Oobleck-y Goodness

Last weekend Provo had a free science day for kids and their families. So we went. There were lots of cool experiments to watch and do, and some cool things to make. The kids made kaleidoscopes and ice cream. They got to see cool bubbles made out of dry ice and dish soap, go panning for gold, see the way cool mentos and diet coke reaction, and they played in oobleck. For those few who are not familiar with this awsome non-newtonian fluid- you are really missing out. Go ahead and google it sometime. It has properties of both a solid and a liquid. Since we were all so inspired by all of this great science, we went home and made some Oobleck for ourselves.

(Click on the picture to make it bigger.)

When pressure is applied it reacts like a solid, but is also liquid-like when there is no pressure. Katelyn was a little leary of getting all messy, but she did stick the tips of her fingers in and was so proud she had to show me. Ethan by far had the most fun with it. He played in it for about two hours. When it got too cold outside we moved in to a newspaper covered countertop. Which did little to contain the mess if you really want to know. Here's a recipe- but don't say I didn't warn you- it is VERY messy. But mess usually equals fun. At least outside and for kids.

Recipe: Measure 1 cup cornstarch into a container. Add 1 1/2 cups of water. Stir slowly. (You can add a few drops of food coloring if you want, but it was messy enough without it for me.)