DIY Crunchy Slime with Floam Beads

Want to change up the texture of your slime? This DIY crunchy slime with foam beads is both simple to make and satisfying to play with! Find out how to make crunchy floam slime at home using just a few simple ingredients like school glue and contact lens solution.

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Never have I felt so much like a kid blogger than when my eldest turned seven and I made not one, not two, but THREE different types of slime for the birthday party we threw for her friends.

Was it crazy to let a dozen seven-year-olds go crazy with slime in our tiny kitchen? Probably.

But it was kind of fun being a “cool” mom for one day out of the year—and to be honest, I love slime just as much as the kids do, so I had a great time deciding which recipes to use and making sure to include a variety of different slime textures.

(We even let my daughter’s friends bring some of the slime home with them… provided their parents agreed.)

One of the things I love about slime is that it is SO versatile.

Want to use up that can of shaving cream from the dollar store? Make fluffy slime.

Have some air dry clay that you’re not sure what to do with? Make butter slime.

Have some instant snow leftover from Christmas? Make cloud slime.

You can even switch up the glue to make slime that changes colours when it’s exposed to sunlight or temperature changes.

Every type of slime is fun in its own way, but my favourite recipes are those that have a totally unique texture—and crunchy slime definitely fits the bill.

Which is why I’ll be sharing the best crunchy slime recipe below so that you can make it too! (Don’t worry—you can save it for a day when you don’t have a bunch of seven-year-olds running around your house.)

What Makes Crunchy Slime Crunchy?

There are several things you can put in slime to make it crunchy, but the two most popular add-ins are fishbowl beads and styrofoam beads. This particular crunchy slime recipe will help you make slime with foam beads.

Rather than Borax or Liquid Starch, I’ve chosen to use contact lens solution as an activator. I prefer to use contact lens solution as an activator because, while it isn’t technically without borax, it is both easier to find (at least in Canada) and softer on children’s skin.

Keep scrolling to find out how to make the best crunchy slime at home using floam beads and contact lens solution! (Don’t worry—the recipe is pretty basic.)

Required Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own floam slime with contact solution at home:

• ½ cup white glue (we’ve had success with both Elmer’s and Amazon Basics—consider buying it in bulk if you’re planning on making a lot of slime)
• ⅓ cup water
• ½ tsp baking soda
• Liquid food colouring or liquid watercolour paint (optional)
• ½ – 1 cup foam beads (I used a mix of white and yellow for added visual contrast)
• 1 – 1 ½ tbsp contact lens solution

Note: The contact lens solution you use must list “boric acid” and “sodium borate” as ingredients in order for the chemical reaction to occur. We bought ours at Walmart and carefully compared ingredients and prices before choosing the brand pictured below.

How to Make Crunchy Slime with Foam Beads (Step-by-Step)

1. Combine Water & Glue

Making crunchy slime isn’t any more complicated than making regular slime! In order to make foam bead slime, start by pouring ½ cup of white school glue and ⅓ cup of water into a bowl, and stirring until combined.

2. Add Baking Soda

Mix in ½ teaspoon of baking soda.

3. Add Floam Beads

Add ½ cup of foam beads and stir them in with a spoon.

You’ll be adding more later on, but if you add too many during this step, they have a tendency to pop out and end up everywhere while you’re kneading. Starting with ½ cup will keep the mess contained.

4. Add Food Colouring (Optional)

If you wish, at this point, you can add some food colouring or liquid watercolour paint to the mixture to make it a different colour.

Feel free to choose whichever colour you want, or to leave the slime white to create a contrast (especially if you’re using rainbow-coloured floam beads).

If the colour of the slime is too similar to that of the floam beads, you can add some white beads to create more contrast. The best foam slime offers both a crunchy texture and satisfying visual contrast.

(Unfortunately, mine looked better in person and the photos don’t really do it justice… Remind me to a batch that isn’t sunshine yellow and update the pictures so you can get the full effect!)

5. Add Contact Lens Solution

It’s time to add the slime activator! Start with 1 tablespoon of contact lens solution and stir until well combined.

You may notice the mixture starting to solidify a little, but 1 tablespoon likely won’t be enough to fully activate your slime. You’ll probably end up needing somewhere between 1 tablespoon and 1 ½ tablespoons.

As you stir the mixture with a spoon, it should start to solidify a little, but a single tablespoon may not be enough to fully activate your slime. (You’ll probably end up needing somewhere between 1 tablespoon and 1 ½ tablespoons.)

Once I’ve added the initial tablespoon, I usually add one small squirt at a time, mixing well between each addition. Don’t add too much at a time or your slime will become rubbery and you’ll need to work in some water water to restore its consistency, which is a bit more difficult with styrofoam bead slime.

You can stop adding contact lens solution when the mixture starts sticking to the sides of the bowl, and can be peeled off using a spoon.

6. Knead Slime

Once you’ve added enough activator, it’s time to knead! The slime will be very sticky initially, but the more you knead the slime, the less sticky it should become. Don’t be surprised if it takes a lot of kneading!

If ever your slime is simply too sticky to knead, you can always add a little bit of extra contact lens solution to your hands to make things easier.

Note: If you like to wear rings, please remove them before kneading the slime. I once kept my wedding ring on while kneading slime, and it ended up getting into some of the crevices of the ring and causing a rash on my finger due to prolonged exposure.

7. Add More Floam Beads (Optional)

When you’re done kneading the slime, and it feels stretchy and non-sticky, feel free to add more floam beads for added texture.

We ended up using about ¾ cup total (½ cup during step 3 and ¼ cup during this step) and loved the resulting texture, but you may prefer to use a little more or a little less.

Using ¼ cup more than we did (½ cup during step 3 and ½ cup during this step) will yield a super crunchy slime that is mouldable rather than stretchy.

Feel free to experiment with the quantities by adding a little more at a time until you’re satisfied with the consistency of the slime. Just keep in mind that it’s easier to add more than to remove what you’ve already added.

And that’s it! This crispy, crunchy floam slime has SUCH a satisfying texture, and it’s super easy to make. I hope your kids enjoy it as much as mine did!

How to Store Crunchy Foam Slime

Slime can get a little stiff if it is exposed to air for too long, so we like to store ours in a sealed Ziploc bag with the air removed whenever our kids aren’t playing with it. It usually keeps for several weeks when stored this way.

If ever you do leave the slime out for a little too long during play and it loses some of its stretchiness, you can always try adding a bit of warm water and massaging it in with your fingers. This should make it less stiff and help restore some of its stretchiness.

(In this case, I recommend keeping the crunchy slime inside a bin to prevent the floam beads from popping out all over the place.)

Note: The styrofoam beads will rise to the top of the bag when your crunchy slime is not in use, but they should reintegrate beautifully when you start playing again!

Related Slime Recipes

Looking for more fun slime recipes to make for your kids? Check out these articles:

• Heat-Sensitive Colour-Changing Slime
• Easy Aquarium Rock Slime
• Homemade Gold Glitter Slime

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