GREENFIELD — What kid doesn’t like slime?
Rachel Holmes, owner and operator of the Indie Art Studio, learned just how popular the sticky concoction could be during the Riley Festival when she opened a slime bar for kids. For $3, kids could drop in to the studio at 2 W. Main St., mix up some slime, add paint for color and select from a variety of toppings such as glitter, confetti, beads, sequins or plastic sprinkles and leave with the homemade goop in just under 10 minutes.
By the time the Riley Festival closed down three days later, Holmes had facilitated more than 400 batches of slime.
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Slime, in its assorted commercial adaptations, has been around for a while. From the Silly Putty of the 1960s through the Nickelodeon’s Gak in the 1990s, kids seem to love icky, sticky, gooey stuff.
Holmes hopes to recreate that success on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 30 — the day when holiday shoppers are encouraged to shop locally owned businesses instead of at the mall or big box stores. Merchants in downtown Greenfield will be welcoming shoppers with a variety of specials and celebrations of the season.
Holmes’ adventures in slime began when the parent of one of her art students asked if Holmes would host a slime birthday party for her daughter. Holmes, whose business is built on art classes, craft projects and creative-themed birthday parties, responded with, “Yeah, let’s go for it.”
As Holmes had never made slime before, she thought she would try out different slime recipes and ideas during the Riley Festival.
In tune with the holidays, slime projects on Small Business Saturday will offer Christmas colors and Christmas confetti.
Holmes admits that slime is a messy project, but she is also quick to point out the educational benefits.
“It’s a great sensory experience. It’s calming, it’s fun and it’s customizable. Kids have control over the color and what they add to it,” Holmes said. “It’s great for math — measuring, proportions and fractions, color theory — mixing colors, and science — you’re creating a chemical change.”
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Kids of all ages are welcome to stop in on Small Business Saturday at the Indie Art Studio, 2 W. Main St., from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. to try their hand at slime.
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