Activity Analysis: Making Homemade Slime
- Jan 23
- 3 min read
from an Occupational Therapy Perspective
Activity Description
The child follows a multi-step process to create slime using ingredients such as glue, activator (e.g., baking soda/contact solution), food coloring, and optional textures. The activity may be completed independently or with graded support.
Performance Skills Addressed
Motor Skills
Fine motor coordination: squeezing glue bottles, stirring, pinching slime
Bilateral coordination: stabilizing bowls while mixing
Hand strength: stirring thick mixtures, kneading slime
Motor planning (praxis): sequencing steps and adjusting force during mixing
Sensory Processing
Tactile processing: exposure to sticky, slippery, stretchy textures
Proprioceptive input: kneading, pulling, squeezing slime
Visual processing: monitoring color changes and texture consistency
Olfactory tolerance (optional): scented additives
This activity is particularly beneficial for children with tactile defensiveness or sensory-seeking behaviors when graded appropriately.
Cognitive & Executive Functioning Skills
Planning & sequencing: following multi-step directions
Working memory: remembering steps and ingredient order
Problem-solving: adjusting ingredients to achieve desired texture
Attention & task persistence: completing the activity from start to finish
Flexibility: tolerating unexpected outcomes (too sticky, too firm)
More detailed analysis from an executive functioning perspective below***
Social-Emotional Skills
Emotional regulation: calming effects of repetitive kneading
Frustration tolerance: managing errors or texture changes
Sense of competence: pride in creating a finished product
Shared engagement: collaboration with peers or therapist
Occupational Performance Areas
Play: sensory-rich, exploratory play
Education: following directions, sequencing, task completion
Social participation: turn-taking, cooperative problem-solving
Daily routines: clean-up, responsibility, organization
Task Demands
Objects & Tools
Mixing bowl
Spoon or stir stick
Glue bottle
Activator (Saline Solution)
Baking Soda
Optional add-ins (food coloring, glitter, shaving cream)
Space Demands
Flat surface (table or counter)
Access to sink for clean-up
Controlled environment to limit overstimulation
Social Demands
Following adult direction
Turn-taking if done in a group
Communicating needs or preferences
Grading the Activity:
To Simplify
Pre-measure ingredients
Use visual step cards
Provide verbal and/or gestural assistance
Limit textures or colors
To Increase Challenge
Have the child measure ingredients
Introduce problem-solving (“I wonder how can we fix sticky slime..”)
Add time constraints
Incorporate peer collaboration
Safety Considerations
Non-toxic ingredients only
Supervision to prevent ingestion
Hand washing before and after
Allergy considerations
Therapeutic Rationale
Making slime is a highly motivating, multi-sensory activity that supports sensory integration, executive functioning, emotional regulation, and fine motor development. It promotes engagement while allowing the therapist to observe and address underlying developmental challenges in a playful, functional context.
Activity Analysis: Making Homemade Slime:
Executive Functioning–Focused OT Intervention
Activity Description
The child plans, organizes, and completes a multi-step slime-making task using provided materials. Emphasis is placed on planning, sequencing, monitoring progress, and adapting to unexpected outcomes with graded therapist support.
Executive Functioning Skills Addressed
Planning & Organization
Identifying required materials
Creating a step-by-step plan before starting
Organizing workspace and materials
Determining task order and time needed
Working Memory
Holding multi-step instructions in mind
Remembering ingredient order and quantities
Recalling problem-solving strategies
Cognitive Flexibility
Adjusting when slime is too sticky or too firm
Tolerating changes in texture or appearance
Shifting strategies when the original plan is unsuccessful
Inhibitory Control
Waiting to add ingredients until instructed
Controlling impulses to rush steps
Following safety rules
Self-Monitoring & Metacognition
Checking progress against the plan
Identifying mistakes and corrections
Reflecting on what worked and what did not
Supporting Performance Skills
Attention & Task Persistence
Sustaining attention through a multi-step activity
Returning to task after interruptions
Completing the task despite challenges
Emotional Regulation
Managing frustration when outcomes are unexpected
Using strategies (deep pressure, pauses) to remain regulated
Building tolerance for trial-and-error
Occupational Performance Areas
Education: following directions, task completion, flexible thinking
Play: goal-directed play
Daily routines: organization, clean-up, responsibility
Task Demands
Materials
Multiple ingredients and tools requiring organization
Written or visual instructions
Optional timer or checklist
Environmental Demands
Structured workspace
Limited distractions
Clear expectations and boundaries
Grading the Activity
To Decrease Executive Load/Demand
Provide a written checklist
Reduce steps or ingredients
Offer verbal cues and reminders
Complete steps together
To Increase Executive Load/Demand
Have the child write or verbalize the plan
Require independent measurement
Add time limits
Introduce purposeful errors to problem-solve
Assign peer roles in a group setting
Therapeutic Use & Clinical Rationale
Slime-making is an effective executive functioning intervention that allows children to practice planning, organization, working memory, cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and self-monitoring in a motivating, real-world context. The activity provides immediate feedback, making it ideal for coaching adaptive strategies and supporting carryover to academic and daily-life tasks.
Sample Executive Functioning Goals
Child will independently follow a 5-step plan with no more than one verbal prompt.
Child will identify and implement a problem-solving strategy when an error occurs in 4/5 opportunities.
Child will complete a multi-step task within allotted time using a checklist with minimal cues.
Comments