How to Make Oobleck

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Oobleck is an easy material to make and has some very interesting physical properties. Oobleck is an example of a non-Newtonian fluid. Many common liquids such as water and alcohol are always flowing. But Oobleck is a liquid that can be grasped in the hand and will become a solid when subjected to strong impact. The name of this substance comes from the book “Barthpomew and the Oobleck” for children published in 1949 by Dr. Seuss, about a king who was bored with the weather at his palace and wanted something completely new to fall from the sky. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Table of Contents

Making Oobleck

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Place 1 cup of cornstarch in a large bowl. You can mix the dough with your hands for a minute to get used to the texture. Alternatively, lightly mix the dough with a fork to make it smooth and easy to stir in the next step.

Add 4-5 drops of food coloring to ½ cup of water if you want to color the Oobleck. While you don’t need to use food coloring to color Oobleck, a lot of people want to make colors fun and feel more interesting than playing with white dough. If you want to add food coloring to Oobleck, add the color to the water and stir before adding the water to the cornmeal. This way, the color will be even. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Add more drops of color if you want the Oobleck to have a bold color.

Using Oobleck

Play with Oobleck. First, hold Oobleck in your hand and knead, punch, roll, let it flow through your fingers into the bowl and shape into the shape you want. You can also:

Combine with other colors to create new designs.
You can put Oobleck in a sieve or basket with strawberries or something similar to see how it flows down to the water.

Experiment with Oobleck. Once you get used to the texture of Oobleck, you should try to see what happens when you squeeze it hard or let it sit for a minute and then pick it up to see how it will look. Here are some experiments you can do with Oobleck:

Shape the Oobleck into a ball by rolling it with your hands. After that, stop applying pressure on Oobleck and you will see it flow out of your hand
Pour a thick layer of Oobleck into the cake pan and pat the surface with your hands. You will be surprised to see that the liquid remains in the tray due to your impact.
Replace the cake pan with a large bucket or large plastic container filled with Oobleck and try jumping on it.
Put Oobleck in the freezer and see how it goes. Then try applying heat to Oobleck. Is there any difference?

Clean Oobleck. You can use warm water to clean Oobleck from your hands, clothes and even on surfaces used to play or make Oobleck. When washing dishes, it’s okay to let some Oobleck slip out, but don’t let it get too much into the sink.

If you let Oobleck dry, it will turn into a powder and you can easily sweep it, use a vacuum cleaner to clean it or use a towel.

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Storing Oobleck. Put Oobleck in a lidded box or zippered bag. Then you can take it out at any time to play. After playing Oobleck, don’t throw it in the sink as it will clog the drain. Instead, you should throw Oobleck in the trash.

You will need to add water to the Oobleck to play with it the second time around.

Advice

Anything you put in Oobleck (like toy dinosaurs) must be washed with soap and water.
If you don’t have cornstarch, you can use Johnson & Johnson® baby powder.
Playing with Oobleck is fun! Use it in birthday party because kids love it!
When Oobleck is dry, you can easily use a vacuum cleaner to clean it.
Store Oobleck in an airtight container. Remember to mix occasionally.
It’s best to line the test with newspaper so that Oobleck doesn’t stick to the furniture.
If you add food coloring, Oobleck will be dirtier but create a great effect!
It is advisable to add water to Oobleck from time to time so that it does not dry out.
Do not leave Oobleck out in the air.
Add some glitter to make Oobleck sparkle.
Make sure the box or bag is sealed so that Oobleck does not dry out.
When adding cornstarch, you should mix well.

Warning

Oobleck is not toxic but it tastes bad. Remember to wash your hands after playing. In addition, you should also observe the child while playing.
Do not place Oobleck on a chair, floor, or sidewalk. Because it is very difficult to clean when it sticks to some surfaces.
Do not pour Oobleck into the drain as it will clog the pipe.
Wear old clothes because Oobleck is often dirty.
Line the floor or table with newspaper so Oobleck can’t stain those surfaces.
However, don’t worry too much if Oobleck gets stuck somewhere as you can clean it up with a little water.
Be careful when leaving Oobleck out for a long time as it will dry out and turn into cornmeal. Just throw it in the trash when you don’t want to play with it anymore.

Things you need

Cornmeal aka cornstarch
Water
Bowl
Food coloring (optional)
Sealed box (for storage)
Glitter (optional)

Steps

Making Oobleck

Using Oobleck

Advice

Warning

Things you need

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