I will show you how to make Oobleck, the dirty fun for children from cornstarch, in these instructions.
I have already presented a lot of instructions for homemade slime on my blog. How about a simple but ingenious experiment for children for a change? Do you know Oobleck? I’ll show you how to make the non-Newtonian liquid easily and which fun experiments you can try with children. You only need two ingredients to make it – cornstarch and water! But what is Oobleck, and what makes it so unique?
Ingredients & materials
- Corn starch (corn starch or potato starch)
- water
- Bowl, spoon
- Food coloring * (not recommended).
- Airtight container (for storage)
What is Oobleck?
Oobleck isn’t just slime. It’s a non-Newtonian liquid. It has the fascinating property of becoming hard when you put pressure on it. If you knead it, it is hard – if you let go of your hand.
Why is it like that? The water between the cornstarch particles is displaced under pressure, and the cornstarch particles interlock. If you slide your fingers slowly through Oobleck, the water acts as a lubricant, and the mixture behaves as you know it from liquids.
Oobleck: step by step instructions
How to make Oobleck yourself:
Important information on disposal: To avoid a clogged drain, you should not dispose of the Oobleck in the sink. Let the mass dry a little and dispose of it directly with the household waste.
Please pay attention to the order during preparation. Otherwise, the ingredients will be difficult to mix. Furthermore, it would help cover where you experimented with a waterproof film or protect it with a mat. Playing with Oobleck is a mess – but it’s worth it.
Step 1: Add 1 cup of water to a large bowl. For colored oobleck, add a few drops of food coloring. (Attention rubs off)
Step 2: Then add just under 2 cups of cornstarch and mix everything well. You can either use a spoon or your hands for this. You have achieved the perfect consistency when you pull the spoon over the liquid, and it cracks.
Observations and experiments:
Your children will probably already have a lot of fun touching Ooblecks because the Oobleck resists any pressure. Playing with the homemade slime made from cornstarch is fantastic fun! You can knead, whip, shape, and melt it.
Observation 1: Pick up a lump of oobleck and squeeze it firmly. (The clot becomes hard as clay)
Observation 2: What happens when you open your hand slowly? (The oobleck’s will slowly melt into liquid slime in your hand)
Observation 3: Punch your fist into the bowl filled with oobleck. (The cornstarch slime will not, the surface is hard)
How about a bit of a bet?
- Bet I can pull the spoon out of the liquid faster than you can?
- Bet you can’t shape a ball out of it and show it to me!
Oobleck Tips:
Coloring: I usually recommend Wilton gel colors for my handicraft instructions for children. In this case, I don’t. Twice we have had discolored hands after playing with Ooblecks! Your children will have a lot of fun with the Oobleck experiment, even without paint.
Storage: You can store the Oobleck in an airtight container for around two weeks and play it again and again. It is entirely normal for the cornstarch to settle on the ground after a short time. Stir carefully with a fork and add a little water if necessary, and the fun can start all over again. Leaving the slime in an open bowl will dry out and turn back into cornstarch.
Cleaning: If something goes wrong, do not worry, you can easily wash off the oobleck with water. It can be vacuumed up when dry.
Disposal: It is best to let the mass dry a little, then you can dispose of it with the household waste. Of course, you can rinse off leftovers from the bowl.
Also read: how to get rid of a stye