How to Make Oobleck with Baby Powder

Baby powder, it is a distinctive smell that most people will know anywhere. But did you know baby powder also has some fascinating science applications? In fact, you can use baby powder to make a brilliant batch of oobleck.

Learn how to make oobleck with baby powder

An Oobleck Recipe Investigation

This activity is part of a series we did exploring how various ingredients worked in the creation of oobleck. We tested Cornstarch, Baby Powder, Tapioca Flour, Arrowroot Flour, Baking Soda and Potato. The results were surprising and resulted in a fantastic Oobleck Science Fair Project.

The Story of Baby Powder

Baby powder has a fascinating history. It first came on the market in the late 1800’s. The main ingredient was Talc (or Talcum Powder) which was the powder form of a mineral rich in magnesium. For many decades the product was the same and a staple in many households. However in recent decades some concerns have come forward about a possible link to cancer. Now many baby powders use cornstarch instead in their recipes.

And we all know what cornstarch is great for… making oobleck! Oh and I guess gravies and soups too.

Our baby powder that we used for this experiment was 100% cornstarch with no talc in it at all. I don’t know how results may vary if you use a baby powder with talc. Our baby powder had other ingredients too, including aloe, fragrance and vitamin E.

Oobleck recipe with baby powder

Making Oobleck with Baby Powder

When we set out to make oobleck with baby powder I wasn’t sure how the added ingredients would affect our recipe, but it turns out it didn’t affect it at all. We used our standard 2 cups of baby powder and 1 cup of water and it turned into a perfect non-Newtonian Fluid.

It had all the normal properties of our regular oobleck and behaved exactly like our regular cornstarch recipe.

Check Out Our Video Making Oobleck With Baby Powder


Oobleck made with baby powder

The Downsides of Using Baby Powder To Make Oobleck

So there were a couple of things we really didn’t like about making oobleck with baby powder.

First, the stuff loves to get airborne. It was such a mess and we ended up inhaling a lot of baby powder. Making oobleck is normally a lot of fun, but that took a lot of the fun out of it for us.

Second, this could be a plus to some people but for us was a huge negative. The smell. Baby powder in small quantities has an okay smell, but when you whip up a batch of oobleck using 2 cups of the stuff the smell is a little overwhelming.

Make oobleck with baby powder

Does Baby Powder Make A Good Oobleck

Can you use baby powder to make oobleck? Absolutely! But I wouldn’t recommend buying baby powder to make oobleck, just buy straight corn starch. It is cheaper, easier to work with and will give you the same result.

Oobleck made with baby powder

More Oobleck Recipes

Colour changing oobleck recipe and science experiment to inspire young scientific minds

Glow in the Dark Oobleck recipe that works with our without black light and includes a science lesson

Bartholomew and the Oobleck STEM Activity, unit study inspired by Dr. Seuss