If there’s one thing I can count on Nolan to be, it’s unpredictable.
Several weeks ago, the good folks at Zimpli Kids sent us some of their products to try out. Just to cover our hinders from a legal perspective here quick-- they’ve not compensated us for anything we say here, but they did send us the product at no cost. Zimpli Kids makes slime and other sensory play products that are made by simply adding water. They’re also environmentally friendly and clean up with just additional water. All of this sounded awesome to me, so I was excited to check it out.
So on Sunday, we were buried under a crap ton of snow. Since we were trapped inside, I figured this might be a fun day to try out the goodies that Zimpli Kids sent us. Nolan keeps asking for me to take him for a car ride, so I hoped an exciting new activity might distract him.
Nolan is a sensory seeker in a pretty major way. He loves to ride in the car and swing… I also like to drag him to the fabric store and make him touch all the things-- satins, furs, straw wreaths, sequins... the textures are endless. So I figured he would dig these products.
We received three products in total: Gelli Play, Gelli Baff and Slime Baff. Knowing with Nolan it’s always good to start small, I got out three bowls and some water. Then I added some of the powder from each product into each bowl followed by some water. Super quick and easy.
The Gelli Play and Gelli Baff were about the same consistency, and they both absorbed a ton of water. They were light, soft and squishy-- almost fluffy. I loved the texture. The Slime Baff was more viscous and, well, slimy. Both the Gelli Baff and the Slime Baff come in big enough quantities to use in a bathtub or kiddie pool (and seriously how awesome would that be-- especially with an easy clean-up). But like I said, we started small.
And it’s good that we did, because once in a while Nolan surprises me. Like when I brought home Kinetic Sand for him to try--it was a big NOPE. For some reason he just did not want to touch it. With the Gelli and Slime, Nolan wasn’t even willing to touch it. I was surprised.
And honestly? I was a little disappointed. While slime tends to weird me out (that’s gotta be my own sensory aversion…), I really liked the gelli. I’m not sure what I expected, but it definitely wasn’t soft and squishy. I wish he’d been willing to play a bit, because I totally would’ve enjoyed it.
Instead, he chose to get his sensory input from his favorite soft blankets. And he kept asking for car rides (because that’s what he does). Obviously with the snow-covered roads, I didn’t give in to that one. But I gave him space to hang out in his cozy nest with all his favorite blankets. (I might be jealous of his blanket nest… Seriously.)
But like most days, I need to remind myself that he’s not a little kid anymore. He’s a teenager, and hanging out with Mom playing with slime might not be his thing. And I get that. But like any mom, I’d love to not feel like I’m cramping his style. Don’t get me wrong-- I totally do cramp his style. It’s probably what I do best.
So if anyone is interested, I’ve got quite a bit of slime and gelli left. I’m happy to share if anyone wants to try them out-- just leave a comment, send an e-mail or hit us up through any of our social media. Clearly Nolan won’t be using it up.
And clearly, I don’t need it in order to make him want me to leave him alone. I can do that all on my own.
