Most of us are familiar with oobleck, but did you know it is a super fun way to make an excavation?

 

For those unfamiliar with oobleck, you simply mix cornstarch with water to create an interesting solution that is not quite a liquid and not quite a solid. The cool thing about this unique trait is that it lends itself well to a super cool excavation activity. 

 

Excavating Adventures Pro Tip: Oobleck is an easy and popular sensory activity. If you are looking for more fun and unique sensory activities, be sure to check out our excavation themed sensory activities. 

 

I suggest you start with about 1 and 1/2 cups of cornstarch and 1 cup of water. You can then get an idea of the consistency and pretty much increase the recipe to make as much oobleck as you need. 

 

Now its time to get messy!

 

Use your hands to combine the water and cornstarch. Don't even bother with a spoon because this stuff is nearly impossible to stir. Take a moment to appreciate the cool texture of the oobleck by letting it flow through your fingers as you work to combine the water and cornstarch. 

 

 

Excavating Adventures Pro Tip: Add a few tablespoons of washable tempera paint to add some color. Try and avoid food coloring as it can stain hands and surfaces. You can also use washable paint that glows for a fun glow in the dark Oozing Oobleck Excavation.

 

Now it's time to create your oozing oobleck excavation!

 

I prefer to use a good sized container that is at least two inches deep. The bigger the container, the more cornstarch you will need. Even though cornstarch is inexpensive, this is important to keep in mind so your oozing oobleck excavation doesn't break the budget. 

 

Excavating Adventures Pro Tip: A hard plastic kiddie pool makes a great large excavation, but consider the cost of cornstarch as mentioned above. You can purchase 50 lbs bags of corn starch online or at a restaurant supply store. 

 

Simply place the items to be excavated in the bottom of the container and cover with oobleck. You have now created an oozing oobleck excavation. 

 

Your excavation items can be pretty much anything. You could pretend the oobleck represents the surface of some distant planet and you could hide aliens and other space related items in the oobleck. As the child or student is entertained by the discovery of these items, you could use the activity to discuss space related topics. You can even add non-toxic glow-in-the-dark powder to your excavation to really give it that out-of-the-world feeling! 

 

Excavating Adventures Pro Tip: Buy a bag of tumbled gemstones online and use these as your excavation items. 

 

The oozing oobleck excavation is great for a homeschool activity, a classroom lesson, or even an awesome group activity for a science themed birthday party.

 

Have fun and get gooey today with an oozing oobleck excavation! 

 

Want to go on one of our Excavating Adventures filled with rocks and minerals from all over the world? Check out our Geology Quest and start building your collection today!