Running on Oobleck

Oobleck is a suspension of cornstarch and water that can behave like both a solid and a liquid depending on how much pressure you apply. Try to grab some in your hand and it will form a solid ball in your palm just until you release the pressure, then it will flow out between your fingers.

Basic recipe for Dancing Oobleck

• 1.5 cups of Cornstarch
• 1 cup of Water

Pour the cornstarch into a large mixing bowl and slowly add the water. Your mixture should feel kind of like honey and tear a bit when you run your hands across the top.

My kids love playing with Oobleck.  Since it can act as both a solid and a liquid, you can also make it dance using sound.

For full instructions on how we uses a sub woofer to make Oobleck dance go here.  I love how it looks when you add color!

While we were at the State Fair this summer, the 4-H building had an interactive booth that they had a number of great kid experiments.  One of which was a large pool of Oobleck that they encouraged the kids to run across.  Who could turn down such a fun opportunity, not my kids!  They were off with their shoes and socks so quick; excited to try it out.

Since the liquid becomes more viscous when pressure is applied you can actually walk or run on the surface without sinking.  I would have loved to see the kids do cartwheels across it, but since this was at the beginning of our fair day, we stuck to just running.

However, once you stop moving you will begin slowly sinking into the liquid.  The kids loved feeling it squish between their toes.

Thanks 4-Her’s for setting up this fun experiment!  We have been wanting to try this out for a while.  If you are looking to do this at home, you will need large quantities of cornstarch and a cheap kiddie wading pool.  It would make a great backyard play date activity!  Although I am not sure how you would dispose of an entire wading pool of Oobleck.

Here is a link to a fun list of great experiments that my kids love.