experiment with flour and water

May 2, 2011

It's a Solid... It's a Liquid... It's Oobleck!

Bring Science Home: Activity 1

By Katherine Harmon

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Key concepts Liquids and solids Viscosity Pressure From National Science Education Standards : Properties of objects and materials

Introduction Why is it so hard to get out of quicksand? Is it a solid? Is it a liquid? Can it be both? In this activity, you will make a substance that is similar to quicksand—but much more fun. Play around with it and find out how it acts differently from a normal liquid and a normal solid. Other, more familiar substances change states (from solids to liquids to gases) when we change the temperature, such as freezing water into ice or boiling it away into steam. But this simple mixture shows how changes in pressure, instead of temperature, can change the properties of some materials. Background Applying pressure to the mixture increases its viscosity (thickness). A quick tap on the surface of Oobleck will make it feel hard, because it forces the cornstarch particles together. But dip your hand slowly into the mix, and see what happens—your fingers slide in as easily as through water. Moving slowly gives the cornstarch particles time to move out of the way. Oobleck and other pressure-dependent substances (such as Silly Putty and quicksand) are not liquids such as water or oil. They are known as non-Newtonian fluids. This substance's funny name comes from a Dr. Seuss book called Bartholomew and the Oobleck .

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Materials •    1 cup of water •    1 to 2 cups of cornstarch •    Mixing bowl •    Food coloring (optional) Preparation •    Pour one cup of cornstarch into the mixing bowl, and dip your hands into it. Can you feel how smooth the powder is? It's made up of super-fine particles. •    Now pour the water in, mixing slowly as you go. Keep adding more water until the mixture becomes thick (and hardens when you tap on it). Add more cornstarch if it gets too runny, and more water if it becomes too thick. •    Add a few drops of food coloring if desired. (If you want to turn your Oobleck another hue, it’s easier to add the coloring to the water before you mix it with the cornstarch.) •    Oobleck is non-toxic, but please use caution when doing any science activity. Be careful not to get it in your eyes, and wash your hands after handling the Oobleck. Procedure •    Roll up your sleeves and prepare to get messy! Drop your hands quickly into the Oobleck, then slowly lower your hands into it. Notice the difference! •    Hold a handful in your open palm— what happens? •    Try squeezing it in your fist or rolling it between your hands— how does it behave differently? •    Move your fingers through the mixture slowly, then try moving them faster. •    What else can you do to test the mixture's properties? •    Extra: If you have a large plastic bin or tub, you can make a big batch of Oobleck. Multiply the quantity of each ingredient by 10 or more and mix it up. Take off your shoes and socks and try standing in the Oobleck! Can you walk across it without sinking in? Let you feet sink down and then try wiggling your toes. What happens?

Read on for observations, results and more resources.

Observations and results What is happening when you squeeze the Oobleck? What is happening when you release the pressure? Does the Oobleck remind you of anything else? The Oobleck mixture isn't your typical liquid—or solid. The cornstarch-and-water mixture creates a fluid that acts more like quicksand than water: applying force (squeezing or tapping it) causes it to become thicker. If you were trapped in a tub of Oobleck, what would be the best way to escape? Share your Oobleck observations and results! Leave a comment below or share your photos and feedback on Scientific American 's Facebook page . Cleanup Wash hands with water. Add plenty of extra water to the mixture before pouring it down the drain. Wipe up any dried cornstarch with a dry cloth before cleaning up any remaining residue with a damp sponge. More to explore " What is Jell-O? " from Scientific American " Ask the Experts: What Is Quicksand? " from Scientific American " States of Matter " overview from Idaho Public Television's Dialogue for Kids Slime and Goo activities from the American Chemical Society's Science for Kids Oobleck, Slime & Dancing Spaghetti: Twenty terrific at-home science experiments inspired by favorite children's books by Jennifer Williams, ages 4–8 The Everything Kids' Easy Science Experiments Book: Explore the world of science through quick and easy experiments! By J. Elizabeth Mills, ages 9–12 Up next… The Magic of Gravity What you'll need •    Coin •    Bottle, jar or canister with a small top opening (larger—but not too much bigger—than the coin) •    3- by-5-inch note card or other sturdy piece of paper •    Scissors •    Tape •    Pen or pencil •    Water (optional)

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Oobleck – the cornstarch and water experiment.

This may just be the easiest, messiest, and most fun science activity I know. It is a classic, and I have gotten several requests recently to post directions. You should know that if you try this activity and  you are not smiling and messy with corn starch goo at the end, then you are definitely doing something wrong. Also keep in mind that this is not just about fun, there is some pretty amazing science going on here.

You will need:

• Cornstarch (a 16 oz. box is good for every 2-3 participants – but more is always better)
• Food coloring (we always say it’s optional, but it does make it more fun – don’t use too much or you could end up with colored hands…and clothes…and curtains)
• A large bowl
• A camera – you’re probably going to want to take pictures.

Everyone should roll up their sleeves and prepare for some gooey fun.

• This is easy. Pour the cornstarch into the bowl. Don’t rush to add water – take time to feel the cornstarch. Cornstarch does not feel like any other powder. It has a texture that can be compared to that of whipped cream. The grains of cornstarch are so small that they will fill into grooves of your fingerprints and make the prints stand out.
• After you’ve taken-in the feel of the powder, it is time to add water. (You should add the food coloring to your water before adding it to the powder.) There are no exact formulas regarding how much water to add, but it will end up being about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of water per cup (235 ml) of cornstarch. The secret is to add the water slowly and mix as you add it. Don’t be shy here – dig in with your hands and really mix it up. This is usually when you notice that this is not your average liquid. Add enough water so that the mixture slowly flows on its own when mixed. The best test is to reach in and grab a handful of the mixture and see if you can roll it into a ball between your hands – if you stop rolling it and it “melts” between your fingers – success!

We’ll get the the science soon, for now just dig in and explore. Notice that the goo does not splash (or even move) if you hit it quickly. Squeeze it hard and see what happens. How long can you get the strands of goo to drip? What happens if you let the goo sit on the table for a minute and then try to pick it up? How does it feel? Hows does it move? Try bouncing a ball on the surface of the cornstarch. You get the idea – explore!

30 minutes later…

So now goo is everywhere and you’re thinking you should probably start cleaning. Actual clean up of the goo is a snap. A bucket of warm water will quickly get it off your hands. It will brush off of clothes when it dries, and it is easily cleaned off surfaces with a wet rag.

Important : Make sure you do not dump the goo down the drain – it can get caught in the drain trap and take the joy out of your day of science. Dump it in the trash, or even mix it into soil in the garden.

Now for the science… Our cornstarch goo (sometimes referred to as “oobleck” from the Dr. Suess book) is what scientists call a “Non-Newtonian” liquid. Basically, Sir Issac Newton stated individual liquids flow at consistent, predictable rates. As you likely discovered, cornstarch goo does NOT follow those rules – it can act almost like a solid, and them flow like a liquid. Technically speaking, the goo is a SUSPENSION, meaning that the grains of starch are not dissolved, they are just suspended and spread out in the water. If you let the goo sit for an while, the cornstarch would settle to the bottom of the bowl.

So why does this concoction act the way it does? Most of it has to do with pressure. The size, shape, and makeup of the cornstarch grains causes the cornstarch to “lock-up” and hold its shape when pressure is applied to it. People have filled small pools with oobleck and they are able to walk across the surface of it (as long as they move quickly.) As soon as they stop walking, they begin to sink.

I hope you get to try this out. Let us know how your day with non-newtonian liquids went.  Have fun exploring!

Science Experiments, Experiment Videos, and Science Fair Ideas from Science Bob

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How to Mix Cornstarch and Water to Make Oobleck

Pictured instructions and a video showing how to make and play with oobleck, a non-Newtonian fluid that flows like a liquid when moved slowly, but feels like a solid when you quickly push it.

For more science fun with the kids, be sure to check out our Edible Plant Cell project .

This cornstarch and water experiment is a great way to teach the States of Matter and non-Newtonian fluids. Is it a liquid or solid? YOU decide!

You can pick it up like a solid, but it will run through your fingers like a liquid – it is unlike anything you’ve felt before!

This experiment can be a bit messy, but couldn’t be easier to create and it will provide an entire afternoon of fun! Keep the kids at the counter and this Ooblek will wipe up just fine!

Cornstarch and Water Experiment

Here is the simple Oobleck recipe:

OOBLECK INGREDIENTS –

• 1 cup of corn starch
• 1/2 cup of water
• small dish or bowl

OPTIONAL MATERIALS –

• Newspaper (to cover your experiment area)
• Food Coloring (if you want to make it colorful)
• Small plastic toyS

CLASSROOM APPLICATIONS –

You can use this experiment in conjunction with the Dr. Suess’s book “Bartholomew and the Oobleck” . Just add some green food coloring to your mixture and have fun!

Oobleck Recipe

DIRECTIONS – Mix the cornstarch with water in your bowl. Add more or less of each ingredient until you get the consistency of honey.

Play with it!

• Tap the surface with a spoon- does it splash?
• Grab a handful and watch it slip through your fingers.
• Grab another handful and squeeze it in your palms. Does it slip through?
• Let your fingers slip slowly down to the bottom of the bowl. Try to pull them out fast!
• Grab a handful and roll it in the palm of your hands to make a ball. Stop rolling and watch what happens!
• Place a small plastic toy on the surface- does it sink?
• Stir the mixture slowly with your finger- do you feel resistance?
• Now, stir the mixture quickly with your finger – do you feel resistance now?

Cornstarch and Water Science Experiment Explanation

In the 1700s, Sir Isaac Newton identified the properties of a liquid. Water, juice, and other liquids have those properties and are called Newtonian Liquids or Fluids. The cornstarch and water mixture has properties of both a liquid and a solid, so it is identified as a non-Newtonian fluid.

This mixture is made up of solid particles suspended in water. Chemists, Physicists, and Scientists call this type of mixture a colloid . Colloids behave differently than solids and liquids. It can act like a solid when you apply force but acts like a liquid when it isn’t under pressure.

Can you name any other non-Newtonian fluids?

Ketchup and quicksand are both non-Newtonian fluids.

• Next time you need to get some stubborn ketchup out of a bottle, don’t smack it – that will actually slow it down. All you need to do to get it out is to tip it over and have some patience.
• And if you ever find yourself in quicksand, don’t panic and try to get out quickly! Move slowly, because the less force you apply, the less the quicksand will resist your movement.

Leave us a comment below if you try this cornstarch and water experiment and let us know how it goes. HAVE FUN EXPERIMENTING!!

Here is a video my kids and I made doing this cornstarch and water experiment, but keep reading for detailed directions and scientific applications –

Busy moms, this one is for YOU!

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How To Make Oobleck

Are you wondering how to make oobleck? Oobleck is a classic science experiment that perfectly demonstrates a non-Newtonian fluid! Is it a liquid or a solid?

How to Make Oobleck: Easy Oobleck Recipe

Oobleck recipe video:, oobleck ingredients:.

• 2 cups cornstarch or corn flour
• 1 cup water
• Food Coloring (optional)
• Small Plastic Figurines or Items (optional)
• Baking Dish, Spoon

Instructions:

STEP 1: Add the cornstarch to your bowl or baking dish. Mix two parts cornstarch with one part water.

Note: Mixing the oobleck in a bowl and then transferring it to a baking dish or tray may be easier.

STEP 2:  Add the water to the cornstarch. If you want to give your oobleck a color such as green, add food coloring to your water first. If you want to add swirls of food coloring after you mix the oobleck, you can also do that.

NOTE: Remember that you have a lot of white cornstarch, so you will need a good amount of food coloring if you want a more vibrant color.

STEP 3:  MIx! You can stir your oobleck with a spoon, but I guarantee you will need to get your hands in there at some point during the mixing process.

STORING OOBLECK: You can store your oobleck in an airtight container, but I would not use it for longer than a day or two and check for mold before using it. If it has dried out some, add a very tiny amount of water to rehydrate it, but just a very tiny bit. A little goes a long way!

DISPOSING OF OOBLECK : When you’re done enjoying your oobleck, the best option is to scrape most of the mixture into the trash. The thick substance may be too much for your sink drain to handle!

Is Oobleck a Solid or a Liquid?

Oobleck is a fantastic, fun, simple, and quick science lesson for kids of all ages. Even your youngest scientist will be amazed by it. What state of matter is oobleck? Here we combine a liquid and a solid, but the mixture doesn’t become one or the other.

A solid has its shape, whereas a liquid will take the shape of the container. Oobleck is a bit of both! Learn more about states of matter here.

A non-Newtonian fluid , like oobleck, behaves neither like a liquid nor a solid but shares both properties. Its viscosity, or thickness, changes when force is applied or removed. You can pick up a clump of the substance like a solid, but it will ooze back into the bowl like a liquid. It feels firm and solid to the touch, but applying more pressure causes your fingers to sink into it like a liquid.

Also, check out our Electroactive Oobleck … It’s electric!

Is Oobleck a solid?

A solid does not need a container to keep its shape like a rock.

Or is Oobleck a liquid?

A liquid takes the shape of any container or flows freely if not put in a container.

Oobleck Recipe Variations

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For complete instructions to 100+ science experiments for kids, click [here] .

More Ways To Experiment With Oobleck

This oobleck experiment helps kids develop scientific inquiry skills and understand the basic principles of materials and their properties by introducing variables and encouraging them to make comparisons and predictions.

Start by making a standard batch of oobleck using a specific ratio of cornstarch to water. This will be the “control” oobleck for the experiment.

Variable 1: Changing Ratios

Prepare additional batches of oobleck with different ratios of cornstarch to water. For example, make one with more cornstarch and less water and another with more and less.

Encourage kids to observe and compare the properties of each batch. Does changing the ratio affect the oobleck’s behavior? Is it more liquid-like or solid-like?

Variable 2: Adding Objects

Place different objects in the oobleck (e.g., small toys, plastic shapes, coins). Observe how the oobleck interacts with these objects.

Ask kids to predict whether certain objects will sink or float in the oobleck. Record their predictions and compare them to the actual outcomes.

Variable 3: Temperature Experiment

Prepare two batches of oobleck, one using cold water and another using warm water. Discuss the impact of temperature on the oobleck’s properties.

Observe if there are differences in how the oobleck behaves at different temperatures. Does it change its consistency or flow differently?

💡 EXTRA: Try freezing oobleck!

Variable 4: Time Experiment

Set up a timed experiment to observe changes in the oobleck over time. After applying pressure, measure how long it takes for the oobleck to revert from a solid to a liquid state.

Discuss the viscosity concept and how it relates to the time it takes for the oobleck to return to a liquid state.

Record Observations: Have kids record their observations, predictions, and conclusions in a simple scientific journal. Please encourage them to use drawings, words, and measurements.

Discussion: Conclude the experiment by discussing the results. Ask questions about what they observed and if their predictions were accurate. Discuss the scientific concepts behind the changes in Oobleck’s properties.

Simple Science Experiments For Kids

If your preschooler through middle schooler is looking for simpler science activities like oobleck, this home science experiment list is a great place to start!

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Love this amazing oobleck recipe. Look so delicious and yummy. Thank you for sharing it.

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72 Easy Science Experiments Using Materials You Already Have On Hand

Because science doesn’t have to be complicated.

If there is one thing that is guaranteed to get your students excited, it’s a good science experiment! While some experiments require expensive lab equipment or dangerous chemicals, there are plenty of cool projects you can do with regular household items. We’ve rounded up a big collection of easy science experiments that anybody can try, and kids are going to love them!

Easy Chemistry Science Experiments

Easy physics science experiments, easy biology and environmental science experiments, easy engineering experiments and stem challenges.

1. Taste the Rainbow

Teach your students about diffusion while creating a beautiful and tasty rainbow! Tip: Have extra Skittles on hand so your class can eat a few!

Learn more: Skittles Diffusion

2. Crystallize sweet treats

Crystal science experiments teach kids about supersaturated solutions. This one is easy to do at home, and the results are absolutely delicious!

Learn more: Candy Crystals

3. Make a volcano erupt

This classic experiment demonstrates a chemical reaction between baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar (acetic acid), which produces carbon dioxide gas, water, and sodium acetate.

Learn more: Best Volcano Experiments

4. Make elephant toothpaste

This fun project uses yeast and a hydrogen peroxide solution to create overflowing “elephant toothpaste.” Tip: Add an extra fun layer by having kids create toothpaste wrappers for plastic bottles.

5. Blow the biggest bubbles you can

Add a few simple ingredients to dish soap solution to create the largest bubbles you’ve ever seen! Kids learn about surface tension as they engineer these bubble-blowing wands.

Learn more: Giant Soap Bubbles

6. Demonstrate the “magic” leakproof bag

All you need is a zip-top plastic bag, sharp pencils, and water to blow your kids’ minds. Once they’re suitably impressed, teach them how the “trick” works by explaining the chemistry of polymers.

Learn more: Leakproof Bag

7. Use apple slices to learn about oxidation

Have students make predictions about what will happen to apple slices when immersed in different liquids, then put those predictions to the test. Have them record their observations.

Learn more: Apple Oxidation

8. Float a marker man

Their eyes will pop out of their heads when you “levitate” a stick figure right off the table! This experiment works due to the insolubility of dry-erase marker ink in water, combined with the lighter density of the ink.

Learn more: Floating Marker Man

9. Discover density with hot and cold water

There are a lot of easy science experiments you can do with density. This one is extremely simple, involving only hot and cold water and food coloring, but the visuals make it appealing and fun.

Learn more: Layered Water

10. Layer more liquids

This density demo is a little more complicated, but the effects are spectacular. Slowly layer liquids like honey, dish soap, water, and rubbing alcohol in a glass. Kids will be amazed when the liquids float one on top of the other like magic (except it is really science).

Learn more: Layered Liquids

11. Grow a carbon sugar snake

Easy science experiments can still have impressive results! This eye-popping chemical reaction demonstration only requires simple supplies like sugar, baking soda, and sand.

Learn more: Carbon Sugar Snake

12. Mix up some slime

Tell kids you’re going to make slime at home, and watch their eyes light up! There are a variety of ways to make slime, so try a few different recipes to find the one you like best.

13. Make homemade bouncy balls

These homemade bouncy balls are easy to make since all you need is glue, food coloring, borax powder, cornstarch, and warm water. You’ll want to store them inside a container like a plastic egg because they will flatten out over time.

Learn more: Make Your Own Bouncy Balls

14. Create eggshell chalk

Eggshells contain calcium, the same material that makes chalk. Grind them up and mix them with flour, water, and food coloring to make your very own sidewalk chalk.

Learn more: Eggshell Chalk

15. Make naked eggs

This is so cool! Use vinegar to dissolve the calcium carbonate in an eggshell to discover the membrane underneath that holds the egg together. Then, use the “naked” egg for another easy science experiment that demonstrates osmosis .

Learn more: Naked Egg Experiment

16. Turn milk into plastic

This sounds a lot more complicated than it is, but don’t be afraid to give it a try. Use simple kitchen supplies to create plastic polymers from plain old milk. Sculpt them into cool shapes when you’re done!

17. Test pH using cabbage

Teach kids about acids and bases without needing pH test strips! Simply boil some red cabbage and use the resulting water to test various substances—acids turn red and bases turn green.

Learn more: Cabbage pH

18. Clean some old coins

Use common household items to make old oxidized coins clean and shiny again in this simple chemistry experiment. Ask kids to predict (hypothesize) which will work best, then expand the learning by doing some research to explain the results.

Learn more: Cleaning Coins

19. Pull an egg into a bottle

This classic easy science experiment never fails to delight. Use the power of air pressure to suck a hard-boiled egg into a jar, no hands required.

Learn more: Egg in a Bottle

20. Blow up a balloon (without blowing)

Chances are good you probably did easy science experiments like this when you were in school. The baking soda and vinegar balloon experiment demonstrates the reactions between acids and bases when you fill a bottle with vinegar and a balloon with baking soda.

21 Assemble a DIY lava lamp

This 1970s trend is back—as an easy science experiment! This activity combines acid-base reactions with density for a totally groovy result.

22. Explore how sugary drinks affect teeth

The calcium content of eggshells makes them a great stand-in for teeth. Use eggs to explore how soda and juice can stain teeth and wear down the enamel. Expand your learning by trying different toothpaste-and-toothbrush combinations to see how effective they are.

Learn more: Sugar and Teeth Experiment

23. Mummify a hot dog

If your kids are fascinated by the Egyptians, they’ll love learning to mummify a hot dog! No need for canopic jars , just grab some baking soda and get started.

24. Extinguish flames with carbon dioxide

This is a fiery twist on acid-base experiments. Light a candle and talk about what fire needs in order to survive. Then, create an acid-base reaction and “pour” the carbon dioxide to extinguish the flame. The CO2 gas acts like a liquid, suffocating the fire.

25. Send secret messages with invisible ink

Turn your kids into secret agents! Write messages with a paintbrush dipped in lemon juice, then hold the paper over a heat source and watch the invisible become visible as oxidation goes to work.

Learn more: Invisible Ink

26. Create dancing popcorn

This is a fun version of the classic baking soda and vinegar experiment, perfect for the younger crowd. The bubbly mixture causes popcorn to dance around in the water.

27. Shoot a soda geyser sky-high

You’ve always wondered if this really works, so it’s time to find out for yourself! Kids will marvel at the chemical reaction that sends diet soda shooting high in the air when Mentos are added.

Learn more: Soda Explosion

28. Send a teabag flying

Hot air rises, and this experiment can prove it! You’ll want to supervise kids with fire, of course. For more safety, try this one outside.

Learn more: Flying Tea Bags

29. Create magic milk

This fun and easy science experiment demonstrates principles related to surface tension, molecular interactions, and fluid dynamics.

Learn more: Magic Milk Experiment

30. Watch the water rise

Learn about Charles’s Law with this simple experiment. As the candle burns, using up oxygen and heating the air in the glass, the water rises as if by magic.

Learn more: Rising Water

31. Learn about capillary action

Kids will be amazed as they watch the colored water move from glass to glass, and you’ll love the easy and inexpensive setup. Gather some water, paper towels, and food coloring to teach the scientific magic of capillary action.

Learn more: Capillary Action

32. Give a balloon a beard

Equally educational and fun, this experiment will teach kids about static electricity using everyday materials. Kids will undoubtedly get a kick out of creating beards on their balloon person!

Learn more: Static Electricity

33. Find your way with a DIY compass

Here’s an old classic that never fails to impress. Magnetize a needle, float it on the water’s surface, and it will always point north.

Learn more: DIY Compass

34. Crush a can using air pressure

Sure, it’s easy to crush a soda can with your bare hands, but what if you could do it without touching it at all? That’s the power of air pressure!

35. Tell time using the sun

While people use clocks or even phones to tell time today, there was a time when a sundial was the best means to do that. Kids will certainly get a kick out of creating their own sundials using everyday materials like cardboard and pencils.

Learn more: Make Your Own Sundial

36. Launch a balloon rocket

Grab balloons, string, straws, and tape, and launch rockets to learn about the laws of motion.

37. Make sparks with steel wool

All you need is steel wool and a 9-volt battery to perform this science demo that’s bound to make their eyes light up! Kids learn about chain reactions, chemical changes, and more.

Learn more: Steel Wool Electricity

38. Levitate a Ping-Pong ball

Kids will get a kick out of this experiment, which is really all about Bernoulli’s principle. You only need plastic bottles, bendy straws, and Ping-Pong balls to make the science magic happen.

39. Whip up a tornado in a bottle

There are plenty of versions of this classic experiment out there, but we love this one because it sparkles! Kids learn about a vortex and what it takes to create one.

Learn more: Tornado in a Bottle

40. Monitor air pressure with a DIY barometer

This simple but effective DIY science project teaches kids about air pressure and meteorology. They’ll have fun tracking and predicting the weather with their very own barometer.

Learn more: DIY Barometer

41. Peer through an ice magnifying glass

Students will certainly get a thrill out of seeing how an everyday object like a piece of ice can be used as a magnifying glass. Be sure to use purified or distilled water since tap water will have impurities in it that will cause distortion.

Learn more: Ice Magnifying Glass

42. String up some sticky ice

Can you lift an ice cube using just a piece of string? This quick experiment teaches you how. Use a little salt to melt the ice and then refreeze the ice with the string attached.

Learn more: Sticky Ice

43. “Flip” a drawing with water

Light refraction causes some really cool effects, and there are multiple easy science experiments you can do with it. This one uses refraction to “flip” a drawing; you can also try the famous “disappearing penny” trick .

Learn more: Light Refraction With Water

44. Color some flowers

We love how simple this project is to re-create since all you’ll need are some white carnations, food coloring, glasses, and water. The end result is just so beautiful!

45. Use glitter to fight germs

Everyone knows that glitter is just like germs—it gets everywhere and is so hard to get rid of! Use that to your advantage and show kids how soap fights glitter and germs.

Learn more: Glitter Germs

46. Re-create the water cycle in a bag

You can do so many easy science experiments with a simple zip-top bag. Fill one partway with water and set it on a sunny windowsill to see how the water evaporates up and eventually “rains” down.

Learn more: Water Cycle

47. Learn about plant transpiration

Your backyard is a terrific place for easy science experiments. Grab a plastic bag and rubber band to learn how plants get rid of excess water they don’t need, a process known as transpiration.

Learn more: Plant Transpiration

48. Clean up an oil spill

Before conducting this experiment, teach your students about engineers who solve environmental problems like oil spills. Then, have your students use provided materials to clean the oil spill from their oceans.

Learn more: Oil Spill

49. Construct a pair of model lungs

Kids get a better understanding of the respiratory system when they build model lungs using a plastic water bottle and some balloons. You can modify the experiment to demonstrate the effects of smoking too.

Learn more: Model Lungs

50. Experiment with limestone rocks

Kids  love to collect rocks, and there are plenty of easy science experiments you can do with them. In this one, pour vinegar over a rock to see if it bubbles. If it does, you’ve found limestone!

Learn more: Limestone Experiments

51. Turn a bottle into a rain gauge

All you need is a plastic bottle, a ruler, and a permanent marker to make your own rain gauge. Monitor your measurements and see how they stack up against meteorology reports in your area.

Learn more: DIY Rain Gauge

52. Build up towel mountains

This clever demonstration helps kids understand how some landforms are created. Use layers of towels to represent rock layers and boxes for continents. Then pu-u-u-sh and see what happens!

Learn more: Towel Mountains

53. Take a play dough core sample

Learn about the layers of the earth by building them out of Play-Doh, then take a core sample with a straw. ( Love Play-Doh? Get more learning ideas here. )

Learn more: Play Dough Core Sampling

54. Project the stars on your ceiling

Use the video lesson in the link below to learn why stars are only visible at night. Then create a DIY star projector to explore the concept hands-on.

Learn more: DIY Star Projector

55. Make it rain

Use shaving cream and food coloring to simulate clouds and rain. This is an easy science experiment little ones will beg to do over and over.

Learn more: Shaving Cream Rain

56. Blow up your fingerprint

This is such a cool (and easy!) way to look at fingerprint patterns. Inflate a balloon a bit, use some ink to put a fingerprint on it, then blow it up big to see your fingerprint in detail.

57. Snack on a DNA model

Twizzlers, gumdrops, and a few toothpicks are all you need to make this super-fun (and yummy!) DNA model.

Learn more: Edible DNA Model

58. Dissect a flower

Take a nature walk and find a flower or two. Then bring them home and take them apart to discover all the different parts of flowers.

59. Craft smartphone speakers

No Bluetooth speaker? No problem! Put together your own from paper cups and toilet paper tubes.

Learn more: Smartphone Speakers

60. Race a balloon-powered car

Kids will be amazed when they learn they can put together this awesome racer using cardboard and bottle-cap wheels. The balloon-powered “engine” is so much fun too.

Learn more: Balloon-Powered Car

61. Build a Ferris wheel

You’ve probably ridden on a Ferris wheel, but can you build one? Stock up on wood craft sticks and find out! Play around with different designs to see which one works best.

Learn more: Craft Stick Ferris Wheel

62. Design a phone stand

There are lots of ways to craft a DIY phone stand, which makes this a perfect creative-thinking STEM challenge.

63. Conduct an egg drop

Put all their engineering skills to the test with an egg drop! Challenge kids to build a container from stuff they find around the house that will protect an egg from a long fall (this is especially fun to do from upper-story windows).

Learn more: Egg Drop Challenge Ideas

64. Engineer a drinking-straw roller coaster

STEM challenges are always a hit with kids. We love this one, which only requires basic supplies like drinking straws.

Learn more: Straw Roller Coaster

65. Build a solar oven

Explore the power of the sun when you build your own solar ovens and use them to cook some yummy treats. This experiment takes a little more time and effort, but the results are always impressive. The link below has complete instructions.

Learn more: Solar Oven

66. Build a Da Vinci bridge

There are plenty of bridge-building experiments out there, but this one is unique. It’s inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s 500-year-old self-supporting wooden bridge. Learn how to build it at the link, and expand your learning by exploring more about Da Vinci himself.

Learn more: Da Vinci Bridge

67. Step through an index card

This is one easy science experiment that never fails to astonish. With carefully placed scissor cuts on an index card, you can make a loop large enough to fit a (small) human body through! Kids will be wowed as they learn about surface area.

68. Stand on a pile of paper cups

Combine physics and engineering and challenge kids to create a paper cup structure that can support their weight. This is a cool project for aspiring architects.

Learn more: Paper Cup Stack

69. Test out parachutes

Gather a variety of materials (try tissues, handkerchiefs, plastic bags, etc.) and see which ones make the best parachutes. You can also find out how they’re affected by windy days or find out which ones work in the rain.

Learn more: Parachute Drop

70. Recycle newspapers into an engineering challenge

It’s amazing how a stack of newspapers can spark such creative engineering. Challenge kids to build a tower, support a book, or even build a chair using only newspaper and tape!

Learn more: Newspaper STEM Challenge

71. Use rubber bands to sound out acoustics

Explore the ways that sound waves are affected by what’s around them using a simple rubber band “guitar.” (Kids absolutely love playing with these!)

Learn more: Rubber Band Guitar

72. Assemble a better umbrella

Challenge students to engineer the best possible umbrella from various household supplies. Encourage them to plan, draw blueprints, and test their creations using the scientific method.

Learn more: Umbrella STEM Challenge

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How to Make Oobleck

Oobleck is cornstarch and water that when mixed together can act like a solid and a liquid. We’ll show you how to make oobleck . This recipe is simple and fun to do. It’s a lot easier than making slime and kids love playing with it!

RELATED : Fluffy Slime

Oobleck is a mixture of cornstarch and water. Two ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen cupboards! You can also add some food coloring to it. We made ours green to turn it into a pretend Witch’s brew for Halloween. You can leave it without color or make any color you like.

This simple recipe is easy to do and kids will love touching and playing with it! If you want to make slime too, you can find all of our slime recipes here .

What Is Oobleck?

Oobleck isn’t a liquid or a solid, it’s a non-Newtonian fluid. At times, it may seem like a solid or a liquid but it acts differently than a normal solid or liquid. Making oobleck is a great science experiment to show how changes in pressure  can change the properties of some materials. Sort of like how temperature changes the properties of water. Cold or freezing temperatures turns water into ice. Whereas warm temperatures melts ice and turns it into a liquid.

Here’s how to see the difference you can make by applying pressure to your oobleck : Apply quick pressure with a spoon and this will increase the oobleck’s viscosity by forcing the cornstarch particles together. It will feel hard and you can even form the oobleck into a ball if you try with your hands. Release your pressure or slowly dip your spoon into the mixture and it will act like it’s more like water. By moving slowly, the cornstarch particles have time to move out of the way.

If you want to pair this activity with a book, you can read the Dr Seuss book, Bartholomew and the Oobleck .

Oobleck Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this oobleck recipe:

• 2 cups cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• Food coloring (optional)

Note: Cornstarch may also be referred to as cornflour. Make sure you are using the white cornflour.

How Long Does Oobleck Last?

Oobleck will last a day. After that it starts to go bad.

To dispose of the oobleck, we like to let it dry out overnight. The next day, you can take a spoon and smash it up into little pieces that can be placed in your green bin. If you want to wash it out, make sure to mix it with a lot of hot water.

Watch the Video Tutorial!

How to make oobleck: step-by-step instructions.

Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to make oobleck: 

1. Mix 2 cups of cornstarch to 1 cup of water into a bowl.

Mix the cornstarch and water until your oobleck is formed.

Tip: If you would like to color your oobleck, add your food coloring to your water and then mix with the cornstarch.

Halloween Activity Suggestion : If you want to turn this into a Witch’s brew oobleck, repeat this recipe until your cauldron is full. This 14 inch cauldron is perfect for this activity.

2. If you find the mixture is a little too watery and not forming into a solid when you pull the oobleck out of your bowl then add more cornstarch.

If you find the mixture is not dripping like a liquid, add a little more water. Just keep experimenting until you get the consistency shown in the video above.

Activity Suggestions: 

• Take a potato masher or spoon and hit the top of the oobleck quickly. You’ll notice the spoon or utensil will bounce off, giving the appearance that the oobleck is a solid. As mentioned above, this is because the pressure forces the cornstarch particles together increasing the oobleck’s viscosity. Then move slowly into the oobleck with your spoon and this will allow the particles time to move out of the way which will let you dip it into the oobleck.

• Pick up the oobleck with your hands and form a ball. Then let go of the ball and watch it melt into your hands like magic!

• Make a Halloween version ! Add some small spiders and eyes and about 10 batches of oobleck (will vary depending on your size) into a cauldron. Make it green or purple to look like a Witch’s brew!

Kids will love dipping their hands into the witch’s brew to find Halloween treasure while they learn about the science too!

We know you’ll love making this easy science experiment with your kids! This is perfect for a Halloween party or even just a rainy day activity. Be sure to see all of our slime recipes you can make to explore the science behind slime as well!

More Science for Kids

For more fun science for kids – we have lots of slime recipes. Learn how to make slime with contact solution .

Fluffy slime is really fun to make! It has a different texture than regular slime and is really fun to play with.

More Science Activities for Kids

Grow a Rainbow Experiment

Baking Soda Volcano

Ice Cream in a Bag

Related Ideas:

Fluffy Slime Recipe

How to Make Slime With Contact Solution

Oil and Water Experiment

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14 comments on “how to make oobleck”.

If I don’t have cornstarch then can I still make it?

Unfortunately no you can only do it with cornstarch (sometimes called cornflour).

is this good for a 5th grade science project?

For 5th grade you may want to incorporate some other tests, like what happens when you change the ratio of cornstarch to water? Can you walk on the oobleck if you made a large enough tub of it? This is actually possible.

About how much does this recipe make? Enough for 2 kids to share some?

Yes it would be more than enough for 2 kids.

I want to make this but I don’t have corn-starch. is there anything at all that I could use instead.

Unfortunately you need corn starch for it to work.

Does cornflour work the same?

Yes cornflour is another name for cornstarch. 🙂

Can you use flour instead of cornstarch?

No it needs to be cornstarch to work.

I can’t wait to try this with my kiddos! Quick question, water temperature wasn’t mentioned… Should water be cold or warm?

It doesn’t matter but a little on the warmer side will be easier to touch and not so cold on the hands. 🙂

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Cornflour slime - liquid or solid?

What you need

• cornflour, as much as you can
• Put most of the cornflour in the bowl.
• Slowly add water to the cornflour until it starts to behave ‘strangely’ – you’ll need about twice as much cornflour than water so be careful not to add too much!
• Move your hand throw the mixture, first slowly then quickly.
• Try to punch the mixture! Have some fun and play around with it.

What you may notice

When you move your fingers slowly through the mixture, it acts like a liquid. When you punch it or squeeze it, it behaves like a solid!

The science behind it all The cornflour-water mixture is an example of a non-Newtonian fluid. Newtonian fluids, such as water, maintain a constant viscosity (the measure of a fluid’s resistance to flow) unless the temperature or pressure changes. Non-Newtonian fluids are affected by other forces. In the case of the cornflour-water solution, when you apply force, it behaves like a solid.

There is lots of science going on in this simple experiment. Cornflour is made up of lots of tiny starch particles and when it is mixed with water, the starch particles become suspended in liquid as the water moves in between them. The water acts as a lubricant so when you move the mixture slowly, the particles have time to move past each other and the mixture acts like a liquid. When you apply rapid force to the mixture, the starch particles move slightly and lock together. All the water that filled the cracks between the particles moves into little gaps. Instead of having lots of lubricated individual particles, the particles form into a solid structure which cannot flow and the mixture acts like a solid.

Beyond the science The cornflour-water mixture is an example of a non-Newtonian fluid. Newtonian fluids, such as water, maintain a constant viscosity (the measure of a fluid’s resistance to flow) unless the temperature or pressure changes. Non-Newtonian fluids are affected by other forces. In the case of the cornflour-water solution, when you apply force, it behaves like a solid.

Non-Newtonian fluids are categorised depending on how they flow and while the type of flow in the cornstarch-water solution isn’t common in the food industry, there are many substances that exhibit non-Newtonian fluid behaviour such as ketchup, mayonnaise or yoghurt.

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Experiments With Cornstarch & Water

Why Do Balloons Inflate When on a Bottle of Hot Water?

Matter is usually defined as being a solid, a liquid or a gas. Suspensions, however, act as different states of matter depending on the force applied to them. Using cornstarch and water, you can create a suspension and conduct experiments to model how this type of matter behaves.

Suspensions

Mix 1 cup of cornstarch and 1 cup of water in a bowl. Stir until you have the consistency of pancake batter. Put your hands in the mixture and move them around. The more you try to move it, the thicker and more solid it feels. Pour the mixture into a pan and hit it with an open hand. It doesn’t splash. Cornstarch and water creates a suspension. When squeezed, it feels like a solid because its molecules move closer together, lining up. It looks and acts like a liquid when there is no force applied to it because the molecules are relaxed and separated.

Cornstarch Quicksand

Demonstrate how quicksand works by mixing 1 cup of water to a box of cornstarch. Place your hand into the mixture and move it around. The more you move, the more solid it becomes. Try to grab the mixture and pull it upward. The sensation is the same sensation you would feel in quicksand. Place an object in the mixture, then try to remove it. Cornstarch and water make a suspension; a mixture of two substances where one is dispersed into the other. In this case, cornstarch is dispersed into water. Quicksand is a mixture of sand and water, where the grains of sand float on the water. The faster you move around in it, the harder it becomes to get out, just as with the cornstarch and water.

Non-Newtonian Fluid

Non-Newtonian fluids turn into solids when pressure is applied. To demonstrate this, mix a quarter-cup of cornstarch with a quarter cup of water. Try to pick up the mixture in your hand and work it into a ball on your palm. It is solid and workable if you push it around. When you stop, it turns to liquid. Tap it with your finger, then press your finger slowly into the mixture. When you move slowly you allow the cornstarch molecules to separate. When you tap it, the cornstarch molecules move closer together and cannot slide past each other, creating a barrier. In most fluids, viscosity is only affected by temperature. These are called Newtonian fluids. Cornstarch and water is affected by temperature as well, but its level of viscosity also depends on the force applied to it or how fast something moves through it. This makes it non-Newtonian. Quicksand and ketchup are also non-Newtonian fluids.

Dancing Suspensions

Cornstarch and water does not have a constant viscosity. Left alone, it looks like a liquid. When stressed, such as when you push it or pull it, it changes to a solid. Demonstrate this by doing an experiment with speakers. Mix a box of cornstarch with a cup of water. Find an old speaker and remove the bottom part (the woofer) and hook it up to an amplifier. Line the speaker with a plastic bag and pour the cornstarch into it. Turn the speaker on at about 20 hertz, with the volume at a medium level. At 20 hertz the speaker’s percussive movements disturb the mixture enough to make it move. The sound waves travel through to make the mixture appear to dance in finger-like formations.

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Renee Miller began writing professionally in 2008, contributing to websites and the "Community Press" newspaper. She is co-founder of On Fiction Writing, a website for writers. Miller holds a diploma in social services from Clarke College in Belleville, Ontario.

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(pdf, 79KB). , , and , all from flour! Before trying out any of these recipes you should have a responsible adult on hand and this will probably be the person whose kitchen you are using! This is even more important if you are going to use a recipe that involves cooking. . . . . . In this case, first sift the dry ingredients together. Separately, mix the oil, water and food colouring together. Gradually add the hot liquid to the dry ingredients, mixing with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. When this is firm enough and cool enough, you can remove it and knead as above. . . Play of the Wild Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught. -Oscar Wilde 10 Cornflour Messy Play Activities *(Cornstarch) 10 Exciting Cornflour (Cornstarch) Messy Play Activities There are loads of fun cornflour ( cornstarch ) messy play activities to do which are great for sensory play. It is fun to mix cornflour with water and other substances for a range of different sensory experiences from classic oobleck to snow dough.   Cornflour and water (known as oobleck) is a non-Newtonian fluid, so it doesn’t follow Newton’s law of viscosity. Non-Newtonian fluids become runnier (e.g. ketchup) or thicker when the force on them changes. Cornflour and water become more viscous when shaken or squeezed so they can be particularly fun for sensory play. It can also be an excellent way for children to make marks and practice drawing and writing. *Please note that this post contains affiliate links to help with the running cost of this website. Thank you for your support so that we can keep writing! What you need for Cornflour (Cornstarch) Messy Play Activities Oobleck recipe. Oobleck is easy to make! You need about 1.5 or 2 parts cornflour ( cornstarch ) for every 1 part water, and you can also add in food colouring . It can also be fun for children to add more water or cornflour to explore how it changes the consistency.   Children can enjoy picking up, squeezing, pouring, scooping, scraping and running their fingers through oobleck. When you can let children explore playing with it, you may find that they want to add things into it like flower petals, leaves or other things they might find. You may also want to give children spoons and small containers so that they can pour it, mix it and make it into ‘chocolates’, ‘pies’ or whatever else their imaginations create. Frozen Oobleck Another fun way to explore oobleck is to freeze it. Mix it up as above. Put it in an ice cube tray or other mould , then put it in the freezer for several hours. It can also be fun to add things like boba (tapioca balls) , flower petals, or water beads to make it even more exciting. It will thaw slowly while the children are playing with it, so it is nice to have some on hand that is not frozen so they can play with both at the same time. Frozen oobleck is a fantastic activity for a hot day!   Oobleck Paint & Cornflour Paint Cornflour paint is quick and easy taste-safe paint that you can make at home. You can create colourful oobleck that children can use to paint, or you can make a creamier version that is a bit more like finger paints. To make basic oobleck paint, combine about 1 cup water for every 1.5 to 2 cups of corn flour ( corn starch ). Then divide up into different bowls or cupcake tray tins where food colouring can be combined in various ways to make different colours. You can also make creamy cornflour paint that is very similar to finger paints. For the full recipe, see my post,  Corn Starch Paint . Glowing Oobleck -Cornflour Messy Play You can make your oobleck even more exciting by making it glow!! To make your oobleck glow, you will need a backlight or backlight torch /flashlight, vitamin B , some tonic water or turmeric . Tonic water glows blue/white under UV light, vitamin B glows yellow, and turmeric glows bright yellow-green. Glowing oobleck would be excellent around Halloween, and it makes for a lovely multisensory experience. If you make this for a Halloween party, you may even want to add a couple of drops of essential oils or spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg so that your oobleck also stimulates the children’s sense of smell (olfactory system). Shaving Foam and Cornflour Fluffy Slime Activities To make fluffy slime, sprinkle some cornflour into the bottom of a bowl. Then spray some shaving foam on top, add some food colouring (optional) and mix it. If it is too gooey, slowly add some more cornflour but if it is too dry and crumbly slowly mix in more shaving foam. I don’t have an exact recipe because it can vary so much depending on which type of shaving foam you use and it can also be hard to measure. If you make the mixture with more shaving foam, it can have a consistency similar to buttercream frosting. This is especially lovely for children to squeeze and run through their fingers.   It can get extremely messy, so when I do this type of activity, I tend to dress my youngest in a puddle suit and also use a tuff spot.  See my post,  Shaving Foam Sensory Play Ideas  for full details.  Dish Soap and Cornflour – Silly Putty or Slime To make this homemade silly putty, you need to combine about 3 tablespoons of dish soap with 4 tablespoons of cornflour / cornstarch . The exact ratio may vary depending on what type of dish soap you use and if you want your putty slimy or more like putty/dough. When I used an eco-friendly brand, I had to use almost 6 tablespoons of cornflour for 3 tablespoons of dish soap. You can also add in food colouring and even glitter. This recipe is a lovely alternative to other homemade slimes that use borax. Cornflour and Glue Slime To make cornflour and glue slime, you need to use a ratio of 1 to 2, so for every cup of glue you will need about 2 cups of cornflour. Combine both ingredients in a bowl with food colouring and mix with a spoon or spatula. This slime is extremely gooey and sticky, so it’s lovely for sensory play but not something you want to get all over your house. I would make sure that you have somewhere safe (like a tray or large bowl) to play with this.  Snow dough is a twist on Cloud Dough . It moulds into shapes like Cloud Dough , but it is soft, and it can also feel a bit crunchy and hard when you squeeze it. When you squeeze it, it makes a sound similar to walking on snow. To make it, combine about 2 cups cornflour for ½ cup vegetable oil. To make it sparkly, you can also add glitter. Cornflour Conditioner Playdough Cornflour Conditioner Playdough  is a lovely salt-free, no-cook alternative to traditional playdough. It has a consistency that is a cross between playdough and oobleck, and children will enjoy pulling it, squeezing it and squashing it. Children also enjoy making prints in it using toys. See the link above for full details and the recipe. Questions to ask How does it feel? What do you notice? What can you make? How does it change when you squeeze it? Let it go? Shake it? Squash it? What they get from it Sensory play is great for children’s learning and development by helping strengthen connections in the brain. These cornflour messy play activities help in the development of children’s language and communication skills, as well as cognitive, and gross and fine motor skills. The more sensory experiences we have, the better our ability to develop pathways in the brain for thought, learning and creativity (Gascoyne, 2016). Children can help measure, pour and mix ingredients which helps them to understand volume and to develop motor skills. The sensory play involved with many of these activities helps to build dexterity, strength, and manipulative skills. Cornflour Messy Play Activities – Take it further I hope you enjoyed these cornflour (cornstarch) messy play activities! You may want to see some of my posts on  Shaving Foam Sensory Play Ideas  or  Edible Mark Making Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers  for sensory and mark making ideas. If you are interested in some further ideas to develop fine motor skills, you may want to see some of my playdough recipes such as   Homemade Cooked Playdough with Cream of Tartar ,  Homemade Playdough without Salt , or  Pumpkin Spice Playdough Recipe . Gascoyne, Sue (2016).  Sensory Play: Play in the EYFS . Andrews UK Limited. Baby , Creativity , Motor Skills , Physics & Chemistry , Preschooler , School Age , Sensory , toddler colour , cornflour , flowers , frozen , sensory play , Water One thought on “ 10 Cornflour Messy Play Activities *(Cornstarch) ” Leave a comment › Pingback: Pre-writing Activities for Preschoolers & Kindergarten – Play of the Wild Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Science Fun Home Made Play Dough 3 cups of flour 1 ½ cups of salt 6 tspn cream of tartar 3 tbspn of oil 3 cups of water VIDEO COMING SOON BUT YOU CAN STILL ENJOY THESE AWESOME EXPERIMENTS! Instructions: *Junior Scientists must have a responsible adult assistant to help! Dissolve salt in the water. Pour all ingredients into a large pot. Stir constantly over medium heat until a ball forms by pulling away from the sides. Knead the dough mixture until the texture matches playdough (1-2 minutes). Store in plastic container. Should last for at least 3 months. You can even try adding a package of Kool Aid to give the playdough color and a nice scent! EXPLORE TONS OF FUN AND EASY SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS! SUBSCRIBE AND NEVER MISS A NEW SCIENCE FUN VIDEO! previous experiment Next experiment. Flour and Water Curiosity , Experimentation , Exploration , Play , Pre-School , Sensory , Toddler We recently attended a back-to-school event at my daughter’s preschool, where her teacher shared a funny and inspiring story that involved a messy flour and water sensory activity. With my ears on the alert for fun and thoughtful creativity-builders, I knew immediately that this was something we had to try. It’s unbelievably simple and requires no art supplies…all you need is flour and water. It’s so straightforward, in fact, that I’m almost embarrassed it wasn’t already part of my repertoire. Strip your kids down and get ready for some messy flour fun. This activity is all about activating the senses, and will entertain your toddler or preschooler for a good long time. Guaranteed. Before you get started, be prepared for a bit of mess, although nothing too cray-cray since it’s just flour and water. I set us up in the kitchen and placed the materials on a low table covered in oil cloth. Our materials included a large mixing bowl, three little bowls, and a spoon. Two of the little bowls were half-full of flour, and the third was three quarters full of warm water. The large bowl was empty. Without giving her any directions, I merely placed the materials in front of my daughter and encouraged her exploration with comments such as “you’re dumping the flour in the large mixing bowl” and “what does the dough feel like in your hands?” Pouring water with a spoon. My daughter started by pouring all of the flour into the large bowl and mixing it dry. After playing with it for a bit, she requested more flour. I gave her two more bowls, one white and one wheat, and we talked about the differences for a moment before the scooping resumed.  After moving all of the flour into the large bowl, she scooped it all back up with her spoon and divided most of it up into the little bowls until they overflowed. At this point the water was still untouched, which really surprised me as I imagined she’d hastily dump the water in the large bowl in one big pour. Instead, she gently poured the water, spoonful by spoonful, into a small bowl of flour and mixed it in. And she was very careful to keep her hands clean throughout! No surprise there, as my child is obsessed with napkins and tidiness. Hand mixing. But as the activity escalated, one hand finally succumbed to hand mixing, and then the fun really began. She had a running commentary throughout the process that was fun to witness. I sounded something like this, “Now I’m mixing it with my hand. It’s like dough. I’m pouring more water in. I’m making bread dough. Can we make this in the bread maker?” At the end of it all, she asked for a mid-day bath, and my trusty assistant/Mother-in-Law and I were more than happy to oblige. More sensory ideas Fill a tub with beans, rice, or sand. Offer your child small bowls and scoopers for filling and dumping. Play with shaving cream. Mix corn starch and water. What a strange feeling! Play with ice cubes in a warm bath. Shine a flashlight or experiment with a glow stick in a dark room. Blow out candles. oh dear oh dear. the words flour and water bring back a dark memory. Simone and I did a paper mâché balloon with flour and water and it was a disaster. I was giving her instructions on how to use it and she just wanted to splash the solution everywhere. I became irrational because I wanted to do a specific project and she wanted to explore. if only I knew then what I know now. a child explores. adults follow instruction. oh rachelle. and this is why I am always impressed with your blog because you state the obvious. stand back and observe. but I do have to say. the flour and water we played with turned into rock hard glue and I was unable to wash it out of any fabric and I was scrubbing bowls for days. do you have a trick? dan! it’s so true that little ones have their own ideas, and are more invested in process that product. as for clean-up, i left it to my MIL, and she was definitely busy scrubbing the table cloth for longer than I expected. This is why I recommend stripping kids down, and covering surfaces. maybe soaking bowls in hot water would help? did your paste mix ever come out of the fabric? no it didn’t. the clothes hit the trash and the blanket is now decorated with chunks. but in the end there is no loss. I gained knowledge and experience. How have I never done this with the kids?! I was asking myself the same question! Flour and Water is THE BEST!! Isn’t it amazing how easy it is to bring important learning to children? Flour and water! yes, the clean up is something special, but it’s worth it. Congratulations are doing something wonderful for your child!!!! ~ MaryAnn I like your description of clean up as “something special.” I’ll keep that language in mind the next time I’m cursing the end of a big, messy, fun project 🙂 […] their fun with plain flour, add water to make it a whole new experience! These instructions from TinkerLab will give you ideas for getting started, like including a spoon your child can use to add water or […] Comments are closed. TinkerLab is a creative studio dedicated to sparking curiosity and a love for art through hands-on making. Our mission is to inspire creativity and experimentation in makers and artists of all ages, transforming everyday moments into creative adventures. USEFUL LINKS Testimonials Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions GET IN TOUCH 855 El Camino Real Suite 13A-144 Palo Alto, CA 94301 10 WAYS TO INTRODUCE ART TO PRESCHOOLERS An inspiring 10-point poster for your fridge, planning binder, or to share with colleagues or friends. TinkerLab acknowledges the ancestral land of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, and pays respect to elders both past and present. This land was and continues to be of great importance to the Ohlone people, and we have a responsibility to acknowledge, honor and make visible the our relationship to Native peoples. Donate to the Association of Ramaytush Ohlone.  Skip to primary navigation Skip to main content Skip to primary sidebar FREE Experiments Kitchen Science Climate Change Egg Experiments Fairy Tale Science Edible Science Human Health Inspirational Women Forces and Motion Science Fair Projects STEM Challenges Science Sparks Books Contact Science Sparks Science Resources for Home and School Which solids dissolve in water? November 17, 2011 By Emma Vanstone 21 Comments Today’s experiment is very simple but hopefully fascinating for even very young children. We’re going to investigate which solids dissolve in water . When a substance  dissolves in water, you can’t see it anymore; it’s still there but has mixed with the water to make a transparent liquid called a  solution. We call substances that dissolve in water  soluble . Sugar and salt are examples of soluble substances. Substances that do not dissolve in water are called  insoluble . Sand and flour are examples of insoluble substances. You’ll need Transparent containers – test tubes or beakers Water ( warm and cold ) Substances to try to dissolve, e.g. sugar, coffee, pepper, sand, flour, salt. Instructions Add a teaspoon of whichever solid you are testing to a glass of cold water and a glass of warm water. Stir and observe the difference. Watch to see if the solid dissolves in warm and cold water and if one is better than the other. Remember to use the same amount of each solid and the same amount of cold and warm water to make the investigation a fair test . Can you design a chart for recording your observations? Which solids dissolve in water Things like salt, sugar and coffee dissolve in water. They are soluble . They usually dissolve faster and better in warm or hot water. Pepper and sand are insoluble; they will not dissolve even in hot water. Dissolving for older children Everything is made of particles which are constantly moving. When a soluble solid ( solute ) is mixed with a suitable liquid (solvent), it forms a solution . This process is called dissolving . Two things that affect the speed at which a solid dissolves are temperature and the size of the grains of the solid . Caster sugar, made of fine particles, will dissolve quickly, but bigger sugar particles will take longer. Solids dissolve faster in hot water; in hot water, molecules move more quickly, so they bump into each other more often, increasing the rate of reaction. An example of a physical change Dissolving is an example of a physical change. The particles involved are rearranged, but no chemical bonds are changed. In a physical change, there is no change in mass. If you dissolved 10g of salt in 100g of water, you’d have 110g of solution. More Dissolving Experiments Make a naked egg and watch as vinegar dissolves the calcium carbonate of the eggshell. Lava lamps work because the effervescent tablet dissolves in water releasing carbon dioxide. Handy definitions Solute – the solid being dissolved Solvent – the liquid the solid is dissolving into. Solution – the solute and the solvent Soluble – solute that does dissolve Solubility – how much of a solute will dissolve Insoluble – does not dissolve Saturated – a solution that won’t dissolve any more solute at that temperature. More Science for Kids Don’t forget we have lots more easy science experiments for kids at home that you can try too! You might also like our science books ! This IS Rocket Science contains 70 fun space experiments for kids, including bottle rockets, film canister rockets, space marble runs and shadow puppets. Snackable Science contains 60 tasty and edible science snacks!! Contains affiliate links Last Updated on April 9, 2024 by Emma Vanstone Safety Notice Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely. Reader Interactions November 17, 2011 at 2:07 pm For some reason, I struggled to understand solids dissolving in liquids. It was probably until I was in high school and taking Chemistry before I really got it. 😉 I like the little experiment. November 23, 2011 at 10:34 pm Glad you like it, we aim to please. xx November 18, 2011 at 12:16 am what simple experiments, my little one will be fascinated by this. November 18, 2011 at 9:17 am Thanks, My 4 year old loved trying all the different things! x December 15, 2019 at 6:51 pm I just needed to get this information for my butterfly garden but after Reading this i will try to do this when i have a science project November 20, 2011 at 8:32 pm Very fun & simple enough for my little ones! Welcome to TGIF LInky Party. Thanks for linking up. Don’t forget to grab the TGIF button for your post or sidebar so others can find the party & link up too. Thanks & see you next week, Beth =-) November 23, 2011 at 10:33 pm Thanks Beth. x November 23, 2011 at 7:46 pm You do really come up with fabulous experiments to do at home 🙂 Thank you for joining Kids Get Crafty! November 23, 2011 at 10:31 pm Thanks Maggy, glad you liked it. x November 29, 2011 at 3:00 am I am fascinated by this & want to try it! Thanks for linking your idea to the Sunday Showcase last week. Hope to see you this week! Bern http://momto2poshlildivas.blogspot.com/search/label/Sunday%20Showcase November 29, 2011 at 2:40 pm Yay, so glad you like it, let us know how you get on. x February 19, 2013 at 5:59 pm simple but effective February 23, 2013 at 3:35 pm Had so much fun doing this for homework, you basically saved me in a desperate situation, simple but very effective ;0) February 26, 2013 at 4:36 pm do all solids dissolve in water? April 26, 2017 at 8:52 am not all of them April 30, 2016 at 2:43 pm what other solids dissolve? February 12, 2017 at 9:12 am Loved this experiment – My daughter is nearly 5 and she loved setting up and carrying out the experiment 🙂 We wrote about it first a nd then after we wrote our findings down and then the sciency part too – She has to practise her sentence writing for school (she is in YR R) and it’s not a secret that my daughter loves to write. I wanted to give her a reason to write so experiments are a great way so I don’t have to pluck a random sentence out of the air on demand – THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! August 30, 2017 at 7:15 pm So cool! most coolest thing i have ever seen May 08, 2018 at 3:23 pm September 04, 2019 at 3:50 pm Was a very fun experiment and also very fun to do… Had a fun learning experience with the simple ,little experiment… during theory classes I wasn’t able to understand until I got to do this experiment..the for coming up with the idea. Wish u luck for upcoming experiments. Love .MELLOW Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Amazingly Cool Classic Science | Yeast Science Experiment Every kid should do at least several classic science experiments before they get too old to enjoy them. On the list today was the classic yeast science experiment. We decided to find out what type of sugar helped yeast grow best, or if sugar helps at all. * This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. Click here for my full disclosure. We are on a small kick to explore foods that we eat at a Thanksgiving Feast and of course, bread is a very popular item. When the kids saw the dough rising in the bowl, they immediately had questions that they wanted answers to. That’s when I thought this would be the perfect way to explain the way yeast works. Classic Yeast Science Experiment What you’ll need for the yeast science experiment:. 3 types of sugar (we used brown sugar, white sugar, and honey) I set everything up in advance of this project so the kids could jump right in. I measured 2 teaspoons of each type of sugar into four mini containers (we used film canisters) and laid everything out on the table for the kids to use. The kids poured half a packet of yeast into each bottle, then added two teaspoons of warm water. The kids next added one type of sugar to three bottles, but nothing to the last bottle. We labeled each bottle to keep track of what sugar was wear. A little shake mixed up the bottles and we could already see the yeast starting to grow! The kids screwed the caps back on the bottles and taped a water balloon to the top of each bottle spout (we had blown them up previously to stretch them out and make them easier to expand). We set the bottles of yeast aside for 30 minutes, then came back to check our results. Although it looked like the brown sugar activated the yeast the fastest, over the 30-minute period the white sugar outpaced it. The honey eventually blew up the balloon, but it took about an hour. The nothing jar never had enough air to blow up its balloon. We were curious, so we put our yeast bottles into the bathtub and left it for several hours. That night, we looked at our bottles again. The white sugar bottle had enough pressure to pop the balloon off the top. The honey and brown sugar bottles had balloons almost completely filled with yeast. The no-sugar bottle was still sad and deflated. The kids determined that if we wanted to make fluffy bread, we definitely should feed our yeast white sugar. Looking for more STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) projects and inspiration? Check out my new book STEAM Kids Christmas and get a FREE STEAM Kids Coloring book  if you buy during launch week! You can get both books (eBook PDF format) for only $9.99! But the sale and bonus book offer ends November 21 , so grab your copy now and don’t miss out! Get more information on STEAM Kids Christmas by clicking here . Or go order your copy now! eBook PDF or Paperback   You can also get a bundle with our best selling STEAM Kids book, STEAM Christmas and STEAM Kids Coloring book for one low price: Click here to get your bundle today ! Not quite ready to jump in, don’t worry… you can hop over and grab a FREE Preview which includes 2 sample activities, 6 sample challenge cards, and the table of contents of the book!  For more adventures in STEM Learning, check out: FREE DOWNLOAD Discover how to get siblings to get along even when all they do is annoy each other with the Sibling “Get Along” Poster Pack! 1 thought on “Amazingly Cool Classic Science | Yeast Science Experiment” Pingback: The Coolest Science Fair Projects for Kids - Left Brain Craft Brain Leave a Comment Cancel Reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. CONNECT WITH ME Why is gluten so important? Without it, there would be nothing to hold the gas that makes bread rise. Think of gluten as the rubber of a balloon: The stronger it is, the more gas it can hold. But stronger isn’t always better. For many baked goods, like pastries and pie crusts, it’s important to avoid gluten development. That’s why different flours contain different amounts of protein, depending on how they are meant to be used. A high-protein flour will make a dough with strong gluten, good for hearty yeast breads. Pastry chefs, on the other hand, prefer low-protein flours that yield delicate, tender doughs. The following activity is a great way to get a feel for gluten, and to find out why using different flours can lead to such different results. Recipe Conversions • Any combination of the following flours: whole wheat flour bread flour all-purpose flour pastry flour gluten flour instant flour • water (1/2 to 3/4 cup for each flour you ’ ll be using) • bowls (one for each flour you ’ ll be using) 1. Into separate bowls, measure out 1 cup of each of your flours. If your bowls look different, remember which one contains which type of flour. If not, label them. 2. Slowly add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup water to the flour in each bowl, and knead each mixture until it forms a soft, rubbery ball of dough. Let the dough balls sit for about 10 minutes. 3. In the sink, run cold water over one of the dough balls. Be careful not to let the dough disintegrate; try cupping your hands around the ball and squeezing gently to remove the starch. With low-gluten cake or pastry flours, you may want to put the dough in cheesecloth in order to hold it together. 4. You’ll notice the water turning milky as it washes away the starch in the dough. Keep pouring out the cloudy water that collects in the bottom of the bowl. Slowly, your dough ball will become a gummy, slimy network of gluten strands. 5. When the water no longer becomes milky, you know there’s no more starch in the dough, leaving nearly pure gluten. Notice how much smaller your ball has become—and how much more stretchy! 6. Repeat steps 3 to 5 for each of your flour types. How does the texture of each one differ as you wash away the starch? Does it take the same amount of time for each one? Are the gluten balls all the same size, or are some larger than others? When you knead dough, you help two proteins in wheat flour, gliadin and glutenin, form gluten. But flour also contains many other components—starch, lipids, sugars, and enzymes—that contribute to the consistency and nutritional value of bread. When you run water over dough in this activity, you wash away most of these other substances, isolating the gluten in the dough. In the oven, the steam produced as the gluten heats up expands the ball. Finally, the gluten hardens, and you have a finished gluten ball. Click here to learn more about how gluten is formed. In baking, gluten is mainly used for the light texture and distinct taste it gives bread. But it’s also nutritious in its own right. It is, after all, almost pure protein. And because of its chewy texture, many people—especially vegetarians—find it to be an excellent addition to stir-fries and stews. The gluten you extracted in the previous activity is technically edible. But you can make it much more palatable by flavoring it with soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and seaweed. The finished product, known as seitan , is a great source of texture and protein. To find out more about seitan—and to learn how to make it—check out this Vegetarian Journal article : http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj96mar/vjseitan.htm . For more about flour and dough, check out these links . © Exploratorium | Use Policy | Privacy Policy 492 IMAGES Easy Rainbow Walking Water Experiment For Kids Walking Water Experiment Water Cycle in a Bottle Science Experiment Water Science Experiments and Activities for Upper Elementary 8 Amazing Water Experiments At Home || Easy Science Experiments With Water 10 Amazing Water Experiments || Science Experiments With Water VIDEO Flour is so Dangerous 🔥#carbon #experiment Slow Motion Flour Craters Science Experiment new experiment😲🙃#shorts Cornflour And Water experiment Water fireworks experiment (Oil + Water + Color) for Kids Liquid Density Science Experiment Walking Water Experiment with Food Coloring and Paper towel! COMMENTS It's a Solid... It's a Liquid... It's Oobleck ... This substance's funny name comes from a Dr. Seuss book called. Bartholomew and the Oobleck. Materials. • 1 cup of water. • 1 to 2 cups of cornstarch. • Mixing bowl. • Food coloring ... Oobleck There are no exact formulas regarding how much water to add, but it will end up being about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of water per cup (235 ml) of cornstarch. The secret is to add the water slowly and mix as you add it. Don't be shy here - dig in with your hands and really mix it up. This is usually when you notice that this is not your average liquid. Make Your Own Kinetic Dough Instructions. Measure 1 cup of flour into each bowl. Set them side by side so you can make comparisons as you work. If using food coloring, add a few drops to your cooking oil and mix. Slowly add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil to one bowl of flour. Use your fork to mix the oil into the flour, until the oil is no longer visible and there are no big ... How to make oobleck Instructions for making cornflour gloop. Fill a cup with cornflour and pour it into a bowl. Add water slowly, mixing with your hands, until you get a sticky, slimy gloop. If you want to make it coloured, add some food colouring ( be careful this can stain skin and clothes). Play with the slime and see how it behaves. How to Mix Cornstarch and Water to Make Oobleck Cornstarch and Water Science Experiment Explanation. In the 1700s, Sir Isaac Newton identified the properties of a liquid. Water, juice, and other liquids have those properties and are called Newtonian Liquids or Fluids. The cornstarch and water mixture has properties of both a liquid and a solid, so it is identified as a non-Newtonian fluid. The science of cornstarch and water When you mix cornstarch and water, weird things happen. Sometimes it acts like a liquid and sometimes it acts like a solid. Now, a team of MIT engineers have... How To Make Oobleck Recipe STEP 1: Add the cornstarch to your bowl or baking dish. Mix two parts cornstarch with one part water. Note: Mixing the oobleck in a bowl and then transferring it to a baking dish or tray may be easier. STEP 2: Add the water to the cornstarch. If you want to give your oobleck a color such as green, add food coloring to your water first. 70 Easy Science Experiments Using Materials You Already Have Go Science Kids. 43. "Flip" a drawing with water. Light refraction causes some really cool effects, and there are multiple easy science experiments you can do with it. This one uses refraction to "flip" a drawing; you can also try the famous "disappearing penny" trick. How to Make Oobleck Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to make oobleck: 1. Mix 2 cups of cornstarch to 1 cup of water into a bowl. Mix the cornstarch and water until your oobleck is formed. Tip: If you would like to color your oobleck, add your food coloring to your water and then mix with the cornstarch. Halloween Activity Suggestion: If you want to ... Cornflour slime In the case of the cornflour-water solution, when you apply force, it behaves like a solid. There is lots of science going on in this simple experiment. Cornflour is made up of lots of tiny starch particles and when it is mixed with water, the starch particles become suspended in liquid as the water moves in between them. Experiments With Cornstarch & Water Suspensions. Mix 1 cup of cornstarch and 1 cup of water in a bowl. Stir until you have the consistency of pancake batter. Put your hands in the mixture and move them around. The more you try to move it, the thicker and more solid it feels. Pour the mixture into a pan and hit it with an open hand. Science on the Shelves Boil 5 cups of water in a pan. Separately, in a bowl, mix 1/4 cup of sieved flour with a cup of cold water. Mix to a smooth consistency (this bit is like making custard or a white sauce) and when all the lumps have gone, add the mixture to the water in the pan. Gently boil, stirring continually for 2-3 minutes until the mixture thickens. 10 Cornflour Messy Play Activities * (Cornstarch) Cornflour and water (known as oobleck) is a non-Newtonian fluid, so it doesn't follow Newton's law of viscosity. Non-Newtonian fluids become runnier (e.g. ketchup) or thicker when the force on them changes. Cornflour and water become more viscous when shaken or squeezed so they can be particularly fun for sensory play. Home Made Play Dough Materials: 3 cups of flour 1 ½ cups of salt 6 tspn cream of tartar 3 tbspn of oil 3 cups of water VIDEO COMING SOON BUT YOU CAN STILL ENJOY THESE AWESOME EXPERIMENTS! Instructions: *Junior Scientists must have a responsible adult assistant to help! Dissolve salt in the water. Pour all ingredients into a large pot. Stir constantly over medium heat until a ball forms by pulling away from the ... Cornstarch and Water Experiment https://mocomi.com/ presents: Cornstarch and Water Bonding - Science experiment for kids!REQUIREMENTS : -A BowlCornstarch WaterHOW TO DO : -Put the cornstarc... How to make play dough, a chemistry experiment Start with flour, salt, water and vegetable oil. Add some food coloring. Play with the dough you've made. In this quick ExpeRimental video from The Royal Institution, Pasha, Rushana and their son Aaryan demonstrate how to make play dough while exploring mixtures, solutions, and chemical reactions.. Salt and flour combined together produce a 'mixture' - they are physically combined but ... Flour and Water Before you get started, be prepared for a bit of mess, although nothing too cray-cray since it's just flour and water. I set us up in the kitchen and placed the materials on a low table covered in oil cloth. Our materials included a large mixing bowl, three little bowls, and a spoon. Two of the little bowls were half-full of flour, and the ... Which Solids Dissolve In Water Water ( warm and cold ) Substances to try to dissolve, e.g. sugar, coffee, pepper, sand, flour, salt. Instructions. Add a teaspoon of whichever solid you are testing to a glass of cold water and a glass of warm water. Stir and observe the difference. Watch to see if the solid dissolves in warm and cold water and if one is better than the other. Science experiment using cornflour and water Using cornflour and water, you can create a "slime" that looks like a liquid, but turns solid when impacted.For more info and a recipe, go to www.bbc.co.uk/s... Flour and Water Step 1. Flour and water are two main ingredients in many types of breads and pie crust recipes. When mixed together, they create a sticky dough. Ahead of time, heat treat the flour to 160°F in the oven or microwave to kill any bacteria that may be present. Place bowls of flour and water in a sensory table or shallow tub. Amazingly Cool Classic Science What you'll need for the yeast science experiment: 4 squeeze bottles. 4 water balloons. Tape. 2 yeast packets. 3 types of sugar (we used brown sugar, white sugar, and honey) I set everything up in advance of this project so the kids could jump right in. I measured 2 teaspoons of each type of sugar into four mini containers (we used film ... Science of Bread: Great Balls of Gluten Activity 1. Into separate bowls, measure out 1 cup of each of your flours. If your bowls look different, remember which one contains which type of flour. If not, label them. 2. Slowly add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup water to the flour in each bowl, and knead each mixture until it forms a soft, rubbery ball of dough. Let the dough balls sit for about 10 minutes. 3. Flour and Colored Chalk Experiment So I've been building an arsenal of activities to keep them occupied and entertained while I tackle garlic chopping or lasagna assembling. For this experiment and sensory activity, we used flour, kitchen utensils, and colored chalk. Ages: 3 - 8. <30 minutes. Messy. Homemade Sourdough Starter Experiment with Whole Wheat Flour ... 3711 Lượt thích,40 Bình luận.Video TikTok từ Ballerina Farm Fan (@ballerina.farm.fan): "Follow along on my journey of creating a sourdough starter using whole wheat flour and warm water. Will it work? Let's find out! #sourdoughstarter #homemade #wholewheatflour #experiment". essay homework paper phd project resume review speech thesis