Oobleck is my favorite type of slime substance to make. It’s quick. It’s easy. The kids love it! Learning how to make oobleck is easy as it only has 3 steps. But first, let’s dive into what it actually is.
How to make Oobleck
What is Oobleck?
Oobleck isn’t normal slime, it’s something more! It isn’t a liquid and it isn’t a solid, it’s something in between. It’s known as a suspension or in very snappy scientific terms it’s a non-Newtonian fluid.
A Newtonian fluid has a constant viscosity like water does. However, the viscosity of a non-Newtonian liquid changes.
Ask your kids if they can think of some examples of other non-Newtonian fluids. If they say silly putty or ketchup they’re right!
Why is it called Oobleck?
This mysterious substance is called Oobleck because of the Dr. Seuss book called Bartholomew and the Oobleck. In the book, a substance falls from the sky, can you guess what it is? Get the book here and read it before you start mixing it!
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Materials you’ll need:
- Cornstarch
- Water
- Food Coloring
- Small or Medium Size Bowl
- Storage container to keep it in
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How to Make Oobleck in 3 easy steps
- Measure 2 cups of cornstarch to a small to medium-sized bowl depending on how messy your kids are.
- Add 1 cup of water to the bowl and mix together with your hands. You’ll know you’re done mixing when you don’t see any more cornstarch and the becomes hard to mix, but turns into liquid on your hands.
- Next, add some food coloring to make it even more fun. You’ll need to do a few drops at a time, mix, then add more to get your desired color.
Note: DO NOT PUT IT DOWN THE DRAIN. It can cause blockage in your pipes.
Things to do with your Oobleck
Oobleck is fun to mix around and play with, but to make it more of a science experiment here are a few things you and the kids can do with it:
- Take turns hitting it with your palms: I’m NOT telling you to punch it, that’s silly and you’ll hurt yourselves. With an open palm slap the oobleck with it on a flat surface. What happens? Does it feel hard or soft?
- Let it sit a clear glass for a few hours: What happens to it? Why do you think that happens?
- After it’s been in the glass stir it up: How long do you think it will take to mix back together?
How did it go? Let me know in the comments!
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