At a recent summer library day, I was reminded of this awesome gooey gunk that I was introduced to in first grade and hadn’t thought about since: Oobleck. At the library they had read some Dr. Seuss books and had some activities that involved Dr. Seuss themes (we LOVE our little library, ghetto though it may be!).
The recipe is: a small box of cornstarch ($1 at Walmart), a little bit of water, and a few drops of food coloring. Squish together with your hands, and observe how it feels solid at times, but then it feels runny when you hold it in your hands.
I remember seeing a Mythbusters episode where one of the redhead guys was able to run across a large vat of oobleck. So interesting and entertaining, even for adults! 🙂
My kids + friends played with the oobleck indoors, and although it just dissolves with water, it ended up splattered all over the walls and wiped on the ground, etc. Not ideal for a perfectionist mother. So the second and subsequent times we made it, I had them take it outside to play with it. SO oobleck is a great OUTDOOR activity, after which you can just hose everything down!
Also, there’s always good ol’ classic play dough, which is easy to make, play with and store in the fridge for a few months at a time, and then make some more if food ever gets mixed in with it.
