Making oobleck is a fun sensory activity and science project for kids. With only cornstarch and water, you can make this fluid that acts like a solid and a liquid at the same time.
Before you knock it for looking a little too much like slime, I assure you that it is far easier to clean up. Plus, you only need 2 ingredients! Another plus is that, unlike other science experiments, you really can not mess this up. Too watery, just add more cornstarch. Too hard, add more water. It's really that simple!
While the oobleck is edible, I would not recommend trying to taste it. However, that is why it is still a great sensory activity for babies and toddlers. You do not have to worry if some get into their little mouths by accident.
Ingredients:
2 cups cornstarch
1 cup water
(optional) food coloring
Instructions:
Add 2 cups cornstarch and 1 cup water to a mixing bowl or container.
Mix thoroughly until the cornstarch and water until your oobleck is formed.
(Optional) For a colorful oobleck, add a few drops of food coloring to the water prior to mixing with the cornstarch.
How do you know when you have successfully made the oobleck? You should be able to pick up the oobleck with your hand and squeeze it into a ball. When you let go, the oobleck ball should turn back into a liquid and drip off your palm.
Tips for Making the Oobleck:
If your oobleck is too watery, add a little bit of cornstarch and mix. Repeat until you get the desired consistency.
If your oobleck is too solid, add a little bit of water and mix. Continue until you reach the desired consistency.
As your kid plays with the oobleck, it will start to dry out. Simply add a little bit of water and mix and continue playing!
If you want to make several colors of oobleck, divide your oobleck batch into a few smaller bowls and add the desired food coloring. You can then put the different colors of oobleck next to each other and see how they interact!
How to Play with Oobleck:
There are so many possibilities when it comes to playing with oobleck. Here are some activity suggestions:
Just use your hands! Try and pick up as much oobleck as possible and make it into a ball by putting pressure on it with your fingers and palms. Then just relax your hands and watch it “melt”!
Take a measuring spoon or cup and scoop up the oobleck. Is it easy to scoop? Try hitting the oobleck with the back of the spoon. Does the spoon cause it to spread and ripple like water (liquid), or does the spoon bounce off like it just hit the floor (solid)?
Add small objects to the oobleck. Do the objects stay on top of the oobleck or do they sink like they are in quicksand? My kids had a lot of fun with this one in the dinosaur dig activity where they tried to rescue the little dinosaur figurines from the “mud” oobleck.
The Science Behind the Oobleck:
Oobleck is a special kind of fluid. A fluid is something that can move around easily and change shapes (like water). It acts like a liquid AND a solid.
Everything is made of particles. The way the particles behave decides if something is a solid or a liquid. Most things do not get to be both. But oobleck does!
Water, milk, and soda are liquids. They move around and take the shape of whatever container they are in. Oobleck acts like a liquid when it is handled gently or in a container. You see this when you dip your fingers slowly into the oobleck. The fluid is relaxed and acts like water.
Think about how you cannot pick up your bathwater. It is hard to pick up the oobleck too! The particles that make up the oobleck move apart easily. This allows it to act as a liquid.
A solid is something that is hard, like a wall or your chair. You can’t push your hand in a solid wall. Oobleck acts like a solid when it is hit or pushed hard. When you thump or slap the oobleck, it feels like you have hit a soft wall. Your hand does not go through it as it did before!
Think about how your muscles feel when you are scared. When you jump, your muscles get tight and hard. You can think about oobleck kind of like that. The particles squish together tightly. This allows it to act like a solid.
Ever imagined (or feared) being stuck in quicksand? Quicksand is another example of this special kind of fluid! Using what you know now, do you know how you would escape? If you want to know more about this fun fluid, check out this article on non-Newtonian fluid.
How to Clean Up and Dispose of Oobleck:
Since oobleck is just water and cornstarch, cleaning it up is easy! There are a couple of options:
Rinse or wipe your hands, the bowl, clothes, or the table with warm water. Just make sure that you don’t pour too much of it down your drain because the cornstarch will clog the pipes.
Leave the oobleck to dry. Once it’s completely dry, it will turn into a powder (cornstarch) and you can easily vacuum it up or toss it in the garbage.
How to Store Oobleck:
Oobleck spoils easily. Even refrigerating it in an airtight container won’t help it last longer. For safety reasons, play with the oobleck as much as you want and throw it out right after. Good thing it’s so easy and inexpensive to make!
Final Thoughts on Making the Oobleck:
Oobleck is a wonderful sensory experience for kids of all ages. As your kids play with oobleck, as them how the oobleck feels on their hands. Bumpy? Smooth? Cold? Warm?
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