Oobleck Experiment!

I love interesting activities that you can do with things you already have around the house. I was thrilled to find something to do with the extra cornstarch that has been sitting in my cupboard for years: making oobleck!

Oobleck is a classic science experiment that's perfect for entertaining both kids and adults. If you haven't seen it in action it's very fascinating stuff and before too long you'll have your hands covered with it, happily making a mess that can be washed away with water.

Oobleck is a fluid and yet it is also mostly solid. That is, it acts like a liquid when being poured, but like a solid when a force is acting on it. You can grab it and then it will ooze out of your hands. Make enough Oobleck and you can even walk on it!

Materials

• 1 cup water
• 1.5-2 cups corn starch
• a few drops of food coloring of your choice

Directions

1. Start with the water in a bowl and start adding the corn starch to it. Your kids will have a blast while digging their hands in and stirring it up.
2. When you're getting close to adding 1.5 cups of the corn starch, start adding it in more slowly and mixing it in with your hand. The goal is to get a consistency where the Oobleck reaches a state that is the liquid and yet solid.
3. Sometimes you will need more cornstarch. If so, keep adding more than the initial 1.5 cups. If you add too much, just add some water back into it. You will have to play with it to see what feels appropriately weird!