Making Oobleck

Content

To step
Method 1 of 2: Making Oobleck
Tips
Warnings
Necessities

Oobleck is an easy to make substance with a number of interesting physical properties. It is an example of a non-Newtonian liquid. Many common liquids like alcohol and water have a constant viscosity, but Oobleck can be liquid when held loosely in your hand and act like a solid when hit harder. The name comes from Dr. Seuss from 1949, "Bartholomeus and de Oobleck", which tells the story of a king who finds the weather in his kingdom so boring that he wants something completely new to fall from the sky.

To step

Method 1 of 2: Making Oobleck

Put 230 grams of cornstarch in a large bowl. You can mix it with your hands for a minute to get used to the texture. It may help to whisk it short with a fork to get rid of any clumps. This way you can stir it in more easily later on.
Save the Oobleck. Place the Oobleck in an airtight storage box or a resealable plastic bag. Take it out later and play with it. If you want to throw the Oobleck away, throw it not through the sink drain as it can clog the drain. Instead, throw it in the trash.
- You will likely have to add water to your Oobleck again to play with it a second time.

Tips

It's fun trying to roll up all Oobleck into a ball. It gets hard when you try this, and when you stop moving it just melts back into your hand.
Dried Oobleck can be easily vacuumed up.
Keep it in an airtight storage box and stir it occasionally.
To dispose of the Oobleck, mix in a lot of hot water so that you get a very liquid gunk. Pour a small amount down the drain while running hot water down the drain.
If you've added food coloring, you may notice after you wash your hands that there is still some color on your hands. Do not worry. This will be gone in a day or two.
It's a lot of fun to make Oobleck with your kids on a rainy day, especially when the bath is ready.
All things you put in the Oobleck (such as toy dinosaurs) can easily be washed with soap and water.
You can also use Johnson & Johnson® baby powder if you don't have cornstarch at home.
Oobleck is a lot of fun to play with. Make it at children's parties, because kids love it.
It's a good idea to put newspaper underneath your experiment to protect your furniture.
Your Oobleck will make a lot more mess if you add food coloring to it. In addition, this gives the mixture a cool effect.

Warnings

Know that if you leave the Oobleck out of the storage box for too long, it will dry out and turn back to cornstarch. Just throw it away when you're done playing.
Oobleck is not poisonous, but it tastes very bad. Wash your hands after playing with them. Only allow children to play with it under supervision.
Don't worry if it ends up on something. You can clean it again with a little water.
Do not pour the Oobleck down the sink as this can clog the drain.
Put some newspapers on the floor so that your entire floor or table does not get covered.
Wear old clothes, because playing with Oobleck can get messy.
Do not drop the Oobleck on the sofa, the patio or the sidewalk. Oobleck is difficult to remove from some surfaces.