This is the wildest stuff—and if it doesn’t get your inner kid just a little bit excited, I don’t know what will! I can tell you this—it elicited a genuine “Wow! Cool!” from a 13-year-old who normally reacts with studied cynicism to just about everything these days…

Oobleck gets its name from the Dr. Seuss book Bartholomew and the Oobleck, in which a gooey green substance, Oobleck, fell from the sky and caused all sorts of trouble in the kingdom.

Making Oobleck can be used as a science experiment of sorts, because it is considered a “non-newtonian fluid.” That is to say, it acts like a liquid when being poured, but like a solid when pressure is put on it (for instance, when you squeeze it in your hand). Hit it hard and it feels like you are hitting a wall! Touch it softly and the material will flow gently around your fingers (Hmmm…wonder if there’s a life lesson in there as well?)

Here’s an easy way to make Oobleck—though it will likely still make a mess—primarily because you’ll get carried away playing with it. You may want to put down some newspaper before you begin. Just in case…

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