Can You Bring Slime through Airport Security on a Plane?

A peaceful flight with children often comes down to keeping them entertained, first in the airport and then in the air. That’s why many parents ask, ‘Can I bring slime on a plane?’ Yes, but airport security treats slime as a gel or liquid, not a toy, so the liquid rule at your departure airport decides how much can go in your carry-on. At TSA checkpoints and most other airports, the limit is 3.4oz or 100ml per container. A few airports with newer scanners allow up to 2 liters, but anything larger must go in a checked bag.

Does slime count as a liquid at airport security?

In practice, yes. To a child, slime is a toy, to a security officer, slime is seen as a soft spreadable gel, which puts in the same group as toothpaste, hair gel and face cream. TSA’s liquid rule covers liquids, aerosoles, gels, creams and pastes and the GOV.UK list of liquids includes gel and pastes too. Plan for slime the way you would plan for a tube of toothpaste. TSA’s AskTSA team has been asked about kids’ slime directly. CNBC reported in 2019 that the team had been receiving a steady stream of questions about it. The answer was yes as long as the slime is in a container of 3.4oz or less and travels in the quart-size bag with your other liquids, in line with TSA’s current liquid rules. The same report also noted that an officer can still pull aside anything that looks wrong at the checkpoint, so a compliant container is the best protection, not a guarantee.

One detail catches a lot of families out: the limit applies to the size of the container, not how much is left inside. A 200ml tub with only 50ml of slime in it is still treated as 200ml. Our guide to the 3-1-1 liquids rule explains the quart-size bag in more detail, along with the exemptions for medication and baby supplies.

Can You Bring Slime Through Airport Security in Your Carry On?

The limit depends on the airport and increasingly on the scanner at your security lane. Newer CT scanners let some airports allow containers of up to 2 liters, while others still apply the 100ml rule.

Two things to watch:

• Your flight home may follow different rules. A family that flies out of Heathrow with a 2-liter allowance and returns from Schiphol will meet the 100ml rule on the way back.
• Flights to the US can be stricter. Some airports that otherwise allow 2 liters still screen US-bound passengers to the 100ml rule. If you’re heading to the US, pack for 100ml.

Our guide on What You Have to Remove at Airport Security  covers the rest of what needs to come out of your bag at the checkpoint

Can you take squishy toys through airport security?

Usually, yes. Most squishy and sensory toys can go in the carry on and the filling decides which one needs a second thought. 

• Foam squishies: solid foam with no filling. These are treated like any other soft toy.
• Gel-filled squishies: because gels fall under liquid rules, check your airport’s guidance before packing one in hand luggage.
• Liquid-filled toys: stress balls with water inside, glitter wands and similar toys may be treated as liquids.

If your child has a favorite toy that they want to bring on the flight, it’s worth checking what’s inside it before you leave home. A gel filled squishy is the safest in the checked bag at an airport that allows 2 litres, because officers can refuse any item at the checkpoint, including one that is normally allowed. Nobody wants a vacation to start with a confiscated toy and a miserable child for the whole flight, so a foam squishy or putty ball makes a lower risk carry on substitute.

What if the liquid rules are different on the way home?

If you’re travelling with hand luggage only and your departure airport allows liquids in containers of up to 2 litres, your child’s large tub of slime can go through security with you.

The same planning applies if your child finds the perfect giant tub of slime while you’re away. Before you buy it, check the liquid rules at your return airport and decide how it will get home, whether in a checked bag or shipped. 

Check it into the hold

If your carry on has to go into the hold, your child’s slime can travel with it. Some airlines and airports may allow you to check a cabin bag at the airport without an additional charge, but this depends on your airline, fare and available baggage allowance. Check with your airline before you travel rather than assuming it will be free.

Slime in a checked bag can look unusual on an x-ray, so the bag may be opened for a hand search. A bag with a built-in Travel Sentry lock lets authorised screeners open and relock it without damaging the lock. That is one reason to think about your carry on security before you fly, since the bag that stays with you on the way out can end up in the hold on the way home. 

Our guide on why you should always consider locking your carry on covers this in more detail. Keep your child happy and their slime secure: pack it in a bag with a built in Travel Sentry approved TSA lock

Taking Slime on a plane: Frequently Asked Questions

Can I take slime in my carry-on?

Yes, as long as it follows the liquid rule at your departure airport. At most airports that means a container of 100ml (3.4 oz) or less, in your clear liquids bag.

Can kids take squishy toys on a plane? 

Foam squishies are usually fine. Gel-filled or liquid-filled squishies may be treated as liquids, so check your airport’s guidance first.

Can I put slime in my checked bag?

Yes. Checked bags aren’t subject to the same liquid limits. Seal the container in a plastic bag so it can’t leak onto clothes.

Will security confiscate my child’s slime?

They can if the container is over the local limit, or if an officer decides an item shouldn’t go through. Packing small containers and checking the rules beforehand is the best way to avoid a tearful goodbye at the checkpoint.