"Go make the wondrous oobleck fall!
Oh, bring down oobleck on us all!"
The Oobleck Fell Down Alright!
We can all remember reading the great classic "Bartholomew and the Oobleck" by Dr. Seuss, as a kid. With such fond memories of the story and the paired creation, I knew I had to include it in our home school lesson plans. Not only is there a tremendous moral learned through the story, but a fantastic science project waiting in the wings. So off I went to my "secret cave" , a.k.a our school room, and started working my own magic.
So, What Is Oobleck?
"Won't look like rain. Won't look like snow.
Won't look like fog. That's all we know.
We just can't tell you any more.
We've never made oobleck before."
Those ominous and eerie words spoken by the king's magicians, stir up quite a flurry in my young ones' imaginations, but if the magicians never made the stuff, how was I supposed to?
"Our magic can do anything" they said,
...and so can mommy magic!
So after some experimenting and researching, I created the best recipe for the ooey-gooey and bizarre concoction and more importantly boggled the minds of my kiddos with the outcome. We used the recipe to create more of the sludgy stuff for the purpose of science. We used our senses to take notes on the sight, texture, smell, and even taste of the oobleck.
Examined its properties- is it a liquid? Is it a solid? Explored how the oobleck managed to serve as both states of matter, seemingly at the same time.
We Were Intrigued and Enveloped!
For my daughter who is a very tactile learner, she dove into the oobleck without hesitation, after all she loves getting her hands messy and involved. For my son, who is more cautious and reserved, he couldn't even resist exploring and investigating what the oobleck felt like. That's when I knew I had them, hook, line, and sinker for the whole week's lesson.
My Mommy Magic Was Working!
Here's what you'll need to work your own mommy magic:
1 container
3 cups of cornstarch
2 cups of water
green food coloring
Directions:
Step 1: Pour the cornstarch into the container.
Step 2: Measure the 2 cups of water and mix in the green food coloring. Add several drops of food coloring to the water to account for the color lightening once mixed in to the cornstarch.
Step 3: Pour the dark green water into the cornstarch. Mix together using a spoon and also your hands.
Step 4: Cover the container. If you would like to reuse/keep the oobleck, allow it to dry out first. Add water to desired consistency once ready to play.
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