How to Make Oobleck

Making Oobleck was an activity I did when I was younger and would see it on YouTube thinking it was the coolest thing. As I've grown I've strayed away from simple arts and crafts and focused on academics. As a college student, I had the opportunity to reignite the excitement I had as a child in a class focused on education and was able to teach elementary school kids how to make Oobleck and the real science behind it.

Now I have another opportunity to share with you all how to make this fascinating non-Newtonian fluid. It's quite simple to make and requires very common materials. It also calls for some measurements that can be flexible depending on the amount you'd like to make.

With that being said follow along with me to make Oobleck!

So, to start you need some supplies. There are technically only 2 ingredients for Oobleck but, it is good to have accurate measurements and maybe some color if you'd like

For Oobleck you will need:

1. Cornstarch
2. Water
3. Measuring cups
4. Food Coloring
5. Bowl

The best thing to do is measure the ingredients in our measuring cups. This ensures a good starting ground to see what more we need. So we're going to use a 2:1 ratio, meaning for every 1 cup of water, we use 2 cups of cornstarch. If you want to shrink this down you could do half a cup of water and 1 cup of cornstarch.

But for this demonstration, I'm going to stick with 2:1

If you have food coloring now would be a good time to add two drops to the water and mix.

Now, slowly mix one cup of water with the two cups of cornstarch, stirring as you go until everything is combined. Honestly, I think using your fingers is the best way to mix it—your hands are way more flexible than a spoon and make it easier to get everything blended nicely.

In the last picture, you’ll see I added a little more cornstarch because my mixture was too watery, and that’s okay! If yours feels too watery, just add in some extra cornstarch. If it’s too solid, add a bit of water until you get the texture you’re looking for.

This is the final "step" to complete your Oobleck. Press against it quickly and with enough force to see it push back, refusing to let your fingers sink in. Then, slowly press your finger into it, and you’ll feel it glide through effortlessly with no resistance. If both of those happen, congratulations—you’ve finished making your Oobleck!

In the first picture, you can see a slight ripple effect from the impact while in the second photo, my finger is submerged in the Oobleck showing that I was able to adjust and complete my Oobleck.