oobleck sound wave experiment

Dancing Oobleck

How to make oobleck dance ~ science experiments.

My kids love trying new Science Experiments , and play recipes .  Today we decided to combine the 2 and try to make our Oobleck dance using sound waves.  If you have never made it before, Oobleck is a mixture of cornstarch and water.  When played with fast it acts like a solid…when allowed to relax it acts like a liquid.

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

When we saw a few youtube videos that involved Dancing Oobleck, we decided we needed to take our gooey play to the next level.

Dancing Oobleck Recipe

You will need to make your Oobleck thicker than usual.

• About 2 cups of Corn Starch  to 1 cup of water.

Materials Needed:

Once your recipe is ready let the kids play for a bit while you set up the next step.

• a thin metal cookie sheet
• a MP3 of an audio test tone ~ you will have to play a bit to see what works best with your equipment.

Instructions:

• Place the cookie sheet onto the speaker of the sub, and pour in the Oobleck.
• You can download different test tones and play to see what works best for you.  We used 40 Hz, 50 Hz, and 63 Hz, and found that we needed to turn the volume way up.  We tried a number of different frequencies but these three seemed to work the best.  We did a search for subwoofer test MP3.  There are a number of different sites that you can use.
• Before you play the MP3 you will need to place your fingers on the edge of the cookie sheet with gentle pressure.  It took a bit of playing to see what worked the best, but the results were amazing.

We decided to add food coloring to see what would happen.  I love how the colors dance together and you can see all the layers of each color.  This was the kids favorite part!

Subwoofer Test:

Here are a couple options for subwoofer tests although if you do a search for subwoofer test MP3 or MP3 of an audio test tone.

• Bas Test Low HZ Frequency
• Ultimate Subwoofer Test

Tips and Tricks:

• A thicker consistency of Oobleck works best.  Although with that said you don’t want it too thick.  We used a ratio of 2:1 (cornstarch to water).
• If your oobleck is not dancing, you may need to change the volume on your subwoofer.  You can also try digging your finger in Oobleck to start the movement.  In the video the kids do it a few times just to get everything started.
• Keep experimenting until you get it to work.  Honestly we played around for a bit until it worked for us.  Everyone will be working with different equipment so what worked for us might be a little different for you.

After we were all done I let the kids play with the colored Oobleck.  They loved it, but a word of caution if stained colored fingers are not your thing.  We giggled at the kids as they tried to wash the color off.  I’m sure they will be sporting grey blue hands for a few days.

For more  great experiments , check out our:

Walking on Eggs

Ivory Soap Experiment 

Packing Peanut Experiments

Exploding Peep Geysers

• Shooting Water Experiment

Related posts:

• Exploding Art
• Running on Oobleck
• Fluffy Bathtub Paint

Welcome to Housing A Forest ! I would love for you to grab a cup of coffee and stay a while. You can read more about us or catch up on our favorite experiments , projects + art activities .

136 thoughts on “ Dancing Oobleck ”

Oooooo, this looks like fun! I’ve never heard of Oobleck. We are definitely doing this during the weekend. Thanks for sharing.

ah we just made this with the kids I tutor but I have never called it Oobleck, just goo, haha. But I like your name better and I LOVE the dancing thing! thanks so much for linking up to handmade tuesdays @ ladybug blessings http://www.ladybug-blessings.com

When i was a kid we made this and read Bartholomew and the Oobleck. Also if you want to go the science route while you tutor this is technically a non-Newtonian fluid because of the properties of being a solid and a liquid.

Loving this idea and this whole site!! Well done!! Thank you for sharing such fun ideas, they even inspire this non-creative, tired out mom to attempt a few. 🙂 So fun to have you over to our hosue today. It’s been fun to get to know your family a bit. Kaleb is a sweet friend to Evan!

This looks like soo much fun! I can’t wait to try this with my little guys while it is snowing here in NJ! Thanks for sharing with the Pink Hippo Party! Can’t wait to see what you share next week!

I love Oobleck! Used to make it when I taught kindergarten. I really love all the different colors you used in it. Visiting from Fireflies and Jellybeans. Jen

I stumbled upon your website from the “Meet the Dubiens” blog. I love the ideas you have on your site. I am not able to pull up projects from your archives. Do you have to be a member to view these?

I am sorry that you are having trouble viewing my site. There is no membership, so you should be able to view everything. I will check into it, but let me know if you are still experiencing problems. Thanks for stopping by.

I am trying to do the dancing obelisk for a school experiment but I cannot figure out how in the world to hook up the subwoofer to an ipod or iPad……….. PLEASE HELP!!!!!

This is great….thanks for sharing! My son loves anything gooey or messy, so he will be thrilled to try this.

Very cool. This looks like a ton of fun. Thanks for linking up!

WOW!! This is so cool. Thank you so much for sharing this and for linking up to the handamde hog:) I lvoe it:)

xoxoxo Hanna

This is way too cool!!! Love it!! Come see me http://willcookforsmiles.blogspot.com/

~your newest follower!

Yes! Yes! i want to do this right now!!! So awesome! =)

What a great idea, so interesting! Thanks for sharing. Visiting from Smile monsters.

This looks like so much fun!!

If you haven’t done so already, I’d love to have you share this at my For the Kids Friday Link Party, going on now at SunScholars. Come join in on the fun!

http://sunscholars.blogspot.com/2011/03/for-kids-friday-4.html

That is SO awesome! I love all the designs and the mixtures of colors. And the coolest part is knowing that the designs were made by sound. That is just so cool! Great post! Stopped by from FJI.

Thank you for linking this up to WHASSUP WEDNESDAY!

Hope to see you next Wednesday:)

This has to be the most awesome thing I’ve seen in a long time! YOU definitely get a cool mom award! So happy you shared this!

Wow… I’ve never seen this stuff before. It is really cool! I bet it is super fun to play with! Thanks for linking up to my Catch a Glimpse party!

Great project, can’t wait to try it! Thanks so very much for sharing on Craft Schooling Sunday, I think you may very well have earned a feature with this one!

So fun! I’ll be featuring this week on Fun For Kids Finds.

Jo @ SmileMonsters

Wow, that’s fantastic!! I’ve made the oobleck before and only seen Videos of it dancing. How awesome you made it all work!! I’d love it if you’d link this up to my Marvelous Mess party here: http://marvelouslymessy.blogspot.com/2011/03/marvelous-mess-6.html

Bartholomew and Dr. Seuss would be very pleased!

Oh my, this looks fantastic. I’d never have thought to try this – thanks so much for linking to our carnival of music and song play.

Oh this is just wonderful!

That is SO fascinating! My son and I loved watching the video. I think adding the food coloring was a great touch! Thanks so much for linking up with Fun for Kids Friday. I hope you’re having a great week!

this is SO awesome! and your kids are adorable. can’t wait to show this video to my boys and then try!

Love that you made the oobleck dance—what kid wouldn’t love this???????

♥ this!!! thanks for sharing!!

Thanks so much for linking up with For the Kids Fridays at Sun Scholars. I can’t wait to see what you have to share this week! I’ll be posting the next party later tonight. Hope to have you stop by!

:)rachel @ SunScholars.blogspot.com

Can I just say: Wow!

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Oh my! This looks FUN FUN FUN! How brilliant and what a great way to play with colours. Love.

Thank you for linking up to Kids Get Crafty – lovely to see you there!

Very interesting, never heard of this before. I saw you at Saturday Spotlight by Craft Envy.

My blog is having it’s first linky party this weekend. I would love for you to add this post: http://koolbeenz-blog.blogspot.com/2011/03/funky-fresh-friday-1.html

Awesome!!! I don’t have a subwoofer though and really want to try this out. Do you have any ideas for another way to make it work or how to get a cheap subwoofer?

you said you need a subwoofer… what size and what did you hook it up to? I don’t know anything about subwoofer other then my brother has one I’m sure he’ll let me borrow but I need to know what else I’ll need to make it work. Thanks!

I dig this site

Not sure this posted before but I really like this website

This is a fantastic website!

We just made Oobleck yesterday and a reader sent me this link. Sooooo cool!!! Love this.

This is a non Newtonian fluid, if you want to start teaching science with the fun. (Ketchup is one, too.) They’re very interesting and fun 🙂

Love Oobleck and am so going to try this. Btw, a tip I found out by mistake when using food coloring. To get the dye off your hands, simply use laundry detergent. Idk if it works for all types/brands, but I use Tide in powder form and it works like the charm. The granules help with the scrubbing and there is no dye left anywhere on your hands after you rinse them off 🙂

Taught preschool for 14 years and this was always the favorite !! We used to call in goop 🙂 so much fun for hours for any age!

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This is awesome. We’re going to do this today! Thanks!!

I love oobleck! Never heard of making it dance. Awesome and must try soon. Your kids are precious, too! Thanks for the idea and video!

WOW.. that is so incredible! Never seen something like that before. Definitely bookmarking this!

The goo that you make that’s solid to liquid it teaches the Law of the scientific name “Plasticity”. The goo itself is called also plasticity. Then the teaching of soundwaves makes it a even more fun hands on science lesson. I love the food color added makes it more interesting to the eyes.

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Trying to figure out how my son can do this for his science fair! What a great project!

So funny… when I was little this was a dessert my dad made for us, cornstarch, water, food coloring and sugar – served hot! My grandfather from El Salvador made it for him when he was little.

What did you use for the vibration?

Nevermind just read the post duh! LOL sorry for the dumb question 🙂

That is pretty awesome!!! The kids decided we MUST try this for ourselves. Now all I need is a woofer… 😉

how thin was your cookie sheet? we couldn’t get it to dance at all.

I couldn’t get it to dance either!

We could not get it to work when we were playing music, but once we started playing audio test tunes it worked. Try goggling a sub woofer test MP3. We had to play with the frequency a bit, but it was worth it. Hope with helps. Good luck.

Its a cool idea really fun and everything, but your kids will be hard of hearing by the time they are 30. You should not have your head in a subwoofer like that for fun. Trust me, when he was in high school my husband used to play music in his truck and had a subwoofer right behind his seats. He’s now 32 and is already complaining about his hearing.

Thanks for your concern. I would be worried too if the kids were playing with the oobleck and sub woofer for hours on end like i’m sure your husband played his music. We enjoy learning new things and experimenting. This was a fun experiment that we enjoyed playing with, but not something that we do on a regular basis. Thanks again for your concern.

Could you please provide an actual link to the test tone you downloaded. I cant seem to find the plain test tone, just music. We have a pretty weak subwoofer, so the continuous tone would probably work. Thanks!

This is so cool! We’ve made the “goop” but never made it dance. Who knew!!!???

What kind of subwoofer do you use? i’m confused at what kind, and then what kind of cord you need to connect the mp3 to the subwoofer! Help!!

Wow! This is very cool. We have done this experiment at Steve Spangler Science but have not tried it with food coloring. Great idea.

Where was this great stuff when I was growing up??? I especially love the colors jumping around & mixing together. What a wonderful idea & who cares if the color stains your fingers for a few days! Skin So Soft will probably take off the color for the squemish ones! LoL

I am a day care teacher and and my chilldren love to make playdough and Dancing Oobleck and messes.This looks like it woud be a fun way that the chiildren could experiment with the Oobleck and see all the things it can do and make a mess at the same time.

I am a preschool science teacher and Dr. Suess has a story book called Oocleck!! fun to read before making a batch!

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Well, I am just new to your blog site and just spent about an hour lurking and reading. I think I will frequent your site from now on after going through some of your posts. I will definitely learn a lot from them. Thanks one more time. Regards, Steve.

Sadly, I don’t have a subwoofer to try this. Thank you so much for sharing. I think it is a great idea, and included a linkback to this post in my blog post about the 5 senses. Here’s where you can find your linkback: http://sonshineclassicalacademy.blogspot.com/2012/02/five-senses.html

That’s awesome!!!

how awesome!!! I can’t wait to try with my stepson!

hugs! Kim @ Party Frosting!

Now that was cool! That would be fun to do with my Cub Scouts, they’d love it! Thanks for the post!

This looks like so much fun! It reminds me of Hexxus from FernGully!

Congrats! This was pinned in our weekly scavenger hunt on Pinterest receiving the most pins! It earned you a feature on our blog: http://www.kidscreativechaos.com/2012/04/pin-it-online-scavenger-hunt-4232012.html

You are obviously a genius! Love this.

question….we are trying to do this and haven’t had any luck!! 🙁 can you give any suggestions we can try? Have done the 2:1 ratio, changed cookie sheets, used downloaded sounds and ones from a frequency controller (borrowed from a science teacher), blown 2 speakers…made it thicker and thinner in both consistency and amount over the speaker!

Any ideas would be great! Thanks…

We had the same disappointing results this morning. 🙁 We blew our speaker too! $150 out the window….

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A couple of my fellow teachers and I we to the FSU Promise Science Training a couple of years ago and learned about oobleck. We made it with our students and they absolutely loved it. I have to try this dancing oobleck. That is so awesome.

A couple of my fellow teachers and I we to the FSU Promise Science Training a couple of years ago and learned about oobleck. We made it with our students and they absolutely loved it. I have to try this dancing oobleck. That is so awe

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My boys loved the video and begged to try it, so we did tonight. We couldn’t get it to dance either. It seems everyone who has tried it hasn’t had luck, so I wonder what was different that you did. Is there anything you did that you didn’t include in the blog post?

So cool! We made this in school when I was a kid and i had forgotten about it until now. I bet my 5 and 2 year olds would loooove to do this. Oh, and about the stained hands….wash them with powdered dishwasher soap and the dye comes right off….a lifesaver for Easter pictures after coloring eggs too!

Oatmeal Play Dough

1 part flour 2 parts oatmeal 1 part water

Mix ingredients together and form into shapes.

Note: The items made from this play dough recipe can be painted when they are dry.

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They did something similar on The Big Bang Theory. Check it out! It might be fun to try this method, too. Your kids can compare and contrast using the test tone vs. boomy bass.

http://youtu.be/2CJJ6FrfuGU

P.S. If the kids are watching the video, too, you might want to shut it off when Leonard turns the speaker off and the Oobleck stops. It’s not appropriate from there on out for small kiddos.

Wow! We love playing with cornflour, but I had no idea it could do that! Looking forward to trying this 🙂

As a side note, if your kids coat their hands with shortening, the color won’t stick to their hands. This is a fantastic idea, I’ll definitely have to try it!!

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If you use washable tempura paint for the color it does not stain hands but gives a good effect.

I thought I’d share this, since I’ve noticed looking around your site that you’ve used food coloring quite a bit… There’s a product called Liquid Watercolor sold by Discount School Supply (you can look them up on the web) that is non-toxic, and washable. I’ve switched to using it in place of food coloring in all my non-food projects It’s great stuff, thought I’d share. Wonderful ideas you’ve got. 🙂

Did anyone try it with anything other than a subwoofer? I don’t have one.

I would be interested to know if anything else works as well. We have only used a sub woofer.

I read in a book to get the food oloring off htier hands use vinegar!

Great tip! Thanks for sharing, we will have to try that next time.

Tammy, My daughter picked this for her science project due this month. I have a sub-woofer but it doesn’t have an amp or power and it only has a speaker wire connected which won’t connect to an mp3.

I need to know the kind of sub-woofer you use and what kind of cord it has to connect the mp3? Please help.

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This looked like a really great experiment for our homeschool chemistry class. My husband found a test tone and placed the cookie sheet on top of the speaker – no luck at all. Disappointing.

What are you using to shake that, thats great!! I babysit and the kids would die over this!!

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we tried this today and the oobleck was awesome but we couldn’t get it to dance either. we have a long spring break though so would love to try again. could you put up a link for the test tones? pretty please?

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Gorgeous, fun and educational! That’s my favourite kind of activity, Tammy!

Oh dear Lord, lol! My texture-picky little one might get alittle freaked out by the “dancing” lol, but we definatly might try it just to play with. 😉 Thanks for the idea! 🙂

Saw this on pintrest. Couldn’t wait to try it out. Doing it for my science experiment this year with my first graders. I might have a good chance of winning with this one! Just did a trial run of it at home. My kids, 16 & 6 loved it!

I am so excited that you are going to try it with your first grades. I would love to hear how it goes.

I am 63 years old, we would sneak the cornstarch and do this when I was a child (not the dancing!) I still love the feel of it going from solid to liquid in my hand, and the dancing, especialy with the colors is fascinating!

Great idea, so well photographed! Love it!

Thanks so much Jen:)

This is pretty much enjoyable and bright idea than having your kid play and shape with mud. Loving the idea a lot!

I tried several batches, several test audios, several sheets and with no avail was unable to get it to dance. Note to parents, I wouldn’t promise the “Dancing part.” Not a long cause as my 3.5 year old was entertained for 90 minutes! ;o) Next time I might pop him in the shower stall or do outside though. ;o)

So very cool! My aunt use to make oobleck in a kiddie pool in her backyard and we would play with it for hours. It really is the neatest stuff.

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I would love to know how you connected an mp3 to your subwoofer. Im trying to do this with a group of kids for a science camp in a few weeks and I can’t figure out how to hook it up. THANKS!

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Can you post a picture of the speaker you used? Thank you

How cool!this would be nice for my science fair

My grandkids are moving clear across the world. (We live in Brazil right now and they are moving to Japan in 6 weeks. This website is going to make it a fun, fun, fun 6 weeks! Thank you

Forget the kids having fun with this It’s just kept 37 yr old entertained for hours !!!!!

How about playing dubstep with the oobleck?

They did something similar on The Big Bang Theory.

What is the machine under the pan that is creating the vibrations?

My daughter and her friend have decided to do this as their science fair project and were super excited. That is until we couldn’t get it to work either. We’ve tried numerous sound tests but can’t seem to find one longer than 20 seconds which obviously isn’t long enough. I’ve tried playing them repeatedly as well and that does not work as there is a pause between them and the ooblek just falls as soon as it starts to come up. Could someone please advise as to where to find longer test tones or give any other helpful advice? It would be greatly appreciated, their science fair is next week. Thank you in advance!

I am a preschool music teacher, and trying to explain sound waves is HARD. I have used rice on top of a big, round, drum (about 8 inches off the ground and 3 ft in diameter). Do you think I could use the Oobleck on the drum (with plastic or something else down)?

We’ve made oobleck before, but we’ve never made it dance. What a fun idea! We’ll have to try it next time. Thanks for posting!

I really want to try, but i don’t have corn starch. 🙁

That was so cool

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Popular on Housing A Forest

Cornstarch Monsters – Vibrating Cornstarch on a Speaker

An awesome visualization of sound waves and frequency using oobleck and a speaker.

Print this Experiment

Mixing cornstarch and water creates an ooey, gooey substance that behavior both like a solid and a liquid at the same time. Scientists call this mixture a Non-Newtonian Fluid while kids call it Oobleck. We call it the perfect material to vibrate on a speaker. It’s messy… it’s fun… but most of all it allows you to visualize sound waves as they move through a most peculiar liquid… or is that a solid?

Experiment Videos

Here's What You'll Need

Garbage bag or plastic wrap, one box of cornstarch, large mixing bowl, pitcher of water, gallon size zipper-lock bag, newspaper or a plastic drip cloth to cover the floor, let's try it.

Mixing Up a Non-Newtonian Fluid

For this demonstration, you’re going to need to mix up a bit of non-newtonian fluid, or oobleck. this oozy, gooey glop behaves like a solid and a liquid at the same time and is perfect for our activity..

Pour approximately 1/4 cup of cornstarch into the mixing bowl and slowly add about 1/2 cup of water. Stir. Sometimes it is easier to mix the cornstarch and water with your bare hands.

Continue adding cornstarch and water in small amounts until you get a mixture that has the consistency of honey. It may take a little work to get the consistency just right.  The mixture gets thicker or more viscous as you add more cornstarch.

Notice how the substance is neither 100% solid nor 100% liquid – you can roll it into a ball, but the moment you stop rolling it turns back into a dripping liquid.

Sound You Can See

Gently lay your speaker on its back so that the speaker faces upwards. Make sure that your sound system is off.

Cover the speaker with thin plastic like a trashbag or plastic wrap.

Pour the non-Newtonian liquid onto the plastic on top of the speaker cone.

Turn on your sound system and turn up the volume. Pick a track that has a low, consistent bassline and press play. (You can also download the audio track that we use.) Watch the non-Newtonian fluid come to life!

How Does It Work

You probably noticed that lower frequencies (the sounds of an explosion or bass in a song) subjected the oobleck to much more movement. Knowledge about sound waves, however, might lead you to believe that it should be the exact opposite. The higher pitched sounds have a higher frequency (meaning there are more vibrations per second). But more vibrations don’t equal more movement of the non-Newtonian fluid.  Instead, it is the lower pitched (lower frequency) sounds that cause the oobleck to shake.  Although there are fewer vibrations per second at lower pitches, these frequencies cause more motion in the speaker cones.

Take It Further

For more information on oobleck, the non-Newtonian fluid, check out this experiment: Non-Newtonian Cornstarch Recipe .

Science Fair Connection

Creating dancing oobleck is pretty cool, but it isn’t a science fair project.  You can create a science fair project by identifying a variable, or something that changes, in this experiment.  Let’s take a look at some of the variable options that might work:

• Try different sounds pitches/frequencies.  Do higher or lower pitches make the oobleck move more?
• Try different volume levels. How does the volume level affect the oobleck’s activity?
• Try different ratios of cornstarch to water when mixing the oobleck. Can you find the ratio that shows the most movement?

That’s just a couple of ideas, but you aren’t limited to those! Try coming up with different ideas of variables and give them a try. Remember, you can only change one thing at a time.  If you are testing different sound pitches, make sure that the other factors are remaining the same!

Jack Spangler’s Science Fair Project

This experiment was used as an actual science fair project by Jack Spangler (Steve’s son) when he was in 4th grade. The write-up that follows is from his science fair project presentation.

Test #1 – High Frequency 1000 Hz – I lined the speaker with a plastic bag and poured the cornstarch into the cone. I set the tone generator to 1,000 hertz (1 hertz = 1 cycle per second). I kept the volume constant at “5” in each one of my tests. As you can see, the cornstarch did not vibrate at all. The tone sounded very high pitched. I discovered that my hypothesis was wrong, so I needed to conduct some more experiments.

Test #2 – Try 500 Hertz – Changing the frequency will be my variable. I tried 500 Hertz and the results were disappointing. Nothing really happened.

Test #3 – Try 100 Hertz – This was a good test because I saw the cornstarch mixture start to vibrate for the first time. It looks like the low frequency makes the cornstarch and water move the most.

Test #4 – Try 50 Hertz – I set the tone generator to 50 Hertz and turned the volume up to “5” and the cornstarch monsters started to appear (just like I had seen online). I learned that 50 Hertz means that the speaker vibrates back and forth 50 times a second. You can see in the picture how the cornstarch mixture started to move. Lower?

Test #5 – Try 20 Hertz – The experiment using 50 Hertz shook the speaker so much that it tore the plastic and actually started to tear the speaker. My Dad repaired the speaker and I got a new bag. I used the same cornstarch from the last experiment to make sure I kept everything the same. As you can see, 20 Hertz is the best frequency!

How Does It Work?

After I completed my tests with my Dad, I still didn’t really understand why the lower frequency made the cornstarch move more than the high frequency. To answer the question, I interviewed a professional sound engineer, Mr. Howard Megregor from Engineering Dynamics.

When I visited his laboratory, he set up his own version of my experiment using his very expensive speaker, amplifier and tone generator. When I told him that 20 Hertz worked the best, he dialed in the same frequency and he said that I was correct. Mr. Megregor told me that a “Hertz” is a measure of how many cycles (like a vibration) there are in a second. The high frequency has lots of vibrations, but there is not enough motion in the speaker to vibrate the cornstarch liquid.

Cornstarch Monsters is a great example of a science fair project because it clearly shows the scientific method in action. Jack Spangler chose the frequency of the sound as the only variable to test. He didn’t change the frequency and the type of speaker or the type of sound or the volume. He controlled the variables and even used the same cornstarch mixture for each test so that the tests were fair. He ran a new test each time he changed the frequency and then compared the results. He wasn’t ashamed to say that his hypothesis was incorrect. The best part of the experiment is that Jack still had more questions and followed up on them with an expert. That is some real world learning!

Cornstarch Monsters is definitely a “Science Fair Certified” project. Even if Jack’s subject isn’t of interest to you, this experiment is a great one to look at to show you the thought process and steps involved in a great science fair project.

Observations

This is the first science project where I had to perform this many tests to finally arrive at an answer. My first hypothesis was wrong and this made me create a new test. When that test didn’t work, I made up another test. The data from each test (how much it vibrated) helped me decide what test to run next. I had to be reminded several times not to change anything other than the frequency. Now I’m going to put my discovery on YouTube and explain how I did it so that someone else can recreate my experiment.

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Dancing Oobleck Experiment - Courtesy of Pinterest, Oobleck by Mary Catherine Lyons

Make oobleck and watch it dance whilst learning about non-newtonian fluids in this fun science experiment.

November 2018

You Will Need

• 1 cup of water
• 2 cups of corn starch
• A few drops of food colouring
• A subwoofer or speaker
• Cling film or plastic covering
• Your phone, computer, or laptop
• A tone generator - available online such as http://onlinetonegenerator.com/

The Experiment

• Make the oobleck by mixing 1 cup of water with 2 cups of corn starch in a bowl and add a few drops of food colouring.
• Feel how the oobleck acts like a liquid when poured and solid when force is applied.
• Prepare the subwoofer by turning it on its side and cover it with cling film to protect it before filling the speaker cone with oobleck.
• Connect your phone or laptop to the subwoofer and make the oobleck dance by playing a tone using the tone generator. Experiment with different tones and volumes and you’ll notice that the oobleck jumps and moves best to lower frequencies and when the volume is turned up.

The Science

Oobleck is a non-newtonian fluid that has a variable rate of viscosity. This means that it acts like a liquid when no force is applied but is solid when a force is acting on it.

The oobleck acts as a liquid when the speaker is off, but when the speaker plays at high volume and low frequency, the oobleck moves and dances, taking the form of a solid.

When the speaker is off, there is no force or pressure acting on the oobleck so it reacts as a liquid. The oobleck responds to the low frequency sound waves as they exert a greater force and pressure onto the oobleck, causing it to move and dance as a solid.

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Blow Their Minds With Just Cornstarch, Water And A Speaker

Slime is an objectively awesome way to distract kids; slime that exhibits sense-confounding physical properties goes beyond awesome and enters into, “We just blew an entire rainy afternoon bugging out in the kitchen” territory.

Slime is an objectively awesome way to distract kids; slime that exhibits sense-confounding physical properties goes beyond awesome and enters into, “We just blew an entire rainy afternoon bugging out in the kitchen” territory. And that’s why you need to make a dancing oobleck.

Named after the bizarro slime that falls from the sky in Dr. Seuss’s Bartholomew And The Oobleck , it’s a solution of cornstarch and water that acts like a fluid under some circumstances and a solid under others – “non-Newtonian,” in the scientific parlance.

Oobleck is the gift that keeps on giving; mix it up in a bowl and your kids can run it through their fingers like normal slime, but when they try to poke it, it will solidify and resist them. Add some highlighter ink and it will glow under a black light. Place a tray of the stuff on top of a subwoofer playing bass-heavy tunes and watch their little minds get blown. Here’s how …

What You’ll Need

-Cornstarch ( $1.39 ) -Water -1 Non-toxic highlighter ( $2.48 ) -1 Black light ( $8.49 ) -Pliers ( $6 ) -Box cutter ( $7.30 ) -Rubber gloves ( $2.09 ) -Speaker system with a subwoofer ( $50 )

Mix A Batch : The secret to a good oobleck is a complex mixture of … one cup water to 2 cups of cornstarch. If you want to make larger batches, you’ll need to … just keep that 2-to-1 ratio. Then stir it with a spoon until smooth. Seriously, this is the simplest cool thing you’ll ever make.

Break Open A Highlighter : Regular food coloring works to color your oobleck, but a colored oobleck is < an oobleck that glows under a black light. Remove the back of the highlighter with pliers and take out the sponge that holds the ink. Use the box cutters to slice the sheath around the sponge.

Color The Oobleck : Squeeze the ink sponge into your bowl and mix just enough that it streaks through. You don’t have to do this with multiple highlighter colors, but you should.

Play With It : Before you go any further, have your kids squish the oobleck through their fingers. It will solidify as they apply pressure and liquefy as they release it. This will freak them out a little, in a good way.

Prepare The Oobleck To Rock : Lay your subwoofer on its back so the cone faces up. If the cone is large enough to hold the oobleck, wrap the whole speaker in plastic wrap so the cone becomes a bowl; if it’s too small for that, pour the oobleck into an aluminum tray and place it over the cone (you may need to secure it with tape, but do so lightly so you don’t dampen the vibrations).

Prepare The Room To Rock : Replace the room’s light bulb with your black light. Explain to your kid how much cooler your freshman year dorm room was than everyone else’s because of black lights.

Rock : Crank some tunes. You want something with a repetitive beat and a lot of bass, preferably in 20Hz and 60Hz range. Since you probably don’t have any way to actually measure that, just put on some dubstep and wait for the drop . This will freak your kid out a lot, but also in a good way.

Coax Your Oobleck : Once the solution is vibrating, it will begin dancing. Use a spoon to push it in to the center of the subwoofer, which will enhance the effect.

-If you can’t figure out what music will make your oobleck really dance, start with this dubstep playlist .

This article was originally published on April 23, 2016

5 Brilliant Ways To Experiment With Oobleck

Sharing is caring!

Making an experiment with oobleck is very easy and a lot of fun for kids (and adults too!). The name oobleck comes from a Dr. Seuss story and is used commonly nowadays to name a non-newtonian fluid made from cornstarch and water. A non-newtonian fluid is a fluid that does not behave according to Newton’s law of viscosity. In other words, it has a different resistance to flow. It is sensitive to pressure and will change from solid to liquid depending on how much pressure we put on it. Because it is so easy to make at home, and it behaves so differently from other things we know, it creates the perfect environment for sneaking in some STEM learning. 

In our house, we love to add color to anything. So when we decided to make some oobleck the other day, we got out our food coloring and added it to the mix. The result was fascinating! Because of the special properties of the mixture the colors created beautiful curves and spirals before mixing. In this post, you will learn how to create rainbow art and more brilliant ways to experiment with oobleck. You will also find out how you can engage with your kids so that they can learn from this experiment. 

Oobleck Recipe

All you need to make oobleck is cornstarch, water, and food coloring. We made it in a large oven tray so that we could spread it out before adding color. This way you will get the beautiful effects I was talking about earlier. You will usually need around twice the amount of cornstarch than water (2 cups of cornstarch to 1 cup of water). These would be the steps to follow:

• In a large oven tray add 1 cup of water 
• Start adding cornstarch until you reach the desired effect (oobleck should feel hard when you try to make it into a ball but as soon as you stop it will flow through your fingers)
• Once you achieve the right consistency let it settle and start experimenting

5 Brilliant ways to experiment with oobleck for STEM learning

Making Oobleck in itself is already an awesome and fun experiment. However,  the experiment doesn’t have to end there! If we want learning to stick, we have to go beyond the initial experiment and allow our children to do some discovery on their own. Here are some suggestions for keeping them engaged and curious about the experiment:

• Add drops of color and make some rainbow art. This was our favorite part! Yes… adults enjoy this too!
• Play with loose parts. We used colorful tops and our kid made towers using the oobleck as glue!! Just collect some objects and leave them around the experiment area and see what your kids come up with
• Use kitchen utensils and observe how different this mixture is to manipulate compared to water
• Create droplets outside of the tray. We did this outside on our waterproof tablecloth we use for experiments so we didn’t mind the mess. We let some drops fall out of the tray and observed what happened when they dried out. We compared bigger drops and smaller drops and then we added them back to the tray for more fun effects
• Make a ramp and let the oobleck flow down. We just put a block under our tablecloth, no fancy ramp needed for this but feel free to make one too. We talked about rivers and lakes with this and how different liquids flow

Check out how our rainbow art turned out in this video:

Experiment with Oobleck observations and conversations

If you are doing this with preschool-aged children it is great to just talk and make observations while you do the experiment. By talking with your kids you are helping them build vocabulary so that they can understand the world better. When we make observations, we help them reflect on what is happening and connect ideas. So here are some suggestions when making the oobleck:

• Add cornstarch gradually and observe the changes: is it getting harder? 
• Try to make little balls with your hands: what happens? As soon as you stop trying to roll the oobleck into a ball it will flow across your hand
• What happens if you poke the oobleck fast? What happens if you just gently put your finger on it? When poking fast the oobleck should behave more like playdough being poked and when going slow it will behave more like pancake batter

For older elementary school kids you can add complexity to your conversation by talking about the following concepts and asking questions:

• Liquid/solid: when does it behave like a liquid/solid? 
• Viscosity: how does this mixture flow compared to water? You can use a ramp to compare
• Pressure/force: when we apply pressure what happens? Does the amount of pressure change the consistency?
• Color mixing: what happens when we add drops of color? Why do you think it doesn’t mix directly?

We always suggest to wonder out loud with your kids instead of asking question after question. For example, “if I apply pressure I wonder what will happen?” or “what do you think will happen when we add color?”. It is always more fun to discover together than to be drilled.

Follow-up activity: Comparisons

Once you’ve explored oobleck, make something else. We mixed plain wheat flour with water to see how different the results were. It’s good for kids to have something to compare and as a bonus the entertainment lasted even longer!

This is definitely something you can repeat many times and it is always fun. And each time you do it you might find some cool way to play and experiment with oobleck. So make sure to always have cornstarch and food coloring available. 

Happy STEM learning!

Check out other brilliant activities for young kids:

• Simple Science Project For Kids: Float or Sink
• Math For Toddlers: Easy Sensory Bath Time Activity
• Fun Color Experiment For Toddlers Who Love A Good Mess
• STEM Activity: Build a Pyramid and Learn about Shapes

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Babble Dabble Do

How to Make Oobleck and 10 Cool Things To Do With It!

February 17, 2022 by Ana Dziengel 13 Comments

Today I’m going to show you how to make oobleck and 10 awesome ways to play with it!

Say the word OOBLECK   (or goop) in my house and my daughter will come running! Oobleck was actually the very first science experiment I tried when I was the science parent at our co-op preschool years ago. I chose it because it’s no fail and always a hit; I mean really, who can resist a slippery, gooey substance that forms a ball when you squish it together but quickly melts into a liquid when you let go?

Oobleck: The best sensory play recipe!

Oobleck is by far my students’ favorite sensory activity. I have seen kids play with it for long periods of time, fascinated with its texture and consistency. It’s wonderful to engage kids in making the oobleck; it gives them a chance to touch and feel the cornstarch before it’s mixed with the water and then to observe how it changes as water is introduced. I highly recommend making a HUGE batch of oobleck with kids in a large shallow bin. Once it is mixed, introduce kitchen objects like spoons, colanders, and sieves for them to play with.

For kids who don’t like to get messy I recommend having large spoons, aprons, and possibly gloves nearby so that they can participate in the fun at their own pace. I’ve had students shake their heads when asked to dip their hands into this weird substance, but poking and prodding at it with a spoon sometimes gives them the confidence they need to finally dip in a finger into the oobleck.

To get a taste of the fun you can have with oobleck check out this video:

What is Oobleck?

Before we start let’s talk about just what oobleck is. Oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid , a fancy term for a liquid whose viscosity changes depending on pressure. Viscosity is the measure of friction in a liquid and determines how fast or slow a liquid flows. Most liquids have what we call consistent viscosity, for instance honey and water will always flow the same no matter how you pour or press them. Oobleck on the other hand does not have consistent viscosity. If you apply pressure to it, it forms a solid, loosen the pressure and it melt back into a liquid. Because the viscosity changes, it is classified as a non-Newtonian fluid.

In chemistry oobleck is what is known as a colloid , a substance in which small particles of one substance are suspended throughout another substance but not chemically bonded. If fun hands-on chemistry projects sound enticing hop over here to see 50 more…

Is oobleck a solid or a liquid?

It’s actually both! Oobleck behaves like a solid or a liquid depending on the pressure exerted on it.  Press it together and it feels solid, let is sit in your hand and it drips like a liquid.

Is oobleck slime?

When most people talk about slime they are referring to glue based slimes made by mixing white or clear glue with sodium tetraborate (found in Borax, liquid starch, and saline solution). You can read all about the science of slime here. That version of slime is also a non-Newtonian fluid with similar properties to oobleck. The difference is that oobleck tends to be more liquid like and doesn’t last long (it will mold) and glue slime tends to be more solid and can last indefinitely in an air tight plastic containers. I consider oobleck and slime to be cousins!

Now enough of the details, let’s get to the making!

How to Make Oobleck

Oobleck always requires some fine-tuning. I start with the basic ratio and then add more water or cornstarch deepening on the consistency that I’m getting.

Basic ratio

2 parts cornstarch to 1 Part water

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Cornstarch (AKA Cornflour)
• 1 Cup Water
• Food coloring (optional)

Instructions

Time needed:  10 minutes.

Learn how to make everyone’s favorite sensory play recipe: oobleck!

Pour 2 cups of cornstarch into a bowl

Add 1 cup of water into the bowl. Stir to combine.

Add drops of food coloring to your oobleck. Stir or mix with hands to combine.

What is the right consistency?

If you’ve never made oobleck before one of the hardest things to figure out is just what you are looking for in terms of texture and consistency. I use this as my guideline: When mixed you should be able to press a handful of oobleck into a ball in your hand; when you release the pressure the ball should “melt” back into a liquid.

Troubleshooting

• If your oobleck is too watery, add a couple tablespoons of cornstarch and mix.
• If you’re oobleck is too flaky or solid, add a couple tablespoons of water and mix.
• If you want to make several colors of oobleck make them in separate batches and then dribble the colored oobleck together.
• I do not recommend dropping different colors of food coloring directly on the oobleck as it will quickly mix into a purple mess.
• Oobleck tends to dry out quickly with a lot of play. If that happens simply refresh it by adding a little more water.
• To store oobleck let it dry out in a bin open to the air, then refresh it with water when ready to use again. I tried storing it in an airtight container and after few days it spoiled.

Clean-Up & Disposal

• How to clean up Oobleck: LET IT DRY! Once oobleck dries it returns to a cornstarch powder that can be easily swept or vacuumed up.
• Oobleck can be wiped off hands and clothes easily with a damp cloth.
• DO NOT WASH IT DOWN THE SINK! Oobleck can clog drains so do not our it down the drain. Wasing off dusty hands is okay but if kids have a lot of oobleck on their hands have them rinse it off with those outside.
• Dried oobleck can be placed in the trash or compost bin.

10 Awesome Oobleck Activities for Kids

1. add baskets & sieves.

Try using strawberry baskets and sieves! Place a handful of oobleck in a strawberry basket, collinear, or sieve and watch it drip through the bottom!

2. Paint with Oobleck

Make batches of oobleck in different colors then drizzle the colors together onto a large shallow tray. My daughter even made a heart with her oobleck.

3. Make an Oobleck Fountain

This was a hit at a recent event! This is the coolest impromptu activity for a group. Make a TON of oobleck, add in some baskets, colanders, buckets, splatter guards and sieves and build!

4. Mix Oobleck with Your Feet

This was a hit at Camp STEAM!

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ana from Babble Dabble Do (@babbledabbledo)

5. Make Oobleck Glow

A fantastic sensory play experience that glows! See three different ways to make oobleck glow here :

6. M ake Oobleck Dance

You read that right, make oobleck dance using sound waves!

7. Freeze it!

A fun sensory activity on a hot day.

8. Color Explorations with Oobleck

Turn oobleck into lesson on color mixing like this and this .

9. Walk on Oobleck

Perfect for events or parties!

10. Make It Erupt!

Add a little baking soda and turn it into a fizzing experiment!

If you enjoyed this be sure to check out Wizards’ Brew , another favorite in our house!

Spread Creativity like wildfire: PIN THIS!

February 19, 2016 at 7:31 am

Does the food dye ever stain hands and also where did you get that awesome kids Frida shirt?

Ana Dziengel says

August 16, 2016 at 4:46 am

It washes off for sure and the Frida shirt os from Mexico, a present from Grandpa!

Nicole says

February 23, 2016 at 11:48 pm

This is also called goop and has been around for years in early childhood settings.

August 16, 2016 at 4:41 am

It’s a classic!

April 3, 2016 at 5:53 am

We love oobleck in our house too. But for some reason, I don’t think we’ve ever done it with different colors at the same time. They look so pretty in yours – with the blue and pink mixed together like that.

April 8, 2016 at 4:59 am

Thanks Aimee!

June 6, 2016 at 8:26 am

Awesome pics! In our house we call it slime, but the result it the same – the kids come running! lol!

June 6, 2016 at 9:48 am

Wow, I’m gonna try this with my kids. I didn’t know it was so easy

August 15, 2016 at 8:31 am

it’s a great go-to activity just for that reason!

M Ollivierre says

September 20, 2016 at 5:58 pm

My preschool. classroom children really enjoy this activity. Thank you. Lots of fun.

September 23, 2016 at 5:22 am

woot woot! Always a blast!!!

August 15, 2016 at 8:04 am

Looks like you had an amazing party!

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Oobleck Activities

Colleen beck otr/l.

• by Colleen Beck OTR/L
• November 8, 2023

Today we’re covering oobleck activities as a fun sensory material to challenge tactile sensory input and inspire messy sensory play . Oobleck is the non-Newtonian fluid that shifts from liquid to solid and back again, all at a person’s fingertips, just by the pressure applied to it, and it’s a great sensory material! Let’s cover some oobleck sensory play!

What is Oobleck

Have you ever whipped up a batch of Oobleck, the goo that defies all rules? This magical substance goes by many names – Oobleck, goop, glop, goo, slime, or even magic mud – and it’s the ultimate fascinating substance for kids and adults alike.

This captivating mixture that most people call Oobleck, is one that children simply can’t keep their hands off of when presented with it. And do you want to know the best part? It only takes a few ingredients to conjure up this magical hands-on glop.

Recipe for Oobleck

Oobleck recipes are a great multi-step direction activity for kids to problem solve and use in direction following tasks. It’s a great visual motor task for pouring and scooping as well.

To make oobleck, all you need is 2 cups of cornstarch and 1 cup of water. This means, it’s a great simple sensory recipe that kids can get help to mix.

Simple Oobleck recipe ingredients

• Water 
• Mixing bowl
• Measuring cups
• Towel or plastic tablecloth
• Tray or tub for sensory play
• A copy of the(Amazon affiliate link) Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr. Suess (optional) 

To add some vibrant colors, simply just mix in a few drops of food coloring, and viola, you’ve got colorful Oobleck!

If you’re out of cornstarch, some folks have successfully experimented with substitutes like baby powder, tapioca, and arrowroot instead (although I haven’t personally tested these options), but they say it works great! 

Ingredients to make the simple oobleck recipe:

• 2 cups cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• Food coloring or approx. 3 Tbsp. of tempera paint (optional) – use the amount you desire based on how much color you want the Oobleck to have – less is lighter, more is darker. 

Instructions :

• Initially mix the cornstarch, water and food coloring or tempera paint in bowl with a spoon.
• Next, get your hands in it and begin mixing and scrunching together. Add more cornstarch or water as needed. Note: You may need to use more cornstarch at higher altitudes. The right consistency is when it reaches the feel of honey, but will rip as you pull your fingers across the surface. 
• Place the Oobleck in a play tray or in a bin for kids to explore. Hint: You can use a plastic shower curtain or plastic tablecloth underneath it to make clean up a little bit easier. 
• To store the Oobleck, use a container that has a good closing lid. When using the Oobleck again, if the cornstarch and water have separated just squish and mix together again. 

This is important – safety always comes first! Adults should always supervise children using Oobleck to prevent accidental ingestion and keep the little ones safe while playing. 

Oobleck Recipes

You can also change the oobleck recipe a bit with an alternative to cornstarch. For even more sensory fun, explore alternative Oobleck recipes that target scents, sounds, textures, or colors.

Oobleck recipe with baby powder:

• 2 cups baby powder

Oobleck recipe with baking soda:

• ½ cup baking soda
• ½ cup water

Note: A little extra stirring with this recipe is required to thoroughly mix it together.

Oobleck recipe with chocolate:

• ¼ cup cocoa
• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. water

Oobleck recipe with Kool-Aid:

• 3 cups of water
• 9 cups of cornstarch 
• 2 packages of Kool-Aid 
• food coloring (if a more vibrant color is desired)

Oobleck Recipe with lemonade:

• 1 cup of cornstarch
• 1/2 cup of water
• 2 Tbsp. of powdered lemonade mix

Jello Oobleck Recipe:

• 1 cup of water
• 2 cups of cornstarch
• 1 packet of Jell-O (your choice of the color and/or flavor)

Oobleck recipe with tapioca:

• 2 ¼ cups of tapioca flour

Make the Oobleck recipe of your choice and then think about the following senses to add a unique sensory addition to create oobleck activities that also build skills.

• Tactile- You can also add in different materials to make the oobleck more interesting and to vary the sensory experience. Make it more tactilely interesting by adding either sand, glitter, or sequins as the sensory add-ins can add a unique feel to your Oobleck mixture.

You can also let the kiddos experiment with creating their own fun and unique tactile Oobleck – just make everything available and let them go! 

• Visual- Make the Oobleck more visually appealing by adding colorful items or change the color of the Oobleck with a glow-in-the dark pigment, food coloring, glittery craft beads, confetti, gems, or sequins. Again, let the kiddos experiment with colorful items that make the Oobleck more visually engaging to them. 
• Auditory- Boost the sound experience during Oobleck play by using various objects that create sound when interacting with Oobleck such as bells, plastic necklaces, sound-producing objects inside plastic eggs, squeaky toys, and musical instrument toys. By integrating these fun sound elements, it will add a multisensory experience coupled with any other sensory element you have chosen, be it texture, visual, or olfactory.
• Olfactory- Enhance the Oobleck sensory experience by adding a few drops of scented essential oils such peppermint, lavender, mint, citrus, or cinnamon. It will create a delightful aroma as children play with it and considering a scent to match the season can provide a festive approach.
• Movement- Give the Oobleck exciting and dynamic movement by adding the use of scoops, containers, or washable toys. You can also add some kitchen tools like spoons, strainers, forks, cookie cutters, a whisk or a potato masher.

Oobleck Activities for Therapy

There are many sensory benefits of oobleck , and some of those include targeting goal areas:

• tactile discrimination
• tactile tolerance
• washing hands
• tolerating messy hands
• sensory touch activities
• tactile defensiveness

One way to work on these skills is by using plastic gloves on the hands. Grade the activity by cutting out just the fingertips of the gloves. Then, work on touching the oobleck with just a fingertip.

Another oobleck activity to target sensory motor skills is with goop painting . We created a thinner oobleck consistency and painted with the messy material.

You can foster fine motor and visual motor skills by using mixing utensils or paintbrushes to mix the oobleck. We created a flour oobleck recipe and used paint brushes to combine the colors for sensory painting and creative painting fun.

Utensil use- For those who have goals to improve independence with utensil use, you can incorporate a spoon to scoop and stir the materials.

Oobleck Activities for each season

The use of Oobleck during therapy and at home is abundant and included below are some fun and creative ideas for Oobleck recipes or designs for each holiday and season to help give you a little bit of inspiration and motivation to create your own version of Oobleck fun!

Pair these oobleck activities with therapy themes for skill-building.

• Winter Oobleck with a melted snowman theme
• Spring Oobleck with a rainbow theme
• Summer Oobleck with a lemonade theme
• Autumn Oobleck with a fall leaf theme
• New Year’s Eve Slime with a party theme
• Valentine’s Oobleck with a heart theme
• St. Patrick’s Oobleck with a treasure hunt theme 
• Earth Day Oobleck with a two-color theme
• July 4 th Oobleck with a fireworks theme
• Halloween Oobleck with a witch’s brew theme 
• Thanksgiving Oobleck with a pumpkin theme 
• Christmas Oobleck with a gingerbread theme 

*Just remember that adding other elements to Oobleck may change the recipe amounts and you may need to adjust the amount of cornstarch and water accordingly to maintain the consistency that you desire for play. 

Oobleck Tips

Caring for your Oobleck and knowing when it’s time to part ways and be tossed out is important. Here are some key points to consider: 

• To clean up Oobleck, warm water works wonders, but be cautious about letting excessive amounts go down the sink drain, as it can potentially clog your pipes.
• The easiest way to cleanup is to let Oobleck dry out, which transforms it into a powder that can be safely tossed into the trash. 
• Emphasize always having clean hands when playing with Oobleck, and for added safety, check it before each play session to ensure there is no sign of mold growing. 
• While you can store Oobleck in the fridge and freezer, remember not to store in the refrigerator for more than one week or in the freezer for longer than 3 months.
• Always clearly label the Oobleck when storing it so there is not a chance of it being mistaken for actual food. 

*Note: Emphasizing again, adult supervision should always be provided when children are working with Oobleck in any form or with any materials as it can be very dangerous if consumed or in some cases, deadly depending on the substances used. The best practice is to simply not allow children to consume any type of Oobleck even if it is consumable as it can be confused as edible when it is not! Additionally, small objects in the Oobleck can pose a choking hazard. 

Regina Parsons-Allen is a school-based certified occupational therapy assistant. She has a pediatrics practice area of emphasis from the NBCOT. She graduated from the OTA program at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute in Hudson, North Carolina with an A.A.S degree in occupational therapy assistant. She has been practicing occupational therapy in the same school district for 20 years. She loves her children, husband, OT, working with children and teaching Sunday school. She is passionate about engaging, empowering, and enabling children to reach their maximum potential in ALL of their occupations as well assuring them that God loves them!

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May 2, 2011

It's a Solid... It's a Liquid... It's Oobleck!

Bring Science Home: Activity 1

By Katherine Harmon

Getty Images

Key concepts Liquids and solids Viscosity Pressure From National Science Education Standards : Properties of objects and materials

Introduction Why is it so hard to get out of quicksand? Is it a solid? Is it a liquid? Can it be both? In this activity, you will make a substance that is similar to quicksand—but much more fun. Play around with it and find out how it acts differently from a normal liquid and a normal solid. Other, more familiar substances change states (from solids to liquids to gases) when we change the temperature, such as freezing water into ice or boiling it away into steam. But this simple mixture shows how changes in pressure, instead of temperature, can change the properties of some materials. Background Applying pressure to the mixture increases its viscosity (thickness). A quick tap on the surface of Oobleck will make it feel hard, because it forces the cornstarch particles together. But dip your hand slowly into the mix, and see what happens—your fingers slide in as easily as through water. Moving slowly gives the cornstarch particles time to move out of the way. Oobleck and other pressure-dependent substances (such as Silly Putty and quicksand) are not liquids such as water or oil. They are known as non-Newtonian fluids. This substance's funny name comes from a Dr. Seuss book called Bartholomew and the Oobleck .

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Materials •    1 cup of water •    1 to 2 cups of cornstarch •    Mixing bowl •    Food coloring (optional) Preparation •    Pour one cup of cornstarch into the mixing bowl, and dip your hands into it. Can you feel how smooth the powder is? It's made up of super-fine particles. •    Now pour the water in, mixing slowly as you go. Keep adding more water until the mixture becomes thick (and hardens when you tap on it). Add more cornstarch if it gets too runny, and more water if it becomes too thick. •    Add a few drops of food coloring if desired. (If you want to turn your Oobleck another hue, it’s easier to add the coloring to the water before you mix it with the cornstarch.) •    Oobleck is non-toxic, but please use caution when doing any science activity. Be careful not to get it in your eyes, and wash your hands after handling the Oobleck. Procedure •    Roll up your sleeves and prepare to get messy! Drop your hands quickly into the Oobleck, then slowly lower your hands into it. Notice the difference! •    Hold a handful in your open palm— what happens? •    Try squeezing it in your fist or rolling it between your hands— how does it behave differently? •    Move your fingers through the mixture slowly, then try moving them faster. •    What else can you do to test the mixture's properties? •    Extra: If you have a large plastic bin or tub, you can make a big batch of Oobleck. Multiply the quantity of each ingredient by 10 or more and mix it up. Take off your shoes and socks and try standing in the Oobleck! Can you walk across it without sinking in? Let you feet sink down and then try wiggling your toes. What happens?

Read on for observations, results and more resources.

Observations and results What is happening when you squeeze the Oobleck? What is happening when you release the pressure? Does the Oobleck remind you of anything else? The Oobleck mixture isn't your typical liquid—or solid. The cornstarch-and-water mixture creates a fluid that acts more like quicksand than water: applying force (squeezing or tapping it) causes it to become thicker. If you were trapped in a tub of Oobleck, what would be the best way to escape? Share your Oobleck observations and results! Leave a comment below or share your photos and feedback on Scientific American 's Facebook page . Cleanup Wash hands with water. Add plenty of extra water to the mixture before pouring it down the drain. Wipe up any dried cornstarch with a dry cloth before cleaning up any remaining residue with a damp sponge. More to explore " What is Jell-O? " from Scientific American " Ask the Experts: What Is Quicksand? " from Scientific American " States of Matter " overview from Idaho Public Television's Dialogue for Kids Slime and Goo activities from the American Chemical Society's Science for Kids Oobleck, Slime & Dancing Spaghetti: Twenty terrific at-home science experiments inspired by favorite children's books by Jennifer Williams, ages 4–8 The Everything Kids' Easy Science Experiments Book: Explore the world of science through quick and easy experiments! By J. Elizabeth Mills, ages 9–12 Up next… The Magic of Gravity What you'll need •    Coin •    Bottle, jar or canister with a small top opening (larger—but not too much bigger—than the coin) •    3- by-5-inch note card or other sturdy piece of paper •    Scissors •    Tape •    Pen or pencil •    Water (optional)

How to Make Oobleck: Science with Dr. Seuss!

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Have you ever heard of Oobleck? It is a must try classic science experiment. The Dr. Seuss book Bartholomew and the Oobleck gave us the name to this fun science experiment. It’s a silly one that inspired the name of the cornstarch and water slime that everyone loves to make.

It is a perfect and simple sensory play activity for young children, but it is also a great lesson in science. If you want to know how to make Oobleck you have come to the right place! Read on to get the oobleck recipe you have been looking for. Plus I have a Printable Oobleck Recipe for you to download at the bottom of this post.

What is Oobleck?

Not only is oobleck fun to play with, it is also a simple science experiment. Your kids will love it if you add this oobleck experiment to their science lessons.

Oobleck is a is a non-newtonian fluid made with a mixture of cornstarch and water. A non-Newtonian fluid is one that doesn’t follow Newton’s law of viscosity. Oobleck is not really a solid or a liquid.  Fluids have a property called viscosity that explains how it flows.  Syrup is more viscous than juice for instance. The viscosity of oobleck is not constant. It changes depending on the amount of pressure applied to it.  When you apply pressure to oobleck  it will stop moving, get firm and behave like a solid, but when you release the pressure it is gooey and behaves like a liquid.

What happens is the larger solid cornstarch particles or molecules form long chains. The smaller water molecules flow between the cornstarch molecules causing the chains to slide and flow around each other. This is why oobleck is in a liquid state when it is not under pressure.

It is a liquid and a solid at once and it is seriously a ton of fun to play with! If you just let your hands sit in the mixture, they will sink in like quicksand. And just like quicksand, the more you move, the harder the mixture gets making you even more stuck!

This stuff is perfect for when you are teaching about different states of matter or properties of matter (solids, liquids and gasses). It is a really fun sensory activity for kids of all ages, too!

Oobleck has a few different names~ goop, oobleck slime or cornstarch slime.  The texture of oobleck is hard to fully describe. You just need to experience it for yourself!

Watch How We Played with Oobleck:

This video will show some of the fun ways we played with our Oobleck mixture! You will see how much fun it really is! Children of all ages enjoy playing with this stuff.

Easy Oobleck Recipe

Have you ever wondered how to make homemade Oobleck?  I have a simple oobleck recipe for you. This is so much easier to make than traditional slime! The recipe is super simple to make. You need just two ingredients: Corn starch and Water.

Download the Printable Oobleck Recipe now!

Note: If you do not have cornstarch, you can try making oobleck with another starchy flour- potato starch supposedly works well, arrowroot flour or corn flour.

The ratio to get oobleck to the right consistency is two parts cornstarch (also called corn flour) to 1 part water. We made ours with 9 cups of cornstarch and 4 1/2 cups of water. You can also add food coloring if you want, but this is totally optional. With all of the cornstarch, it doesn’t tend to get very bright unless you add many many drops of food coloring!

Mix it in a large bowl or plastic bin, or other plastic container.  Use a big a spoon and find a place where messy play is OK. Let the kids have a turn to stir, too. We took ours outside so the kids could get as messy as they wanted and clean up would be easier. (They could be hosed down after!)

After a bunch of play, we divided it out into 4 different bowls and mixed in some coloring. I used liquid watercolors for ours, but food coloring would work just as well! Try swirling colors to make rainbow oobleck! What different ways can you think to experiment with it?  Maybe you could see what happens when you freeze it!

I have done this a lot of times with my kids, but it always seems to amaze and excite them. It never gets old. It;’s a fun way to entertain kids on a Summer day!  The bigger kids remember it well, but my younger kids needed a chance to dig in and get messy. Its always fun to re-make an old classic & great science experiment.

If you make a big enough batch of it, you can even walk on it!! Your little scientists will love this!  (Full disclosure, that plastic bowl broke during this adventure!)

Just a heads up : you do not want to pour this down the drain. It will clog it up. You can also save it for a few days in an airtight container.

Subscribe now to download the printable recipe!

Bartholomew and the Oobleck

If you have never read the Dr. Seuss book Bartholomew and the Oobleck , it is worth the read. We always love a good, silly Dr. Seuss book. This one is a Caldecott award winner, so you know it is good!

It is about a king who is bored with regular weather and asks his magicians to make something new. Instead of regular rain, oobleck falls from the sky. It rains sticky, gooey oobleck and it makes a huge mess! Bartholomew, a wise page boy, helps solve the problem with just a few simple words.

Want even more Hands-on Learning and Messy Play ideas for Kids?

Check out some of these ideas:

See More Sensory Play Materials and Ideas

See More Book Activities for Kids

See More STEM Projects for Kids

Try some more messy play with our Floam Recipe or our Favorite Slime Recipe !

Former school teacher turned homeschool mom of 4 kids. Loves creating awesome hands-on creative learning ideas to make learning engaging and memorable for all kids!

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Oobleck: the Dr. Seuss Science Experiment

Introduction: Oobleck: the Dr. Seuss Science Experiment

Step 1: Materials

Step 2: Mix It Up!

Step 3: Add Food Coloring

Step 4: Play With It!

Step 5: Oobleck Videos

Still not convinced you want to make it? Play this video to see it in action.

--> Gilla: Dela: 1 package of corn stach, about 400 g (14 oz) 1 large bowl Short explanation Long explanation. What happens if you hit the oobleck? What happens if you squeeze the oobleck hard and then release it? What happens if you slowly lower your hand into the oobleck and then quickly try to pull it back? What happens if you try to bounce a ball on the surface? What happens if you pour the mixture and then cut the resulting "string" with a pair of scissors? What happens if you try to swing the bowl back and forth? What happens if you leave a glass of oobleck for a long time? What happens if you change the amount of water in the mix? What happens if you use some other liquid instead of water, such as milk or soda? What happens if you use some other powder, such as potato starch or wheat flour? Gilla: Dela: Disappearing styrofoam Rainbow milk Homemade yogurt Screaming dry ice Dry ice in a balloon Special: Dry ice color change Dry ice smoking soap bubble snake Dry ice giant crystal ball bubble Dry ice in water Gummy bear osmosis Floating ping pong ball Rotating Earth Special: Colored fire Special: Fire bubbles Water cycle in a jar Egg drop challenge Taking the pulse Orange candle Glass bottle xylophone Warped spacetime Homemade rainbow Water implosion Warm and cold plates Plastic bag kite Tamed lightning Yeast and a balloon Forever boiling bottle Moon on a pen Moon in a box Inexhaustible bottle Crystal egg geode Magic ice cut Leaf pigments chromatography Heavy smoke Popsicle stick bridge Micrometeorites Special: Fire tornado Special: Whoosh bottle Dancing water marbles Brownian motion Flying static ring Water thermometer String telephone Special: Dust explosion Special: Burning money Special: Burning towel Salt water purifier Fish dissection Hovering soap bubble Homemade sailboat Water mass meeting Plastic bag and pencils Water sucking bottle Water sucking glass Mentos and coke Aristotle's illusion Spinning spiral snake Imploding soda can Carbon dioxide extuingisher Plastic bag parachute Dental impression Impact craters Rolling static soda can Static paper ghost Color changing flower Upside down glass Shrinking chip bag Solar system model Strawberry DNA Electric motor Flashy electric motor Bouncing soap bubbles Toilet paper roll maraca Cloud in a bottle 1 Cloud in a bottle 2 Balloon rocket Water whistle Special: Screaming gummy bear Homemade compass Trash airplane Wind-up spinner toy Tea bag rocket Balancing soda can Lung volume test Fireproof balloon Baking powder popper Expanding space Straw propeller Wooden cutlery Levitating match Human reflexes Electromagnet Soil layers Straw potato Straw rocket launcher Traveling flame Water bowls Straw duck call Solar eclipse Silo of salt Balloon skewer Newspaper tower Microwave light bulb Heavy paper Rubber chicken bone Homemade marble run Drops on a coin Cartesian diver Content of website. Oozing oobleck Most substances behave in unsurprising ways that depend on whether they are solids, liquids or gases. This activity shows how to create a substance called oobleck, which can behave like both a solid and a liquid, depending on how hard you hit it. Printable downloads  follow these steps…. Oobleck can make a great deal of mess, although once it has dried it can easily be swept or vacuumed up. You may want to wear an apron. If cornflour does get onto your clothes, it will wash out with no problems. Think and talk about… What do you think is happening? Does oobleck behave like a solid, liquid or both? Why do you think oobleck acts like this? Can you think of anything else that behaves like oobleck? If you had a pool full of oobleck, do you think you could run across it? Investigate… What happens if you let your fingers gently run through the oobleck? Apply a force to the oobleck, such as tapping or slapping it. What effect does it have? If you let your hand sink into the oobleck, can you pull it out quickly? How hard is it to remove objects from the bottom of the bowl? Did you know? The name ‘oobleck’ comes from a Dr Seuss book called Bartholomew and the Oobleck . What’s the science? Cornflour consists of billions of tiny irregularly shaped particles of starch. When water is added, the liquid flows around each starch grain and acts like a lubricant, making the mixture runny as the particles slip over each other. When a sudden large force is applied, the starch particles tangle, and the mixture hardens. However, these effects are only temporary. As soon as the force is removed, the water surrounds each of the particles again and the mixture becomes runny once more. Science in your world Related resources Tablecloth trick Can you pull out a tablecloth without sending cups and saucers flying? Can you make milk move without touching it? Kitchen science Step-by-step instructions for science activities and experiments to do in the classroom or at home. Instant Ice Cream Explore states of matter in the tastiest way – by turning milk into ice cream instantly! 419 COMMENTS How to do the Dancing Oobleck Experiment If you've ever wanted to try making oobleck "dance" here's how we did it! This is a weird and wonderful science experiment and its impossible not to be mesme... Dancing Oobleck How to make Oobleck Dance ~ Science Experiments. My kids love trying new Science Experiments, and play recipes. Today we decided to combine the 2 and try to make our Oobleck dance using sound waves. If you have never made it before, Oobleck is a mixture of cornstarch and water. When played with fast it acts like a solid…when allowed to relax ... How To Do The Dancing Oobleck Experiment Place a few tablespoons of oobleck on the lid or plastic wrap. Make the oobleck dance. Play a low frequency test tone and hold the plastic lid tightly against the subwoofer. Alternatively use your fingers to stretch plastic wrap over the subwoofer and hold in place. The vibrations in the subwoofer will begin to make the oobleck vibrate and ... Cornstarch Monsters This oozy, gooey glop behaves like a solid and a liquid at the same time and is perfect for our activity. Pour approximately 1/4 cup of cornstarch into the mixing bowl and slowly add about 1/2 cup of water. Stir. Sometimes it is easier to mix the cornstarch and water with your bare hands. Continue adding cornstarch and water in small amounts ... Sound Waves on a Speaker: Goo Dance Party! - To demonstrate sound waves in action, we played a metal singing bowl for toddlers. They loved feeling the vibrations on the sides of the bowl. You could create a similar effect with a cymbal. - Younger children had a great time watching the Oobleck dance on the speaker. Have them control the pause/play button to experiment with cause and effect. Dancing Oobleck Experiment -Courtesy of Pinterest, Oobleck by Mary The Experiment. Make the oobleck by mixing 1 cup of water with 2 cups of corn starch in a bowl and add a few drops of food colouring. ... The oobleck responds to the low frequency sound waves as they exert a greater force and pressure onto the oobleck, causing it to move and dance as a solid. 38 Oobleck Experiments Recipe. To make oobleck, slowly add water to cornstarch. That's it. It's ready when slow movements reshape it but rapid movements cause it to solidify and resist reshaping. 1 Shape it. Smack it. On March 7, 2021, we conducted the "textbook" oobleck experiment. Mad Scientist's Lair: Oobleck! Here's a hands-on experiment that even the kids can try*. Oobleck (or corn starch in water) is a "Non-Newtonian fluid". ... (sound wave) is applied, the oobleck stiffens, and then relaxes when the pressure stops. This gives rise to the "fingers" of oobleck forming, then slowly wiggling around and breaking off. Look again at the video and watch ... How To Make Dancing Oobleck Steps. Mix A Batch: The secret to a good oobleck is a complex mixture of … one cup water to 2 cups of cornstarch. If you want to make larger batches, you'll need to … just keep that 2-to-1 ratio. Then stir it with a spoon until smooth. Seriously, this is the simplest cool thing you'll ever make. Break Open A Highlighter: Regular food ... Oobleck Recipe and Experiments With a Non-Newtonian Fluid Squeeze some oobleck to make a solid, then open your hand and watch the solid turn back into a liquid. Roll some of the material into a ball. Open the hand that is holding the ball and watch the solid change into a liquid. Create an oobleck ball and try to pass the ball to someone else before it liquefies. 5 Brilliant Ways To Experiment With Oobleck Making an experiment with oobleck is very easy and a lot of fun for kids (and adults too!). The name oobleck comes from a Dr. Seuss story and is used commonly nowadays to name a non-newtonian fluid made from cornstarch and water. A non-newtonian fluid is a fluid that does not behave according to Newton's law of viscosity. In the Classroom Oobleck is such a great experiment for kids because it demonstrates how when force is applied it increases its viscosity. This explains to students how an object can be either liquid or solid depending on its state of matter. ... You can't normally see waves of sound, but you can see them with the oobleck on the speaker. Middle School; In a ... How to Make Oobleck and 10 Cool Things To Do With It! Learn how to make everyone's favorite sensory play recipe: oobleck! Add Cornstarch. Pour 2 cups of cornstarch into a bowl. Add Water. Add 1 cup of water into the bowl. Stir to combine. Add Color (optional) Add drops of food coloring to your oobleck. Stir or mix with hands to combine. Oobleck Activities 1 cup water. Food coloring or approx. 3 Tbsp. of tempera paint (optional) - use the amount you desire based on how much color you want the Oobleck to have - less is lighter, more is darker. Instructions: Initially mix the cornstarch, water and food coloring or tempera paint in bowl with a spoon. It's a Solid... It's a Liquid... It's Oobleck ... They are known as non-Newtonian fluids. This substance's funny name comes from a Dr. Seuss book called. Bartholomew and the Oobleck. Materials. • 1 cup of water. • 1 to 2 cups of cornstarch ... How to Make Oobleck: Science with Dr. Seuss! The ratio to get oobleck to the right consistency is two parts cornstarch (also called corn flour) to 1 part water. We made ours with 9 cups of cornstarch and 4 1/2 cups of water. You can also add food coloring if you want, but this is totally optional. With all of the cornstarch, it doesn't tend to get very bright unless you add many many ... What's Up With That: The Bizarre Liquid That Sometimes Acts Like a That particular experiment really highlights oobleck's strangeness. The vibrating dish creates bumpy Faraday waves in the liquid. A puff of air introduced into this system creates a hole in the ... Oobleck: A Recipe for a Mesmerizing Mixture Add 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch to the small bowl or cup. Image Credit: Sandra Slutz, Science Buddies / Science Buddies. Fill the empty cup, mug, or drinking glass with water. Use the medicine dropper to add water from the cup to the small bowl with the cornstarch. Add the water one drop at a time, counting as you go. Oobleck: the Dr. Seuss Science Experiment Make enough Oobleck and you can even walk on it! Oobleck gets its name from the Dr. Seuss book Bartholomew and the Oobleck where a gooey green substance, Oobleck, fell from the sky and wreaked havoc in the kingdom. Here the Oobleck will be made in a bowl and will likely make a mess, but only because you can get carried away playing with it. Measuring Sound Waves with Oobleck Therefor we chose to revise our experiment objective so that instead of focusing so much on the varying frequencys impact on the oobleck motion we focused on how changing the viscosity of the oobleck solution would affect our results. Oobleck is a mixture of cornstarch and water. The ratio of normal oobleck is 3 parts cornstarch to one part water. Oobleck Oobleck is a mixture of water and corn starch where the corn starch doesn't dissolve completely in the water, but exists as microscopically small lumps. In chemical terms - the corn starch and the water are still in separate phases. Because there is so much corn starch in the mixture, these lumps are so numerous that they touch each other. Outrageous Oobleck Materials: Corn Starch Water Flat bottom container or tray Optional - Bath coloring tablets Instructions: Optional - Put a bath coloring tablet in the water. Avoid food coloring as it stains hands and is hard to remove. Use your hands to mix about two cups of cornstarch with one cup of water in the tray. Enjoy your super easy to make Outrageous Oobleck. WATCH THE QUICK AND EASY VIDEO TUTORIAL ... Oozing oobleck activity If cornflour does get onto your clothes, it will wash out with no problems. Put a heaped amount of cornflour in a bowl or tray. Slowly add the water a bit at a time until the cornflour resembles a very thick, viscous liquid. Now you can play with the oobleck - try stirring it in the bowl with a spoon. Roll the oobleck into a ball in your hand ... essay homework paper phd project resume review study thesis