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Do You Sloomoo?
A slime sensory playground in Buckhead is for kids - and kids at heart
Families can
bond over a vat of
slime, sharing in
the experience of
touching and twisting
the gooey substance.
(Photos courtesy
Sloomoo Institute)
By Dyana Bagby
At the Sloomoo Institute in Atlanta,
visitors can stuff their hands into giant vats
of pink slime, blue slime, gritty slime, and
buttery slime. They can squish, squeeze and
poke the slime, and feel the gooey textures
ooze between their fingers. The activity is
fun, but it’s not just child’s play.
Entrepreneurs Sara Schiller and Karen
Robinovitz opened the first Sloomoo
Institute in New York in 2019 to offer
visitors a chance to engage in sensory play.
They wanted children — and adults — to
discover how hands-on play opens a “way
to access joy,” according to the company’s
website.
The women learned about the benefits
of playing with slime a few years before they
launched Sloomoo Institute when both were
going through very difficult times in their
lives. Robinovitz was mourning the death of
her husband when friends visited with their
young daughter.
The girl brought slime with her, and she
and Robinovitz ended up playing together
for hours. It was the first time Robinovitz
had smiled in over a year. She and Schiller
then started using slime to relieve stress.
Eventually, they knew they had to bring the
“magic and joy” of slime to the world.
After reopening the New York attraction
following the COVID-19 pandemic
shutdown, the women opened a Sloomoo
Institute in Atlanta in the Buckhead
Triangle shopping center, across from
Phipps Plaza. They also opened one in
Chicago. In December, a new Sloomoo
Institute is opening in Elouston.
What to expect when visiting
Sloomoo Institute Atlanta
When entering Sloomoo Institute,
visitors learn there is a “slime language” that
requires vowels in a word to be changed to
“oo.” That’s how slime becomes sloomoo.
Also, Mommy becomes Moomoo and
Grandma is Groomoo. The slime names are
put on nametags, setting the tone for a fun
visit.
“Taking on a new name gives so many
people the permission to play [because]
they don’t feel confined to their regular
life,” said Carsyn Durrett, 26, who has
worked at Atlanta’s Sloomoo Institute since
it opened last November.
Dozens of vats filled with five gallons
of slime are spread throughout the Atlanta
attraction, each featuring different scents,
colors, and textures. Groomoos dive into
the slime alongside their grandchildren and
fill the space with “oohs” and “aahhhs” and
laughter.
Durrett said they never tire of watching
parents and grandparents bond with
children while playing with slime.
“You don’t grow too old to play,”
Durrett said. “You grow old when you stop
playing.”
Folks can become part of slime history
by taking a piece of their favorite slime and
adding it to the “Slime and Repeat” wall.
The wall is like an art exhibit covered in
slimes of all colors and shapes.
There’s a room where visitors can use
a slingshot to “shoot” slime at plexiglass
walls. People who choose to stand behind
the plexiglass will hear a loud splat when
the slime strikes.
Kinetic sand, or squeezable sand, is
located in a Day-Glo room, providing
another sensory experience. There is also
Playing with slime
is not just for
children. Parents
and grandparents
are encouraged
to participate and
embrace their own
sense of play.
a video room
where visitors
can create a
Sloomoo version
of themselves
and watch their
slime personas
move and dance
on screen. In
the next space,
people can stand
under overhead
domes and listen
to custom-made
soundtracks, like
typewriter clacks
and farts.
These rooms
are where
autonomous
sensory meridian response, or ASMR,
comes to life. ASMR is that tingling
sensation some people feel when exposed to
soft sounds like whispers or tapping.
The biggest room with the main event
is Sloomoo Falls. People wrapped in plastic
ponchos stand in a dimly lit room and wait
for gallons of slime to be poured on them.
During the wait, employees lead cheers
and a countdown, creating an exciting
atmosphere.
Lake Sloomoo is where children and
adults can walk and run on top of 350
pounds of slime, sinking slightly into the
soft surface.
The grand finale of the self-guided tour
‘Groomoo’ is the name given to
grandparents who 6itefffeir grandchildren
■ to Sloomoo Institute Atlanta.
where everyone creates their own slime.
They pick a texture, like thick and glossy,
crunchy or buttery; a scent, such as Froot
Loops or lavender; and a color, with options
ranging from hot pink to glittery blue.
Sloomoo Institute Atlanta is located
at 3637 Peachtree Road NE in Buckhead.
Flours are Thursday through Sunday from
9 a.m. to 7 p.m. year-round. During rush
seasons, including holidays, Sloomoo
Institute is open seven days a week.
Tickets start at $39. For more information
or to purchase tickets online, visit
sloomooinstitute.com.
22 | DECEMBER 2023
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