DIY Cave Snottites

I was inspired to make this glittering glow in the dark papier-mâché cave to bring a little bit of my science to my daughter's pre-Kindergarten class. I found this version (glowworm-caves-in-a-box) in a blog and tried to make it myself, but mine did not turn out as beautiful as the one I modeled it after. I decided to make it my own, however, and add lots of glitter and color, and I think it turned out pretty good!

Snottites are formed by microbes living off hydrogen sulfide emanating from the cave's rock formations. They produce sulfuric acid as a by-product and produce these gooey snot-like stalactites hanging from the roof of a cave. These guys actually provide food for other animals at the bottom of the cave and help support this delicate ecosystem. So cool!

To make papier-mâché, I use a simple mix of flour and water. It should be thin enough to coat paper strips easily but not be runny and drip all over the place. I used a shoe box-sized box for my cave and cut out one side so I could work in there. I later glued a peephole flap over this hole to keep the cave dark. I cut some cave walls out of cardboard and glued those to the sides. I painted the whole thing, inside and out, and used glitter for minerals and shine. I made the snottites out of golden embroidery thread that I had, rubbing glow in the dark glue and glitter on them, and then taping them behind the walls and on the ceiling. You can also use this glow-in-the-dark slime. The whole project took some time because you have to wait for the paste or paint to dry before you can move on to the next step, but in all it only took a few hours at most.