S’mores are probably the most popular summer campfire dessert I can think of. As a kid, my mom always kept a fully stocked basket of s'mores ingredients on hand knowing that they were our favorite treats to eat at a summer bonfire.

How To Make A S’more + 10 Gourmet S’more Recipes To Try This Summer

This post is brought to you in partnership with Zulily. While I may have been compensated, as always, all opinions are my own.

Summer desserts are some of my favorite treats! From light and tropical to creamy and cold, desserts in the summer are meant to both cool us down and satisfy our sweet tooth. I shared a mouthwatering list of 10+ Summer Desserts Recipes to try this summer on the Zulily blog. If you need some summer dessert inspiration be sure to check it out. I guarantee you will love them all!

How To Make A S’more

The traditional s’more consists of a roasted marshmallow and a square of chocolate sandwiched between two pieces of graham crackers. As you press the graham crackers together to take a bite your pallet is greeted by the delightful sweetness of the melted marshmallow, crunch of the graham cracker, and the semi-bitter flavor of the chocolate. It is just pure heaven in your mouth.

The traditional s’more will always have a special place in my heart but I have to tell you these delicious gourmet s’more dessert recipes will challenge your old ways and hopefully give you a reason to mix things up this summer at your next bonfire.

How To Make A Tabletop Bonfire Pit

Speaking of bonfires, if you don’t have a bonfire pit or don’t live in an area where they are allowed no worries because I am going to show you how to make your own tabletop bonfire pit that you can use instead.

Supplies:

Clay pot like a terra-cotta flower pot (do not use a glass container)
Small bag of river rocks
Container of chafing fuel

Place a layer of river rocks in the bottom of the clay pot to cover the bottom. Then place the chafing fuel container on top of the rocks. Fill in the area around the container with the rest of the river rocks making sure the rocks don’t cover the chafing fuel lid.

All you need to do now is remove the lid, light the fuel and you have your very own tabletop bonfire pit. The clay pot will get hot depending on how long you use it so I always like to put the pot on top of a baking sheet or even a clay potholder to prevent damaging my picnic table. When you are all done with the “bonfire” just place the lid back on the chafing fuel container and the fire will go out by itself.

Now that you have your bonfire all set it is time to try out these delicious gourmet s'more recipes.

10 DELICIOUS S'MORE DESSERT RECIPES

REESES S'MORE - Graham Crackers + Reese Cup + Marshmallow

GOURMET FUDGE S’MORE - Fudge Stripe Cookies + Fudge + Marshmallow

PEANUT-BUSTER S'MORE -Peanut Butter Cookies + Peanut Butter + Chocolate Square + Marshmallow

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE S'MORE - Sugar Cookies + Marshmallow + White Chocolate Square + Marshmallow

THE RITZ S'MORE - Ritz Crackers + Chocolate Square + Peanut Butter + Marshmallow

TURTLE S'MORE - Graham Crackers + Caramel Sauce + Chocolate Square + Marshmallow

GRASSHOPPER S'MORE - Graham Crackers + Andes Mint Candy + Marshmallow

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE S'MORE - Chocolate Graham Crackers + Dark Chocolate Square + Marshmallow

HAZELNUT HEAVEN S’MORE - Almond Cookies + Nutella + Marshmallow

SAMOAS DELIGHT S’MORE - Graham Crackers + Chocolate Square + Toasted Coconut Flakes + Marshmallow

Summer Bar-B-Que

Are you planning a summer bar-b-que party? If you are, why not give these gourmet s’more recipes a try? Place a tabletop bonfire pit in the center of each table and arrange the toppings on a charcuterie board including recipe cards for inspiration then let your guests create their own s’more as they follow along with these recipes.

For more amazing summer dessert recipes check out this post 10+ Summer Dessert Recipes I shared on the Zulily blog.

via: Zulily

No doubt slime is a fun, easy-to-make substance that all kids love to play with. But did you know that when your child makes slime they are actually doing science? Wow, who knew that making a simple slime recipe would turn your child into a mad scientist.

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There are lots of different recipes for slime but no matter what kind of slime your child makes, glitter slime, fluffy slime, or even unicorn slime they are all real chemistry experiments. This non-Newtonian goop is just glue (a polymer) + an activator like borax, liquid starch, laundry detergent, or even contact solution + water all mixed together.

Slime Science

Recipes for slime vary however the same chemical process still occurs. Polymers are materials made of long repeating chains of molecules. An activator like borax, when dissolved in water creates borate ions and these ions then help link the polymer molecules from the glue resulting in the polymer molecules not being able to move as easily making it a thicker substance which we call slime. Whew, did you make it through that condensed chemistry lesson? If not that is ok - you can still make a great batch of slime. If you have a curious kid who loves chemistry check out ThoughtCo.com for the real "brainy" science behind the slime.

Slime Do's & Dont's

As a parent, the most important lesson to remember is NEVER put slime down the sink or any drain. It will end in a disaster (I may or may not be speaking from experience here). The slime will clog your pipes! I recommend using a disposable bowl to mix your slime ingredients into so you can just toss the bowl out in the trash when you are done.

Today I am going to show you how to make slime with liquid starch as the activator. The recipe is simple and easy to follow using products you probably already have on hand at home.

Don't forget to Pin this post for later - and follow me on Pinterest for more great craft and activities you can do with your kids.

Easy Homemade Slime Recipe

1/3 cup school glue (Elmer's glue works great)
1/2 cup shaving cream
1/4 cup water
2-3 drops liquid food coloring (optional)
1-3 teaspoons liquid starch

Mix together the first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Add one teaspoon of liquid starch and stir for several minutes. If the slime is very runny add an additional 1 to 2 more teaspoons of liquid starch and continue to stir vigorously. Once the mixture becomes thicker your slime is ready to be handled and played with. It will be very sticky however it should become less sticky as you play with it.

How To Make Slime Video

My daughter published a video on her YouTube channel, RianJane you can watch to see how she made a batch of slime from this recipe.

Storing Slime

Be sure to store your slime in an air-tight container and be sure to never put your slime directly on furniture, clothing, or other fabric items. If left on a wood surface for too long you might see a watermark stain from the slime too.

Making slime is the perfect rainy day activity for kids! Add some beads, glitter, styrofoam balls, or other textured items to your slime to amp up the sensory fun.

What activator do you like using when making slime? Have you tried other slime recipes? I'd love to hear all about your slime adventures in the comments.