Wet Cement Oobleck

7/22/2022

Wet Cement Oobleck

Do you remember being a young kid and writing your initials into wet cement? It was such a cool experience watching it dry and revisiting years and years later. Unfortunately, wet cement isn't exactly a preschool friendly activity but we've found the perfect recipe to mimic wet cement.

Oobleck is a preschool-friendly substance that acts like a solid and a liquid that is easy to make and even more fun to play with! It is made from corn starch and water and it temporarily thickens and solidifies when force is applied. Wet cement oobleck is fun for construction play by adding in various trucks and rocks. Or, try using as a writing tray with different utensils including paint sticks, paintbrushes, or even fingers. Follow along for directions to make your own wet cement oobleck.

Supplies:

1 1/2- 2 cups of cornstarch
1 cup of water
4-6 tablespoons of gray paint
Popsicle stick or paint stirrer

Teacher tip: oobleck is fun but can get a bit messy which is why it's great to keep in one contained area. A foil pan is always a great choice because you can toss it in the garbage when you're finished playing with it.

* Experiment with different amounts to get desired consistency

Let's Get Started!

Oobleck is super simple to make and it's great recipe to have preschoolers assist you with. Start by gathering all of the supplies listed above. The first step is dumping the cornstarch into a large bowl.

Once you have poured the cornstarch into a bowl begin by slowly adding in the water little by little. Try separating the water into 1/4 cups and have four different students help you pour in the water, a great way to ensure it is being poured in little by little. Also designate one preschooler to be the stirrer! It's a fun way to involve multiple little learners in the process.

Once those two ingredients are well combined then add in the gray paint and mix!

Once you have reached the consistency you want the oobleck is ready to go! Oobleck is a fun way to combine science and sensory that allows so many different opportunities for play. Use this recipe just like wet cement and practice tracing letters or words into it. Try using it in a small world play and drive toy cars through it.

It's always a hit as it is ooey, gooey and molds into a ball but then melts into a liquid. How cool is that?!?

What is your favorite way to use oobleck?