. With proper supervision, I don't know why anyone would ingest any quantity of this! It's definitely not for kids who still put things in their mouths! I hope that answers your question. This is a science project, and proper precautions should be taken as such.

      Reply
      1. Nic Mar 12, 2018

        FE304 is not listed as non-toxic, but rather a hazardous substance that is regulated by OSHA. Every copy of an MSDS I have seen on FE304 (which is the chemical you link to in your recipe) recommends full PPE, including eye protection, gloves, and mask. I'm an environmental health scientist by training, and I would definitely be considered about potential risks in this experiment.

        Reply
  5. Jen Mar 9, 2014

    I'm a chemistry professor and I've done this experiment many times in K-12 classrooms, summer camps, etc. It is super fun and teaches about both polymers and magnets. My recipe uses 20 Mule Team Borax and water rather than Sta-Flo (its the sodium tetraborate in both that cross-links with the PVA in the glue to make slime). As far as the safety goes, many iron oxides such as this one are used in tattoo inks (Fe3O4 and FeO in black, and Fe2O3/rust in red). The biggest concern would be ingesting and breathing it in large quantities. I always spoon it out myself into the kids' baggies full of glue which also curbs the mess. Once the powder is incorporated into the slime, it stays there. I've made it with my three year old and he plays with it all the time. One bag is nearly a year old and is still good, although I sometimes need to add a bit of water.

    Reply
    1. Sarah Mar 9, 2014

      Jen,

      Thank you so much for chiming in! Our experience was definitely that the powder stays in the slime once mixed in, so thank you for confirming that.

      Do you mix it up in a baggie? That would be a great way to contain the mess and not do as much mixing with your hands!

      Reply
      1. Hail Hydra Oct 13, 2016

        Hail Hydra

        Reply
    2. Heather May 7, 2014

      Hello Jen, Thanks for the information. How much Borax and Water should I use? I already have it on hand, so I am curious.

      Reply
      1. Kristen May 16, 2014

        I've made it many times... I use a teaspoon of borax in a 1/2 cup of hot water. Sometimes the borax doesn't dissolve completely, and it still works perfectly. I use 2 4 oz bottles of Elmer's glue then 2 bottles full of hot water and mix that along with food coloring before I mix in the borax solution. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    3. Shirley Learner Apr 27, 2015

      How much Borax and water do you use in your slime recipe please. Thank you Shirley

      Reply
  6. Christina Mar 11, 2014

    Oh my! My boys will go crazy for this!

    Reply
  7. Shelly Smith Mar 14, 2014

    We made some yesterday and my boys are loving it!! I was wondering if anyone has other uses for the iron oxide, as we have so much "leftover" and would like to put it to good use! Any ideas??

    Reply
    1. Kate Oct 14, 2014

      Shelly-- Christmas presents! Either premixed, and labeled with a set of magnets on the side, or a baggie of it along with a list of the other ingredients needed (since it is the hardest one to find!) It could be a frugal gift for little friends! :)

      Reply
    2. Jennifer Greenland Mar 22, 2016

      Ask your child's teacher if you can volunteer to make putty with the class. Or donate the powder so that he/she can.

      Reply
  8. dominique Mar 15, 2014

    We are trying this idea out for our school's science fair, and ended up with pretty solid slime.....any suggestions?

    Reply
    1. Tammie Oct 20, 2017

      I’m a first grade teacher and make slime multiple times yearly (themes). The best recipe I’ve found comes from Teach Preschool (amazing site for any primary)

      https://teachpreschool.org/2011/08/30/easy-recipe-for-slime-brought-to-you-by-our-preschoolers/

      Her advice along with my own experience leads to the following advice:

      Slime that is too sticky/gooey needs more starch. GEnerally just dipping hands in a little starch will help it to firm up AND keep it from sticking so badly to hands.

      Slime that becomes stringy needs more glue (add in small amounts).

      Slime lasts almost indefinitely when covered tightly or stored in a baggie. “Fresh” slime will get a little gooey when covered tightly but will soon dry out with play/airtime. Slime that’s getting a little too dry can be revived by playing with it with hands dampened with a little water.

      Yes, the girls love it just as much as the boys and fifth graders just as much as my firsties!

      LOVE LOVE LOVE The Idea of trying to mix this up in baggies!

      Reply
  9. Skylar Mar 27, 2014

    Wow!!! I tried this out and it works so well!Thanks so much my boys love it

    Reply
  10. Barbara May 3, 2014

    Are iron filings the same asthe iron powder? I already have those.

    Reply
  11. D sprague May 3, 2014

    Why is this being marketed for boys? I know a lot of young girls who would and should enjoy this stuff.

    Reply
    1. Marie H Aug 10, 2014

      Thank you!!! I agree! My three daughters LOVE this. Saying anything is "for boys" is obnoxious.

      Reply
      1. JHS Feb 23, 2017

        Unless the blogger has only boys, so she made a blog full of things that her boys enjoyed. Good grief, try to avoid jumping to conclusions about others' motivations.

        Reply
  12. Ruby May 3, 2014

    Love this! But why is it just for boys? I would have loved this stuff when I was a little girl. Just putting it out there :-)

    Reply
    1. Sarah May 5, 2014

      This is definitely not just for boys! The name of my site is Frugal Fun for Boys because I have four boys. As a mom of boys, I know that it's harder to find crafts and activities that boys will go for, so this site is designed to be a resource for moms of boys. However, that doesn't mean that girls wouldn't enjoy many of these activities!

      Reply
      1. Giselle Oct 19, 2014

        I can't agree more with you ladies!

        Reply
  13. Brandi May 28, 2014

    My boys are spiderman fans and this reminded me of the black alien goo that takes over spiderman I'm deffinally gonna make for b-day party.

    Reply
  14. Missy @ Dot-to-Dot Connections May 30, 2014

    This looks so neat! I've pinned it :) Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  15. Diane Hurst Jun 3, 2014

    Thanks for writing up all the instructions, and precautions -- this looks like a really interesting project :)

    Reply
  16. Kari Jun 12, 2014

    Thank you for writing these instructions and verifying the method. We made half batches successfully. Thank you for the link to the iron powder. Gratefully, Kari in Texas

    Reply
  17. shannon morales Jun 14, 2014

    I did not have any liquid starch, so I tried making my own with water and cornstarch. Total fail!!!! Looking forward to buying some liquid starch and trying again.

    Reply
  18. Robin Finch Jun 23, 2014

    Anyone know where you can get iron oxide in Canada? Amazon won't ship it from the US and Amazon.ca does not have it. Any idea what other stores might carry it? (magnets as well)

    Reply
    1. Joe Oct 14, 2014

      Iron oxide is easy to make with a piece of iron, some DC current and a container of water. Attach the iron to the positive wire and stick it in the water, add a tiny bit of salt for conductivity, put the negative opposite the positive in the water and turn on the power. I used to use a train transformer because it could vary the amount of current. Once the electric starts flowing you will see bubbles released from the iron, this is the oxidation happening, Wikipedia is your friend when doing stuff like this. Extra iron oxide can be mixed 50/50 with powdered aluminum to make a whole other science project, thermite, which is way fun but very very dangerous. When it burns, it burns at 5000 degrees. It can be used like the railroad companies use it to weld train tracks together, or it could be used to melt a hole through the engine block of a car, ya know whatever, very versatile

      Reply
  19. The Educational Tourist Jul 24, 2014

    You are surely the coolest mom ever!! Thanks for sharing such an incredibly cool activity!

    This would be an awesome activity to prepare for a trip to Canada to see Magnetic Hill where things appear to roll UPHILL!!

    Love your stuff. I will link this to a post on Canada. Would love a shout out from you!

    Thanks for sharing,
    Natalie, The Educational Tourist

    Reply
  20. Misty Aug 17, 2014

    I can't seem to get ours to not leave black smudges everywhere and we've tried "drying" it, but it sticks to the paper towels. What should I do?

    Reply
  21. kate Sep 18, 2014

    I am hoping to do this with the entire 5th grade at my son's school. (approx 75 kids) Did you use the 10 magnets per child? Did your foursome split the magnet? How would you suggest I do it for such a large group? I like the baggie idea the chemist previously suggested.

    Reply
    1. Sarah Sep 18, 2014

      We used all 10 magnets as one unit - the kids just passed it around. For 75 kids, especially since they are 5th grade and won't be putting the magnets in their mouths, I think you could probably do a chunk of 3 magnets stuck together. Maybe plan to share the magnets among groups of 4 students? You definitely don't need a magnet for each child. The slime is fun enough on its own while they wait for a turn with the magnet. But if you do single magnets, they are harder to hold onto and would be easier to lose. That's why I'm thinking chunks of 3 stuck together. Just my opinion - not sure if that helps or not!

      Reply
  22. Sophia Sep 19, 2014

    Can you add some color to the magnetic slime?

    Reply
  23. Sophia Sep 19, 2014

    Can you put some colorant to the mix or would it affect it?

    Reply
    1. Sarah Sep 22, 2014

      The iron powder is used in making black paint, and it has an overpowering black color. I don't think it would be possible to color it any other color.

      Reply
      1. Cheryl Dec 15, 2017

        Actually I tried this with my granddaughter and it turned a grayish color so we added a small amount of black gel food coloring and after a lot of kneading we achieved the black we were looking for! Once you have worked the putty well, color did not stain her hands! Really happy with the slime!

        Reply
  24. Meagan Oct 8, 2014

    This is AWESOME! I see this happening here soon. I would love it if you would share it at the Geeky Educational Link Up!
    http://www.morethanacouponqueen.com/search/label/Geeky%20Educational%20Link%20Up

    Reply
  25. Andrea Dec 27, 2014

    For Canadians - there is a sculpture store with a variety of colours. I am going to order one - would ordering oxides with pigment alter their effectiveness?

    http://www.sculpturesupply.com/list.php?sf=category&vl=Pigments+%26+Tints

    Reply
  26. Rebel Jan 6, 2015

    I'm excited! We are making this today with our little homeschooled group. I've done slime with the borax before, but the starch was so cheap at Walmart (near the fabric softener) that I figured we could do it both ways if one doesn't work well.
    Thank you for posting this. If we have any suggestions afterward, we'll let you know. (I like the Baggie idea).
    Magnets are so strong...once your able to remove one, it's got to be kept far from the others. I let the magnets get too close and they snapped together so fast that the corner broke. Oops. Be safe.

    Reply
  27. Jan W. Feb 11, 2015

    OK, what did I do wrong? Made this today and it was a stringy mess! We mixed the iron oxide really well with the starch before we added the glue. Used Elmers White Glue, then patted it a lot with paper towels. Still kept getting black on our hands. We were really disappointed that it didn't work.

    Reply
    1. Sarah Feb 11, 2015

      You were so close! If you have enough materials, try it again! If it's stringy and a sticky mess, add a little more starch and keep mixing. An easy way to do this is to dip the whole blob in some starch, then keep kneading it. Try washing your hands well, then squeezing some more. Once you have enough starch and it's well mixed it will stop being stringy. I hope this helps - let me know!

      Reply
    2. Tammie Oct 20, 2017

      My experience as a first grade teacher is that once it’s stringy and on the firm side, you need more Elmer’sadded in small amounts.

      Reply
  28. Carol Feb 17, 2015

    Can I sub iron filings for the powder? Thanks.

    Reply
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  30. Ken Feb 23, 2015

    I would think that iron filings would not work as well as iron powder due to the size of particles. The filings wouldn't mix in with the polymer as well and may end up with jagged/sharp part protruding.

    People looking for something to do with excess iron powder...try to make your own hot hands hand warmers. Iron powder, water, and salt are the 3 main ingredients in most hand warmers. The reaction of iron and oxygen creating rust is exothermic and will produce heat. Simply put the iron in a cup or bag, add a pinch of salt and an eyedropper or 2 of water. It should heat up fairly quickly but not so much that it will burn anything.

    Still, as mentioned earlier the fine powder is harmful if inhaled so use caution with children!

    Reply
    1. Sarah Feb 24, 2015

      Yes, I agree - iron filings will not work. I'm so curious to try the hand warmer project! Thanks for the suggestion!

      Reply
    2. Heather Oct 12, 2016

      Sorry I know this post is really old but I was wondering if it would it be possible to use the hot hands instead of buying the iron oxide? Or would the other ingredients in the hot hands affect it in some way? I want to make some with some elementary students.

      Reply
      1. Sandy May 9, 2017

        TEACHERS/GROUP LEADERS: Since I need at least 10- 12 magnets for groups of students to use, I need a better price on magnets. I checked the prices at Harbor Freight since I have one just down the road. It carries 10 much smaller rare earth magnets for $2.99. I believe that by doubling them, the magnets will be strong enough at a fraction of the price. It seems worth checking out.

        Comparison: Amazon's are 1 1/2" diameter 1/4" thick and are Grade N45 – 32 lb Per Magnet. Harbor Freight's are 5/6 diameter and 1/8" thick, but did not have any grade or pull shown on the website. I'm hoping for the best when I go in.

        I did order the Black Iron Oxide from this site - thank you so much for the recipe and the link for the oxide. I wouldn't have thought of Amazon for that!

        Reply
  31. Megan Scully Mar 5, 2015

    Hi! How many students would be able to make the slime with the above amounts? I'm doing this with a class of 10 students. Thanks!

    Reply
  32. Diana Figueroa Mar 25, 2015

    How long should I expect this project to take? This seems like a great project for my students.

    Reply
    1. Sarah Mar 26, 2015

      It only takes a few minutes to mix up, but I think that the time needed would also depend on the age of the students, how many students you have, how many adults are helping, and what your classroom set-up is like. Lots of factors!

      Reply
  33. Xiomara Apr 4, 2015

    I really like reading an article that will make men and women think.
    Also, thank you for permitting me to comment!

    Reply
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    Reply
  35. Karen Jun 24, 2015

    I was wondering if black sand would work?

    Reply
    1. Garret Romaine Jan 14, 2017

      Yes, I was able to get black sands to work; I tripled the amount called for here. The bonus is they don't stain. I used a magnet and a plastic dish to make sure the black sands were mostly magnetic, and not just black minerals. I collected the black sands from the beach at Fort Funston in San Francisco.

      Reply
  36. Chloe Aug 24, 2015

    Im just a kid.We have a science fair coming up and my friends and I are gonna use this!We think it's really cool!! The only thing we're stuck on is that we dont have any STRONG magnets.help?

    Reply
    1. Sarah Aug 25, 2015

      I think you'll really find it worth it to order some neodymium magnets. They're the only kind that really work!

      Reply
  37. Amy Oct 27, 2015

    We tried the experiment three different times, mixing in different types of bowls and did not have the results we expected. I can't seem to get the consistency to move from liquid to slime. On the second try, I dumped the mixture from the glass bowl to a plate with paper towel, to sop up some extra liquid. No dice. Just less "slime" because it soaked into the paper towel and a GIANT mess. 1/4 cup starch, 2TBSP iron oxide powder, 1/4 cup glue. What are we doing wrong? Mixing with bare hands or gloved hands only results in sooo much of the slime sticking to our hands that there is just less overall slime. We have enough iron powder and starch to try again. And glue is cheap. ;) I'd like to give it one more go - but with success. Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Sarah Oct 27, 2015

      Okay, here is what I would recommend. If the slime-y mess is so sticky that it's sticking to your fingers, add more starch a little at a time. Knead in the starch with your hands. When I have "fixed" slime this way, it immediately stops sticking to my hands. If it feels too wet after mixing in more starch, try running the blob under running water for a few seconds, then pat dry with a paper towel. My good friend Asia at Fun at Home with Kids has written an excellent post on how to fix failed slime with pictures! Check out this link: http://www.funathomewithkids.com/2014/06/how-to-fix-slime-that-didnt-work-out.html

      Good luck and I hope it works out! Let me know how it goes!

      Reply
  38. P Jan 10, 2016

    The link to the magnets you posted are not neodymium magnets, like you said you needed to get the desired results. Will the ones in your link still work? I just want to check before I order.

    Thanks so much for this

    Reply
    1. Sarah Jan 10, 2016

      Yes, Amazon does not seem to have the exact set that I ordered anymore! Boo! The ones I linked to did not say neodymium in the description but they came up when I searched neodymium magnets and seemed to be strong, but I am not 100% sure. So I went ahead and updated the links in the post to show two different options that cost a little more, but I am confident that they are truly neodymium magnets and should work for this project!

      Reply
  39. Carlos Feb 24, 2016

    You can find a couple of neodymium magnets in any hard disk that you'll never use again ;)

    Reply
  40. madelynsimpson Mar 22, 2016

    does glue sticks work too??????

    Reply
    1. meepwhat Nov 18, 2019

      No, the glue needs to be liquid for it to work

      Reply
  41. Kim Apr 7, 2016

    Made this last night with iron filings. It worked just fine, they did not poke. The slime turned out grey with black speckles BUT it did not turn your hand black (plus side). The only downside it that the iron filings will rust. The iron will rust within 12 hours. But the slime will still be magnetic. We made this for a science fair so the fact that it rusted added just a little more for them to talk about.

    Reply
  42. Nicholas Jan 1, 2017

    Can we use any other detergent

    Reply
  43. Tina Jan 3, 2017

    My name is Tina I'm a grandmother of 3 I would like to be able to make this experiment at home with my three grandchildren you said your recommended ordering them online at Amazon is there a kit and if so what is it called could you please tell me thank you

    Reply
    1. Stephanie Guy Jan 3, 2017

      I have made this with my own kids and at school. The starch came from our local Dillon's (a Kroger brand) and the glue is easy to find anywhere. I got the iron oxide https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008LEOMJC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and magnets from Amazon. The magnets are super strong and are hard to get apart, but when you do, they can give a painful pinch and small, sharp pieces will sometimes break off when they snap together (they look like white ceramic under the silver coating when they chip). I just ordered a neodymium bar magnet to prevent this issue.

      Reply
  44. Alisha Mar 17, 2017

    I wanted to provide some helpful tips for anyone interested in a recent update as my daughter and I made this today. She makes her slime by adding the liquid starch to the glue in small increments until it reaches the consistency she desires. We tried making the magnetic slime the way the instructions indicated and weren't pleased with the outcome. We tried it again adding the black iron oxide to the glue first instead of the liquid starch. After we completely mixed the iron oxide and glue, we added the liquid starch to the mixture until it reached the desired consistency. It turned out much better by adding the iron oxide to the glue first, and we ended up using a little less than 1/4 cup liquid starch. This method didn't require drying the slime with paper towels either. We did use gloves to mix it until it was completely incorporated. I had no difficulty finding everything but the iron oxide at our local stores. The starch and glue were available at our local Walmart, but I ordered larger containers of the glue and liquid starch online at Walmart.com to be shipped to the store for free as my daughter makes large quantities or various slimes. I purchased the neodymium disc "Super Magnets" from Home Depot. They had a good selection of various sizes, too. I ordered the black synthetic iron oxide on Amazon. We wrapped one set of 3 disc magnets in plastic wrap to keep them clean while we played with the slime. (I believe someone else suggested wrapping them in electrical tape.) We also put another set of 3 magnets in a ziplock bag. My daughter preferred playing with the magnets that were in a ziplock bag as they were easier to extract from the slime. Perhaps someone will find this information helpful.

    Thank you so much, Sarah, for posting this information, providing the measurements for ingredients, and pictures to go along with clear instructions! We greatly appreciate you!

    Reply
  45. sue schmidt Mar 31, 2017

    We are planning to make the magnetic slime for our stem night. How many kids would the posted recipe be enough for. I may have upwards of 100 kids.

    Reply
  46. Graywyn ehrike Apr 17, 2017

    This slime recipe did not work for us all it did was turn into black liquid and did not former at all I think you need to add twice the amount of glue there needs to be less starch and more glue.?

    Reply
  47. Anna Jul 27, 2017

    This is such a great project! I'm a youth services librarian and am going to do this project with 40 tweens (!!!), but I'm looking for affordable rare earth magnets that are large enough for them to hold. It looks like you kept them in stacks of 10 - how large were your magnets? And while I usually default to Amazon, it doesn't look like they have large quantities in my price range (so I've been looking at Walmart and Lowe's also) - any suggestions for this? Thanks for your great post!

    Reply
  48. Dnaylor Jul 29, 2017

    Recipe doesn't work using your measurements. Ends up too viscous and stringy

    Reply
  49. DAVID MCNEESE Sep 3, 2017

    Have you tried it with red iron oxide? I wasn't sure if the FE2O3 would have the same magnetic properties.

    Reply
  50. Rebecca Oct 11, 2017

    This looks like so much fun! I can't wait to be able to do this with my friends and family! My science teacher even agreed to doing this for a class period! Yay! But I can't wait. The only thing is I don't know where the find the iron oxide stuff. I couldn't find it on amazon and I don't know anywhere else to find it. Also I wish there was a way to make colored magnetic slime.

    Reply
  51. Esophian Dec 26, 2017

    A note to others interested in trying this: it does NOT work with spray liquid starch. We just got a pile of gluey wet shavings mess.

    Reply
    1. Sarah Dec 31, 2017

      Yes, it won't work. Spray starch is not the same thing as liquid starch!

      Reply
  52. Anna Jan 10, 2018

    We received this slime as a Christmas gift, and my sneaky boys just got it all over my carpet! Help! Any ideas how to remove it?

    Reply
  53. Karen Hinton Jan 29, 2018

    We mixed the iron oxide with the glue first and then mixed in the liquid startch. The outcome is not magnetic. Is it because of the order we mixed? Trying to figure out what we did wrong because we are doing a science Fair project that is due Thursday!! Please help!!!

    Reply
    1. Sarah Jan 29, 2018

      It may just be that your magnet is not strong enough. Is it a neodymium (rare earth) magnet?

      Reply
  54. Shae Jan 29, 2018

    I tried to make this with my kids, and when I went to pat it, the slime stuck to the paper towel like bubble gum on a hot summer day!! I had to throw it away! Fail!! How do you fix it???

    Reply
    1. Sarah Jan 29, 2018

      That's not a fail! Next time, I would definitely try salvaging what you can. Then try kneading a little more starch into the slime. Sometimes I dip the slime in a little starch and then squish it around. That fixes the stickiness!

      Reply
  55. Lindsay Feb 15, 2018

    Hi!

    I'm making this slime with my daughter for her Science fair. Ours is getting really tough, chunky, not slimy and not moving.
    Are we over mixing during the adding glue stage? Approx how much liquid will be at the bottom when we pull it out?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Essie Mar 12, 2018

      This slime looks so fun to play with. I cant wait to try it myself! But the bad thing is I just ordered magnetic slime right before I saw this page and it was $15.00. Such a bummer

      Reply
  56. Tereica Mar 13, 2018

    This is fantastic. The only thing I did different is put the iron oxide in the glue instead of the starch. All of the iron stayed in the glue. I also tried mixing the glue with the iron oxide, then adding Borax Water (1 tsp borax mixed in a 1/2 cup water until mostly dissolved). I added small amounts of the borax water until the slime was the consistency i wanted.

    Reply
  57. Kathey Roberts Mar 25, 2018

    We love this activity and want to use it at a training workshop. We made the slime and put it in a ziplock bag. The magnets did not react at all. Is this because of the ziplock? Is it hard to get the slime off the magnet?

    Reply
    1. Sarah Mar 26, 2018

      My guess (without seeing it) is that the magnets might not have been strong enough. Did you use neodymium magnets? And no, it's not hard to get the slime off the magnet!

      Reply
      1. Carrie Jun 14, 2019

        Didn't know how to post my own comment, so gate crashing this one! Do you have a rough idea of how much Iron oxide powder and liquid starch I require to do this for 10 kids? I have 250g Iron Oxide powder and 200g of Traditional Laundry Starch in my basket, I am on limited funding as its for a library project so wondering if this would suffice? Also there's a better deal on the red iron oxide powder, would this work just the same?
        Thank you!

        Reply
  58. Marysia Apr 10, 2018

    This slime didn’t work for me and it just ended up as a messy gloopy liquid that was really disgusting. Can someone please tell me what I did wrong because I really want to make this slime.

    Reply
    1. COLIN NIEDERSTADT Jun 29, 2018

      just read it over again and while you doing it read along as you go you might have done the wrong measurements

      Reply
  59. Michelle Aug 20, 2018

    How many things of some can you make from one bag of the iron powder?

    Reply
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    Reply
  61. Manuel Martinez Dec 19, 2018

    SO COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  62. Tristine A Givens Mar 8, 2019

    Did This last year in Science night and it worked fine. The magnets did not work like in the picture. Tried it again this year, and the slime would just attract to the magnets. What could I be doing wrong?

    Reply
  63. Scarlet May 4, 2019

    My daughter is going to absolutely love this. Actually, so will I! Pinning it right now:)

    Reply
  64. Catherine Anderson May 15, 2019

    I will try to make this with my kids this weekends, hope it turn out great.

    Reply
  65. mamapinn Oct 28, 2019

    in canada we cannot get liquid starch. what are my other options??

    Reply
  66. Emily Dec 22, 2019

    This looks so fun!! Definitely going to order from the links you posted :) is there any danger with the iron powder after it is mixed into the glue? Or is it just dangerous to breathe on its own?

    Reply
  67. Jessica L Marrone May 21, 2020

    This was a good quarantine activity for my 4 and 6 year old. I found that after a couple weeks the slime started to solidify. To solve this, massaging a few drops of water into it made it pliable again. Thanks!

    Reply
  68. Cheri Sep 15, 2020

    It’s super runny. I even used the same brand of starch. Any thoughts?

    Reply
    1. Sarah Sep 16, 2020

      I would try adding more glue, although it's hard to say without seeing it.

      Reply
  69. emoni Nov 25, 2020

    this realy helped me I'm using this for my sience fair project at school so thank-you alot

    Reply
  70. Dylan Mar 10, 2021

    I've tried this and I have a strong enough magnet. It's really fun thanks!

    Reply
  71. nelly May 25, 2021

    This project is a amazing! The magnets listed in the link worked very well, although try avoiding spilling any iron oxide power in your carpets, it will leave a stain. :)

    Reply

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