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Wednesday, July 18, 2012

How To Make Oobleck *** Pictures Coming Soon

The name "Oobleck" was taken from the Dr. Seuss book, Bartholomew and the Oobleck, which told a story about a similar substance. Though, in Dr. Seuss's story, the Oobleck was green.

This is a great way to teach children about liquids and solids. When the substance is created, it will literally change from a liquid to a solid depending on how it is handled.  The best part is, it is a cheap, quick and easy (though sometimes very messy) experiment.
Oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid. That is, it acts like a liquid when being poured, but like a solid when force is applied.

***What You Need***

  • Corn Starch
  • Water 
  • Container
  • Plastic spoon 
Directions:


Step 1:

Place Cornstarch into containers

Step 2:

Stir in water. The ratio should be about 2:1, corn starch to water. Stir until the desired consistency is reached. Add more water if you would like to make it thinner or more cornstarch to make it thicker. I usually let the children choose which color they would like their Oobleck to be and then add food coloring. (This is a great opportunity to teach younger children about mixing primary colors.)

Step 3:

Mix everything together and start playing. Try to pick it up and make a ball. When the ball is complete, let it rest in your hand and watch what happens.