We love goo or oobleck at Science Sparks. It's wonderful to touch and play with and I am always surprised at how it can feel solid one minute and liquid the next.
Today we made a Christmassy Candy Cane version that smelled amazing!
How to make Candy Cane Oobleck
- Cornflour
- Water
- Peppermint essence
- Red food colouring
Instructions
I made up two batches of goo, one just normally with the cornflour and a smaller amount to which I added red food colouring, then swirled them together with a very small amount of the peppermint essence.
To make the goo, pour some cornflour into a bowl and add cold water very slowly until you get the consistency you want.
The peppermint smell was lovely and definitely made us feel Christmassy.
Note. Be careful with the red food colouring; it might stain clothes.
What is oobleck, and how does it work?
Did you notice that if you make a ball with the goo it is solid, but if you drop it on the floor it turns liquid again? Oobleck is a non - Newtonian fluid as it doesn't flow like liquids normally do.
The Oobleck is made up of molecules arranged in long chains. When the chains are stretched, the liquid will flow, but when you force them together, they stick together to form a solid.
More oobleck ideas for kids
Possibly not the best idea for a cold day, but did you know you can walk on oobleck?
This rainbow oobleck is gorgeous from the Play Based Mom.
Make fluffy oobleck slime like Fantastic Fun and Learning.
This dinosaur gloop followed by a clean dinosaur bath, looks like great fun too.
What's your favourite oobleck activity?
Last Updated on June 7, 2023 by Emma Vanstone
Sugar Aunts says
What a great idea, adding the peppermint. My kiddos love goo. We will have to add a scent!
Angela says
We love making goo too never thought of adding essence, thank you for the tip 🙂
We have been trying to make slime with Borax but we have failed miserably a number of times, not sure what I'm doing wrong lol
Jill says
Corn flour? Or corn starch?
ScienceSparks says
We call it corn flour in the UK, possibly the same thing? 🙂
Deborah says
Cornstarch in the US and I love this idea!
Lauren says
That looks pretty cool. i know my son would love playing with this goo.
Pinkoddy says
That is brilliant and I love the Science bit too.
Nicole says
exactly how much of the ingredients do you use? 1 cup cornflour, 1 cup water? a few drops of peppermint essence? Or do I just play it by ear?
ScienceSparks says
I just played it by ear. Just make sure you add the water slowly. Let us know how you get on.
Carrie says
Oh, how fun!! I love the marblized colors and that you scent it. Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!!
Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas says
featured this on this week's Sunday Showcase - thanks for sharing! This looks so fun. My girls love goo/goop
Sandra says
Thank you for this! My mom passed away and I was remembering she used to make this for us, but couldn't remember how to make it. Now I can pass it on to MY kids!
Callen says
I would love to know how much of each ingredient especially the corn starch and water. I can figure out the flavorings.