Would it not be great if you could smell with your body just like a slug?
Slugs are everywhere! And gooey slime is a wonderful substance that can solve many problems.
Britain has ideal conditions for slugs to thrive – cool, damp summers and warmish, mild, wet winters. Climate change also contributes to turning our neighbourhood into a slug paradise. Slugs are real survivors, and they have been present in the British Isles since the Ice Age.
Unlike snails, slugs do not hibernate during winter, and they are active when the weather is warm. Surprisingly, well, at least to me, they can live for up to 6 years and they have an enormous number of teeth (27, 000)
Ewwwwww! Slime! But slime is a wonderful substance that helps a slug to glide over things like glass shards and even to the edge of a sharp blade.
In the video below, you can watch banana slugs from the redwood forests of California glide with the help of ooey-gooey slime.
Slugs lack a shell, and they use the slime to protect themselves. They also leave a scent trail so that they can find their way home.
And if you touch the slime and then try to wash it off, you will find that it is almost impossible. The slime absorbs water.
Slime is a weird thing – it is a liquid crystal. Something between liquid and solid.
Play “What If” and see if you can get some exciting ideas inspired by slugs and slime.
Here is one What If question to get you started.
- What if you could use slime under your shoes to walk to school faster?
And if you touch the slime and then try to wash it off you will find that it is almost impossible. The slime absorbs water.
Slime is a weird thing – it is a liquid crystal. Something between liquid and solid.
Play “What If” and see if you can get some exciting ideas inspired by slugs and slime.
Here is one What If question to get you started.
- What if you could use slime under your shoes to walk to school faster?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is biomimicry?
Biomimicry is the practice of looking to nature for solutions, then applying what we learn to design and problem-solving. Instead of inventing from scratch, it means studying how plants, animals, and ecosystems have already solved a challenge — like staying cool, collecting water, or absorbing carbon — and adapting that strategy for human use.
How does biomimicry help address climate change?
Nature has been adapting to extreme conditions for billions of years, so many organisms already hold working solutions to problems we now face at a larger scale — cooling buildings without electricity (termite mounds), collecting water in drought (the Namib beetle), protecting coastlines from storms (mangrove roots), and capturing carbon (corals, forests, kelp). Biomimicry means studying those solutions and applying the same principles to human design.
How can children get involved in biomimicry?
Children don’t need special training to think like a biomimicrist — just curiosity and a habit of asking “how does nature solve this?” Simple ways to start include a backyard scavenger hunt for nature’s patterns, a “design-an-animal” challenge for a changing climate, or building a small model (like a passive-cooling structure or a water collector) inspired by something they’ve observed outdoors.
Is biomimicry only for scientists and engineers?
No — biomimicry is as much a mindset as a profession. Anyone can practice it by observing nature closely and asking design questions. Professional biomimicry practitioners apply it in architecture, materials science, and engineering, but the same core skill — careful observation followed by “what if we built it that way?” — is exactly what this post’s classroom and family activities are designed to build in children.
Åsa Jomård
In 2015, Åsa completed a course in Biomimicry: A Sustainable Design Methodology at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. With over 10 years of experience exploring nature for inspiration and as a former member of Ben, Biomimicry Education Network, she brings both academic background and creative teaching experience to her work. Her materials seamlessly integrate stories, nature observations, and design challenges, making them perfect for inquiry-led learning in early primary contexts.
AI was used as a Thinking Partner.
One thought on “Slugs are Cool”