Why Oobleck is Awesome…

Have you ever made oobleck? If you haven’t, you should give it a try. It is AMAZING! I’m not joking…it will keep your kids busy for a long time and it will provide them with lots of learning opportunities. Even as an adult you might get hooked on it.

But first, here’s why oobleck is amazing:

• it helps kids with fine-motor skill problems by providing them with hours of hands-on play;
• it helps children develop scientific skills, such as measuring, observing and predicting;
• it is sure to get children’s attention and keep them focused on one thing;
• by involving the kids in the process of making oobleck, you teach them basic things about cooking, mixing ingredients, and being independent;
• it teaches children about solids and liquids – depending on how much pressure you apply to oobleck, it changes between these two states of matter;
• you might already have the ingredient(s) in your kitchen!

Before you prepare it, make sure you have a wet cloth to wipe surfaces with. Then you’ll need a large bowl to prepare it in and small plates for every child or a very large box (sensory table) for all of them. I suggest placing a table cloth on the floor to cover everything, so you’ll be able to enjoy playing with oobleck, rather than worrying about the mess.

The recipe is very easy to follow:

• 2 parts corn starch (or corn flour)
• 1 part water
• Food colouring (optional)

We used 2 cups of corn starch and 1 cup of water to make oobleck for 5 children.

Tools and things you can use to make the experience more fun:

• Measuring cups
• Spoons and forks – try to take some on a spoon, then pour it in your hand;
• Plastic knives – try to cut oobleck with a plastic knife, then hit it with the side of the knife or a spoon;
• Small pots – you can even try boiling some oobleck or putting it in the freezer (let the kids predict what will happen to it)
• Popsicle sticks
• Toothpicks – poke it and see what happens
• Sieve
• Scoopers
• Tweezers 

I hope I’ve convinced you to try it! Have fun!

A big thanks to my friend Iulian for allowing me to use his photos.