In the US they call it OOBLEK, in the UK we it's known as gloop! And of my goodness it is AWESOME!!
Why do I love this activity soo much? Well it's the easiest thing to make. Yep, even I can make it and that's someone who avoids baking at all costs! Not only is it mega easy to make, minimal prep or measuring out but also it feels UNREAL!
It feels amazing for a grown up so imagine how it must feel for a young child!!! If you try this one with your kids, promise me you will join in the fun and play too!
To make ooblek gloop simply mix together corn flour (UK) or cornstarch (US) with water. Cornflour is used in cooking as a thickening agent for sauces etc, it is also gluten free so this makes it a taste safe activity for children.
This makes a plain white mix however if you would like to colour your ooblek gloop, I always prefer to mix the food colouring with the water before then mixing with the cornflour. It mixes much better and less likely to dye little hands.
And that's it! Told you it was simple!!
Now this can be a very messy activity so I would always prepare this in a bowl and then add to a tuff spot or large play tray. A plastic tablecloth on the floor or table top with make tidy up time a lot easier, because it's bound to splash with the excitement! And then additional to that, have a damp cloth or towel for when messy hands have had enough!
Now here's how you can play with it...
As always, let children explore it just with their hands. Ooblek gloop offers so many unusual sensory experiences, it would be a shame for hands not to experience the texture and be distracted by the tools or props.
Ooblek gloop is a non-newtonian fluid which means it acts like a liquid when poured but acts like a solid when squashed or manipulated. It feels like a liquid, then a crumbly powder when squeezed between fingers! It is also great to explore with older children to demonstrate the differences between liquids and solids.
Once you've spent time exploring the ooblek gloop, now you might be ready to add something new to mix up your play. Here's 10 ways you can play with ooblek gloop...
1. Make it green and play with plastic animals
2. Make the gloop brown and use a muddy puddles for animals or vehicles and then wash clean with soapy water
3.Explore with sieves and colanders
4. Try using cookie cutters to create shapes and patterns
5. Make orange and use with bugs at halloween
6. Keep it white and add biodegradable glitter with arctic animals
7. Make it purple and add lavendar scents to add another sensory element
8. Add sprinkles and ice cream scoops
9. Mix equal parts cornflour and shaving foam to make fluffy ooblek gloop!
10. Finally, one of my favourites! Let the ooblek gloop dry out completely in a tray and then using a toy hammer, let your kids smash it up with a toy hammer! It's so much fun!
Happy Playing!