Osoyoos young entrepreneur Myla Sanderson, a Grade 5 student at Osoyoos Elementary School, likely has her priorites right. In her business plan her number one goal as “have fun.” Making money and paying back her loan were lower on the list. (Richard McGuire photo)

Children at Osoyoos Elementary School showed off their entrepreneurial skills last Wednesday, but not all their products impressed teacher Dean Rowland.

Rowland, along with teacher Lynsey Richards, has been teaching children how to start a business through a program called Power Play Young Entrepreneurs. At a fair in the gym last Wednesday, students from grades 4 to 7 were selling an array of products they’d made.

Rowland was impressed by students who made metal fridge magnets, stands made from cherry wood to hold video game headsets, picture frames from barn wood, bath balms and soaps.

But the most popular product was definitely not aimed at Rowland’s demographic – slime.

“I’m not a big fan of slime,” said Rowland. “I had an experience with my own daughter when she was these guys’ age with slime in her hair. It was one of those haircut things that had to happen and my wife was not impressed. It was a bad memory.”

Among the purveyors of slime was Grade 6 student Emma Palmateer, who said she uses different materials to make it really stretchy.

For those older than 15, slime is a stretchy concoction that children play with to keep their hands occupied and to relieve stress.

“I’m using materials that normal people making slime don’t use,” said Palmateer. “It makes it really stretchy and with some of the materials I’m using it’s crunchy. It’s better for little kids because they can’t get their hands all messy and it doesn’t stick to your carpets.”

Her ingredients include carpenter’s glue, shaving cream and confetti to give it crunch, along with neon food colouring.

Rowland acknowledges that slime buyers are a younger niche market.

“Not many adults are purchasing the slime today, I don’t think,” he said.

It’s clear though that the program teaches youngsters about the steps involved in developing a product and bringing it to market.

Rowland said the students follow each of the steps: coming up with an idea, doing market research, making a prototype, getting feedback, developing a business plan and learning about startup costs and obtaining a loan.

He’s provided loans of $5 per student and some students have gone to parents and others for help with startup costs.

The students have to pay back the loans and calculate a proportion to give to charity.

“This is a real fair and it’s real money,” said Rowland. “They’re connected to it more than just a pretend scenario in class, so it’s been powerful in that way.”

Some of the business plans, especially among the Grade 7 students, are comprehensive and well prepared.

Myla Sanderson, in Grade 5, has her priorities straight, listing her number one goal as, “to have fun.”

That’s ahead of her goals of paying back her loan, donating 10 per cent to the SPCA and making more than $15. But she’s well on her way to accomplishing all those goals with the handmade jewelry she makes.

She sells bracelets for $2.50, necklaces for $3 and earrings for $2.

“I always love doing jewelry,” she said. “It’s been one of my passions for many years. My mom taught me when I was little.”

She said it’s even possible to hear the ocean in one of the little shells she’s made into a jewelry piece.

Sam Lynn is selling stress balls that he makes from cornstarch and conditioner packed into balloons. He doesn’t know if Osoyoos Elementary kids are especially stressed, but he said he’s doing a good business.

“When I was younger, I really liked things that I can squish and squeeze, so I thought lots of other people might like that,” he said.

Inderpreet Dhaliwal, in Grade 7, has refined the art of making slime.

“This one is butter slime,” she said, holding out an elegant-looking jar of coloured slime. “This one has tiny beads in it.”

She uses glue, borax, water, lotion, soap, cornstarch and paint. Business, she said, has been great.

Adele Cleland, also in Grade 7, has a well-organized booth where she sells body sprays in four different scents: vanilla, grapefruit, orange and lavender.

These are made from essential oils and the different natural fragrances have different health benefits from promoting relaxation to making users feel happy, she said.

“I really like the vanilla one,” she said. “I think it smells really nice and it has good benefits.”

Cleland said she developed the body spray specifically for this project. She’s giving a portion of her earnings to the BC Children’s Hospital.

Her goal is a modest one – to earn $10 or more.

“I’ve exceeded my goal,” she said proudly.

RICHARD McGUIRE

Osoyoos Times

Emma Palmateer is a purveyor of fine slime. (Richard McGuire photo)

Sam Lynn said he was doing good business selling stress balls. (Richard McGuire photo)

Inderpreet Dhaliwal had the marketing figured out for high-end slime. She shows off a jar in lime green and another in lemon yellow. (Richard McGuire photo)

Brody McLean has developed amplifiers for cell phones using carboard tubes and plastic cups. Luke Tarasoff was selling hand-painted pet rocks. (Richard McGuire photo)

Adele Cleland had a well-organized both where she sold body spray scented with essential oils. (Richard McGuire photo)