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Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Oobleck

Bartholomew and the Oobleck: (Caldecott Honor Book) (Classic Seuss)Yesterday I read Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr. Seuss to my kids. A good story, but not my favorite Dr. Seuss. My kids enjoyed the silly thought of something green falling from the sky. Then I told them that we were going to make oobleck and they were skeptical. (I learned how to make this in elementary school and I can't even count the times I have made it since then.) They looked at me with raised eyebrows when I started mixing and playing with the goo. But it wasn't long before my entire family had their hands in the bowl of green goo. Oobleck is simple to make, non-toxic, inexpensive and lots of fun. Although I will warn you that it makes a big mess. Make sure you have a cheap waterproof tablecloth on your table before you start, or better yet, take this outside. (It's not too hard to clean up, it dissolves in water.)

Oobleck
2 cups cornstarch
1 1/2 cups water
a few drops of food coloring
1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. These measurements are approximate. I've never actually measured them. Just keep adding and mixing until you get the right consistency. It should feel powdery and wet at the same time. You should be able to grab a handful, break it like a solid and then have it melt between your fingers.

Here's a video to give you an idea of what it should look like.
Enjoy! And yes that is Thing 2 discovering a penny in the background. I have no idea how to edit video. :)

5 comments:

  1. Wow, you even included a video. This is superb fun for kids, what a great activity to go with the book. I have my first grandchild coming in October, so how old should the child be before I try this? (Teasing). I always get a kick out of your site, it is a service to the world.

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  2. My husband had never made this before we did it a few months ago. Then he was fascinated. It's always a fun activity.

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  3. Shawnie- You don't need to wait for your grandkids to be enough to make this stuff. You can do it now with your bigger kids, or like Giggles, make it with your husband.

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  4. I don't think I've ever read that book. We make the same stuff, but we call it goo and don't use food coloring. :)

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