Learning By Topic KS1: Slime and Mathematics

Make some slime and add 2D foam shapes to it. Have fun playing and stretching with the slime (this is amazing for fine motor skills), now pick out the 2D shapes and have fun sorting them and matching them.

Talk about (and record if you wish) the properties of 2D shapes (number of sides and corners; could also find lines of symmetry).

With an adult talk about the measurements of the ingredients in your slime recipe; practise reading measurements, decide on which measurement tools you will need for your recipe and then do the measuring! Top Tip: Great opportunity to start talking about halves and quarters.

After making your batch of slime from your science experiment, stretch and tear it, forming around 6 ‘blobs’ of different sizes. Using kitchen scales weigh each blob in grams. Record measurements in ascending order. Top Tip: Estimating would be a great concept to try here too–will the next blob of slime be lighter or heavier than the last?

Stretch your slime/s as much as you can without it tearing. Use a ruler to measure the slime lines in centimetres. Record your results. At the end of the unit, check to see which batch of slime proved the stretchiest. What was the difference between the longest and shortest slime line?

Make counters out of slime and use them to assist you with your number bonds!

Time how long it takes you to make different batches of slime throughout this unit. Can you convert the minutes to seconds? Which slime took the longest and why? Which was the fastest to make and why? What was the difference between the longest and fastest?