Learn what Oobleck is, why kids love it, and a ton of different ways to make it. This guide will answer all your questions about this non-Newtonian fluid.
What is Oobleck?
Oobleck is a fabulous thing! Making it will capture your child’s imagination and spark scientific curiosity. Oobleck is solid when tapped or rolled. But as soon as you just let it be, it becomes a runny liquid. Some people spell it oblec or ooblek but the correct spelling is actually oobleck.
You can make oobleck a variety of ways but the most popular is with cornstarch. I’ll share my most trusted recipes further on in this article.
The most basic definition is this: Oobleck is a non-Newtonian liquid that acts like a liquid when at rest and like a solid when put under pressure.
Bartholomew and the Oobleck
The name Oobleck comes from a book Dr. Seuss wrote called Bartholomew and the Oobleck. It’s a story about a king who is tired of boring normal weather like rain and snow. He asked his page boy, Bartholomew, to find some magicians that could create an entirely new thing to fall from the sky. They worked all night and the result was a green goo called Oobleck. It almost ruined the city! It was sticky and gooey, clogging trumpets and filling trees with slime.
The entire town is almost drowning in green Oobleck when Bartholomew convinces the king to humble himself and say “I’m sorry.” Those two magic words make the Oobleck storm stop and the sun dried it all up.
When you make Oobleck with your kids, get this book. It makes the experiment a lot more fun. And it will bring reading to life – which is important for kids that don’t have a natural love of reading.
Is Oobleck a liquid or solid?
What state of matter is oobleck? How does oobleck work? All great questions and that’s the fascinating thing about Oobleck – it is both liquid and solid at the same time. When you tap it or pull it, the cornstarch molecules all join together and it has solid properties. But when you leave them alone, they all spread out and it resembles a liquid.
What is a Non-Newtonian Fluid?
Sir Isaac Newton developed many scientific theories that we still use today. One of them described how liquids behave. Liquids have a constant viscosity or flow. And this viscosity only changes with temperature or pressure.
According to the Science Learning Hub, “Non-Newtonian fluids change their viscosity or flow behavior under stress.” Oobleck is an excellent example of this. When you apply stress to the mixture, it becomes more firm.
Other Non-Newtonian liquids include:
- Toothpaste
- Silly putty
- Quicksand
How do you Make Oobleck?
So exactly how do you make oobleck? Oobleck is made with just 2 ingredients: cornstarch and water. That’s it! There is a certain ratio and recipe that works best, but those are the two main ingredients. The most basic ratio is 2 parts cornstarch to 1 part water.
Ingredients Needed to Make Oobleck
- Cornstarch
- Water
- Bowl
- Spoon or spatula
- Food coloring or liquid watercolors (optional)
How to Make Oobleck
- Add one heaping cup of corn starch with 1/2 cup of water (we had to add a little more water).
- Use a spoon or spatula to slowly mix the cornstarch and water. If you mix to quickly, it will be very difficult to mix as the mixture hardens when pressure is applied. If you mix slowly the spoon will be allowed to move through the mixture and combine the ingredients. Isn’t that so cool?
- Add a few drops of food coloring and mix it into your oobleck if you want it to be colored. Watch the colors slowly swirl through the oobleck.
- Once the ingredients are mixed, try picking up about a tablespoon full and rolling it into a ball in your hands. You will notice it will make a hard ball, but as soon as you stop rolling it, it will turn back into a liquid in the palm of your hand!
Oobleck Video
Check out the below video tutorial to see how to make oobleck:
There are other ways to make oobleck – with flour, or with baking soda. And you can find the complete list of oobleck recipes at the bottom of this post.
Supplies
You don’t need very many supplies for this activity. But this is what I suggest:
- Bowl – get a large one since you’ll be dipping hands and fingers into it
- Spoons – you’ll need something to mix it with. Spatulas work great too.
- Measuring cups – to measure the cornstarch and water
- Food coloring – this makes the experiment fun
- Old clothes – Oobleck can ruin nice clothes, so wear something you don’t mind getting messy.
- Art table – something with a solid surface that you don’t mind if it gets messy.
If you want to let your child try to stand on it and see what happens, get a large enough container. A plastic foot bath, baby bathtub or wading pool are all good choices.
When they walk around on it, they won’t sink. But if they stand still in it, they will sink. This is because when you add force, it becomes thicker. The molecules all get closer together when pressure is added.
What is Oobleck used for?
Yes, it actually has some real uses too. Sure, it’s a fun way to teach about viscosity and molecules, but people use this cornstarch and water mixture for other things too.
It is used for these things:
- Potholes – A now-abandoned patent was for using this mixture in potholes on the street. It would act like a solid as cars and trucks ran over it.
- Gear Damper – Honda Motor Company has a patent for a gear damper that uses it.
- Filling in stress balls
How to Dispose of Oobleck
The best way to dispose of oobleck is in the trash can, not the drains. But if you do want to wash a dish out in the sink, use hot water and make the mixture runny before dumping it down.
Be careful when you make Oobleck. Just like in the book by Dr. Seuss, this stuff will be difficult to get out of fabrics and clothes.
Use Other Liquids
You can use a variety of liquids with cornstarch too. Each of these liquids will have a different scent and appearance, so it’s fun to encourage the observational skills of your kids.
Here are a few ideas to try next:
- Fruit juice
- Tea
- Snow
Add Scents and Colors
Add some spices and colors to your mixture for a new sensory experience. Some ideas include:
- Spices – add cinnamon or sugar
- Glitter
- Diluted essential oils
- Kool-Aid powder
- Food Coloring
The Easiest and Most Fun Oobleck Recipes
Are you ready to make some Oobleck with your kids? It’s messy so make a plan for how you are going to clean up. Here are our favorite Oobleck recipes.
- Easy 2-Ingredient Oobleck – This is our recipe. There is a video and full details.
- Frozen Oobleck – These are excellent in the summer as an outdoor activity. You freeze water and put it in cornstarch. As it melts, it creates the Oobleck.
- Use Arrowroot or Tapioca Powder – If you don’t have cornstarch, you can use tapioca powder. It doesn’t turn out exactly the same, but similar.
- Glowing Oobleck– When you use tonic water, it glows under a black light!
- Watermelon Oobleck – Using watermelon juice will take this experiment to a fruity and fun level.
- Applesauce Oobleck – Use applesauce instead of water.
- Scented Oobleck – Adding Jell-O powder will give it a new scent and color.
- Sidewalk Paint Oobleck – Change up the proportion of cornstarch and water to make your own vibrant sidewalk paints!
Science Should Be Fun
The thing that makes this such a perfect science experiment for kids of all ages is how fun it is. It’s so unexpected to see something look and feel solid when you tap it, but run like water through your fingers when you hold still!
Browse more fun science experiments on Raising Dragons and keep exploring this fun world!