The kids’ craze oozing its way into playgrounds and pockets

If you’re searching for a way to lure your kids out of the house and to the shops this weekend, the promise of a garish tub of homemade sludge might just be your best bet.

It’s stretchy, sticky and strangely hypnotic – and it’s oozing its way through schools, into kitchens and on to carpets.

Slime is one of the latest crazes taking hold among primary school kids thanks to a growing empire of videos, Instagram posts and tutorials that are doing the rounds on social media.

Slime is surprisingly easy to make at home with some basic ingredients including craft glue, hand soap, food colouring and a chemical compound known as ‘Borax’.

Other household products, including shaving cream, perfume and essential oils, can result in a superior sludgy creation.

But health authorities have warned families to be careful about the alkaline ingredient Borax, suggesting they make sure it is diluted before use and that children wear gloves when mixing it, following overseas reports of children suffering skin reactions.

And there is an additional catch, with youngsters looking to take their slime game to the next level by bagging their creations and selling them at school.