Sensory Science – Hide and Seek Oobleck Game For All Ages
Looking for an activity that is fun, has a little competitive edge, builds fine motor skills, is a sensory experience, and teaches some fascinating science? Look no further! This Oobleck Game covers all the bases, is also non-toxic, budget friendly and kids absolutely love it!
FINE MOTOR SKILLS DEVELOPMENT WITH OOBLECK
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We love Oobleck. The non-Newtonian Fluid that breaks all the rules as it literally transforms from state to state right in our hands. Liquid to solid then back to liquid again. All on its own Oobleck keeps kids fascinated, but as we have learned, there is so much more cool stuff you can do with Oobleck!
You can make it glow in the dark.
Make it magically change colours, as well as states, with a bit of chemistry. Or simply through the warmth of our touch.
You can also use it to build fine motor coordination and strength, plus build sensory skills relating to the sense of touch.
That’s exactly what we did with this activity. It was super easy to set up and the kids couldn’t get enough of it.
HOW TO PLAY HIDE AND SEEK OOBLECK GAME
Start by making a big batch of Oobleck. The bigger the bin, the bigger the fun! The ratio is 2 cornstarch to 1 water. So our basic recipe is 2 cups of cornstarch to 1 cup of water.
Don’t have cornstarch? You can also make Oobleck with Baby Powder, Tapioca, Arrowroot and Potatoes!
Once your Oobleck is made (we didn’t bother with food colouring this time, but you definitely can add it if you want), add some small toys and trinkets.
Pro Tip! Pick small figurines and toys that are solid pieces if possible. We found some of our items broke as the kids tried to remove them from the Oobleck, losing pieces.
Set the pieces on the table so the kids can see them (or up the challenge by not showing them!). Then have the kids cover their eyes or look away and place all the items in the bowl of Oobleck.
Now have the kids go searching!
It is amazing how hard it is to identify items in Oobleck due to the solidifying of the non-Newtonian Fluid each time the kids try to grab the items.
THE SCIENCE OF OOBLECK
Oobleck is a non-Newtonian Fluid. This means it doesn’t behave like a regular fluid. It becomes solid under pressure then liquefies without pressure. This is due to a process called Shear Thickening. You can learn more about all the science behind Oobleck by reading our Oobleck Science Fair Investigation.
Although relatively simple, Hide and Seek Oobleck kept the kids busy for ages. It engaged their senses and really challenged them. Turns out Oobleck is not a friend when it comes to using your sense of touch for identification! The kids loved the many challenges presented by this activity. From trying to figure out how to get the objects to sink, to trying to identify them with only their sense of touch. This activity was much harder than they thought it was going to be. And they loved the challenge of overcoming the obstacles created by the tricky Oobleck.
Got bored kids? Whip up a batch of Oobleck and play some Hide and Seek!
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