Pumpkin season is here again! I can hardly believe it. Is it just me or has pumpkin spice everything taken over the world?

When I was growing up, sure your mom would make pumpkin bread every now and again, or sometimes we’d bake the pumpkin seeds after we’d carve our Halloween pumpkins. Now, I feel like it is EVERY WHERE!! And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Pumpkin spiced things just make me happy. It makes me feel all warm and cozy inside because it reminds me of fall and fall is my favorite and has fun associated memories with it—and of course all of this food is so yummy!

Really the only two cons I see in this situation are that 1) you get so dang sick of hearing about everything pumpkin spice and 2) all the calories that unfortunately come with those pumpkin spice baked goods. Heaven knows we’ll get enough calories Thanksgiving through the New Year that I’m not so sure I need to get an early start in mid-September on my excess holiday pounds.

So instead we’ll turn to arts and crafts to get our fix. Here is a super fun idea to make orange fluffy pumpkin slime with your kids or grandkids. Trust me, YOU will want to play with this stuff too! Playing with it is kind of addicting because it feels so fluffy and soft. You’ll be fighting with the kids for your turn playing with it!

Fluffy Pumpkin Slime

• ½ cup Elmer’s white glue

• Unscented shaving cream

• Orange food coloring

• Mason jar

• Saline Solution

• Arm and Hammer baking soda

• Pumpkin scented oil (optional)

*Your results will vary if you substitute ingredients, and in some cases, slime might not form at all. Of special importance is the use of Elmer’s White Glue for quality, stretchy slime!

Directions:

1. Add ½ cup of Elmer’s white school glue and 4 cups of shaving cream to a bowl. Mix well and then add in some drops of your orange food coloring. Stir to mix in the color. Optional: You can add in a few drops of pumpkin scented oil after you mix in the food coloring.

2. Next, stir in ¼ tsp of Arm and Hammer Baking Soda. Then add contact solution about 1 tablespoon at a time and mix.

3. Keep adding a little more contact solution and mixing until your slime begins forming into a ball-like form as you mix. You’ll notice this is when it starts to turn into slime and becomes less sticky. It will begin coming off the sides of your container and sticking together.

   If your slime is still sticky add some more saline solution by starting small and adding a little as you go and continue to knead it. The slime will take on a fluffy marshmallowy consistency that is so addicting to play with!

   When you’re finished you’ll want to store your slime in an air tight container. Or have the kids create their own jack-o-lantern jars by cutting out black construction paper into shapes for the eyes and mouth and sticking them on the Mason jar.