Would you like a fun, messy activity that is safe, easy to clean up, won't stain clothing, hands, or furniture, is guaranteed to keep the kids busy for a while, and educational?
Oobleck is a fun goo that you can make from items right in your kitchen.
Materials:
§ 1 cup of corn starch
§ 1/2 cup of water (the amount of water can be 1/2 to the same amount as the corn starch)
§ bowl
§ container to play in
Instructions:
1. Place corn starch and water in bowl.
2. Combine. The kids can do this through stirring or just using their hands.
3. When the mixture gets hard to stir then it's just about the right consistency.
4. Pour the mixture into a container with low sides so the kids can explore.
For the toddlers and preschoolers:
§ Show the kids different ways to play with the goo. If they move their hands slowly it stays liquidy and gooey. If they move their hands fast (like slapping the surface or trying to grab it quickly), it gets hard like a solid.
For school-aged kids:
§ Have them slap the surface and ask them how it feels.
§ See what happens you try the grab the oobleck quickly.
§ Ask them what happens when they run their hands through the material slowly.
§ The school-aged kids can scoop up handfuls of the oobleck, roll it into a ball, and then when they flatten their hands out the ball 'melts' into goo and drips off of their hands.
For tweens and teens:
§ Many tweens will love the above activities.
§ If you really want to go wild with your teens, find a large tub or plastic storage container like the kind that go under the bed (or a kiddie pool or sandbox) and fill the container with oobleck (time to stock up on corn starch). They can practice running across the surface.
What's going on:
The corn starch mixed with water creates a colloid. The corn starch molecules are too big to be dissolved in the water, like gelatin, and quicksand. When the pressure on the fluid is high, the particles pack together and have a hard time moving. When the pressure is low, then the particles move more freely and the fluid moves easily again.
When you're done: dispose of the oobleck in a trash can--do not pour it down the sink.
Kim McNeill is the editor and publisher of Macaroni Kid for Southbury, Oxford, Woodbury, and Middlbury CT, blogger at Hearst CT Media Group, Kim's Play Place, and freelance writer for CBS Local in Connecticut.
