Slime & Chaos

Shortly after I started at Marion, I decided to learn how to make slime, it was popular with the tweens that came to my programs and seems like a fun and messy concoction to make.  Teens were a nice start as well because they are more independent with crafting and can mix, pour and measure on their own.

This spiraled out into successful family fun nights, kids programs, branch programs and outreach programs.  I now am the slime master and have a dozen slime recipes in my repertoire, while still experimenting with new ones.

Glow slime is every October. I conduct a family fun night, a teen program, 3 branch programs and usually an outreach one at Boys & Girls Club for the teens. In October 2018, over 300 people attended my glow slime program at the main branch, we were unprepared for that number of people, ran out of all supplies, but rolled with the chaos and learned from it. This past October we were prepared for that many people, but thankfully only about half that number attended.

It is amazing that such a simple recipe and trend has been so long standing and popular. I sometimes bring down the supplies for teen time and they are all on it. Sometimes experimenting themselves.

This past SRC kickoff, our preformer cancelled the morning of. I threw on my apron and did the slime craft for over 200 kids with only 1 staff member to help. I have learned to roll with the chaos. I have also learned to demand help when I need it. As this past October I was able to have 3 staff and 1 volunteer helping me, instead of just the 2 staff members I had for the chaotic slime program. 

I have learned how to organize chaos, "fix" broken slime and ponder how to make the chaos better, sometimes it's simple, like room layout or timing.