Oobleck is one of the coolest substances we’ve ever come across. We make it in our house every few weeks, partly because it’s a non-Newtonian fluid and it has the coolest properties which causes it to behave in the strangest ways, and partly because it is so super simple to make that I’m always game to make it!
Video of Zombie Oobleck
Before going any further, check out this video of the boys making and playing with Zombie Oobleck:
Materials Needed
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- Bowl
- 1/4 cup water
- Food coloring
- Craft stick or spoon
- Toothpick
- Googly eyes
How to Make Zombie Oobleck
- Start by adding 1/2 cup of cornstarch to a bowl.
- Next add a few drops of food coloring to 1/4 cup of water and mix with a craft stick or spoon until water is evenly colored. (You can skip food coloring if you want your zombie oobleck creature to be white.)
- Pour the colored water into the bowl of cornstarch and use the craft stick to SLOWLY mix until the two are fully combined. You will notice you cannot mix the water and cornstarch quickly. This is because non-Newtonian fluids behave in a very peculiar manner. When pressure or stress is applied to them their viscosity increases and they behave more like a solid. When no pressure is applied, their viscosity decreases and it behaves more like a normal liquid.
- Once the cornstarch and water are perfectly mixed it should slowly flow and clump when the bowl is tilted about 60 degrees. If it’s too watery, add a bit more cornstarch and if it’s too dry, add a bit more water.
- Take a two (or more) googly eyes and add them to the oobleck to make your zombie eyes.
- Take a few drops of black (or dark) food coloring and add it to a small bowl. Take a toothpick and dip it in the food coloring. Use the toothpick to make zombie mouth on the oobleck.
- Now tilt the bowl with the oobleck back and forth and watch the zombie face slowly move, distort and grow.
- If you want to get messy, try picking up a ball of oobleck with the googly eyes in it. Roll the oobleck into a ball in your hand, then open your hand and watch the monster melt away into a blob of goo. So much fun! And don’t worry about the mess, it cleans up very easily when rinsed with water.
And as for The Last Kids on Earth series, well it’s also now a Netflix special! Check out the trailer here! I love it when books I’ve read with my kids become a movie or series as it’s so fun to watch the characters we’ve grown to know and love come to life!
