When we wrote last week about Sensory Play, in our post “Beans and Rice are Quite Nice“, we said that we would be featuring more, fun do-it-yourself play activities. If you haven’t heard of this one, you are in luck. It’s called Goop (or Oobleck), and according to Wikipedia, it is neither a solid nor a liquid. Sounding even more cool? If you mix basic corn starch and water, you create what is called a Non-Newtonian fluid. This means that it behaves differently depending on what you do with it. If you stir it slowly, it behaves like a liquid. If you punch it, or walk on it (if you have a huge tub of it), it will feel like a solid. This is a great activity for all ages - for toddlers, it is just pure, fun sensory play. For older kids, you can begin to explain the unique properties of this substance (do we hear science project, anyone?) The classic Seuss story, Bartholomew and the Oobleck, is a nice compliment to this fun activity.

Here is how to make it:

Mix 1/2 cup or corn starch with 1/4 cup of water (can be increased using these ratios.) To make it extra beautiful, add some drops of food coloring. After playing with it for a while, you may want to add some more water as it can dry out. This is a messy activity, so make sure to take that into account!

Learn about Non-Newtonian fluids on Wikipedia and check out the Seuss Classic, Bartholomew and the Oobleck

Watch Ellen make this goop on YouTube (and see someone walk on it too!)