In this BLOG post I will teach you how to make Oobleck as well as share our best messy play tips!
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XO Gina
Oobleck is SO. MUCH. FUN. It is a great messy-play activity that can be done at home, outdoors, in the classroom or in a therapy space. While children explore Oobleck, they are not only gaining the benefits of sensory play, but they are also exploring Science concepts!
Oobleck is a non-Newtonian substance. It's a solid, It's a liquid. It can be thick or gooey or everything in between. It can be white, or it can be colorful. It can be used with plastic animals or trucks or Barbies or rocks.
Our Christmas-themed version is SO MUCH FUN. It's color identification. It's color mixing. It's swirls. It's such a fun way to learn and play and explore at home!
You get to decide what is and manageable in your home. Always monitor young children during sensory play.
What skills are you working on during messy play?
Fine & Gross Motor Skills: As the child squishes and squeezes, they are developing their finger and hand muscles. Those same finger and hand muscles are responsible for self-help skills such as: feeding yourself, zippering your coat and holding a pencil during writing! Messy play can also help support spatial awareness, balance & coordination.
Hand-Eye Coordination: Hand-eye coordination is simultaneously using your hands & your eyes for a task. Strong hand-eye coordination helps you with tasks such as feeding yourself, coloring in the lines & pouring a drink in a cup.
Bilateral coordination: Using both sides of the body to complete a task.
Cognitive development refers to how a child acquires and understands information; how they think, learn and problem solve. There are many opportunities to develop cognitive development during messy play through problem solving and understanding cause/effect.
Language Development: Messy play is SO good for supporting language development. There are opportunities to learn new words and practice phrases.
Social Skills: Messy play can help to establish and strengthen social skills. Children will practice using their manners, sharing, turn-taking and having patience.
APFL Messy play TIPS:
Prepare your environment:
Choose your buffer: an old sheet, a tablecloth, a beach towel, plastic shower liner, etc. and lay that down. This will help create a boundary during play and also make clean-up easier. If rice falls on the blanket just toss it back in the bin when you're done!
Designate a space in your environment that is easily accessible, easily cleaned and comfortable for all. We call this the "sensory spot!" When we use one consistent space it not only teaches expectations, but it also helps to maintain some of the mess!
If you have a new rug or a library book, move them away from your sensory spot before you begin. Are you doing messy play? If you can't take it outdoors, perhaps your sensory spot can be somewhere close to the sink or tub.
Are you able to take the play outdoors? That is also a great option!
Gather your materials:
Before I bring a child over to play, I make sure to have everything I need to be successful. Think ahead: bring over wipes, paper towels, etc. Gather all of the scoops, cups and trinkets that you think will be explored. If your child is helping you set up, remind them that play isn’t going to start until everything is ready. Incorporating a fun code word is a great way to practice this, “When I say sparkle, it’s time to start playing!”
Sometimes creating the activity together is part of the fun and I LOVE that. If you want to gather all of the materials with your kiddo(s), try giving them jobs to help them feel empowered.
"You are in charge of the scoops. Can you go pick two scoops from the drawer?"
"Your job is to lay down the towel in our sensory spot!"
Another way to support them is to provide them with choices as you go.
"Would you like to use the blue bowl or the red bowl?"
"Would you like to play with play dough or our rice bin?"
"We are going to play with a sensory bin. Do you want to add in trucks or farm animals?"
Wear messy play clothes:
Messy play is not the time to wear your brand-new clothes, sneakers or accessories! Choose clothing that can be easily cleaned and ones that are OK to get a little messy.
Keep clean up materials close:
Before you begin messy play, bring cleaning materials to your Sensory Spot. These could be paper towels, a cloth towel, cleaning spray and/or a bucket of water. This could also be a small trashcan or plastic bag to throw away everything as needed.
Why do this? Well, it helps to keep the mess in one space. Instead of wiping up paint and then carrying the paper towel to the trash- which could drop and spill during its path- throw it away there. If you have a bucket of warm water (could add in some soap too!) then you can wash your hands on the spot and not have the potential to spill on the way to the sink!
Also, this keeps you prepared and ready. You won't have to get up and run to the kitchen and leave messy play unattended!
Determine how much is "just right!":
If you are just starting out with sensory play and haven't established boundaries and expectations yet, start small! Maybe you put a small amount of Oobleck in a BIG bin. This will help to reduce mess and give you an opportunity to teach as they play!
Clearly set, model and reinforce boundaries and expectations:
To start, determine what exactly your expectations and boundaries are. These are going to look and sound different to each of us. What feels "OK" to me, may feel overwhelming to you and vice versa. Ask yourself, "What am I OK with? What am I NOT OK with?" It is more than alright if your boundaries are different than mine. You have to do what feels safe and manageable TO YOU!
Each of our families are different and need different things. Base your expectations and boundaries off or your personal feelings, as well as the ages and developmental levels of your children/students.
Be clear & consistent with your boundaries and expectations. Explain them in language that your child or student can understand them. Be consistent in your words and how you phrase them! I always use the exact same phrases and same sing-song tone.
Why?
Two reasons...one, it teaches expectations must faster. If you are constantly saying the same thing, but differently, it can be challenging to process what you are actually asking for! Consistent phrases help to get your message across quickly and accurately!
Two, when I use a sing-song voice it keeps my tone more neutral, even when I am feeling frustrated. Did my kids forget their play dough tray even though the expectation hasn't changed? Instead of me saying, "How many times do I have to tell you to GET A TRAY!!!!" I say, "Play dough on tray."
Short. Clear. Consistent.
Next, model, teach & reinforce those expectations. Sit with them & show them. Play with them to guide them but allow them creative freedom! When something is new, it is common for children, especially young toddlers, to push those boundaries and see what will happen. It is actually VERY developmentally appropriate for them to do so! It is our job to hold that boundary, safely.
If they are pushing a boundary (i.e. throwing Oobleck out of the bin), give them a verbal prompt. It could sound like this: “Oobleck stays in bin..” Keep your language clear, consistent & short. If the unwanted behavior continues after two prompts, remove the bin & try again at a later time. It could sound like, “Oobleck stays in bin. We will try again later.”
When we are modeling boundaries, it’s important to tell them exactly what we are expecting from them. Use specific language that they can understand, then get on their level and physically show them what that means. Sit and scoop the rice in the bin and say “Oobleck stays in bin!”
Reinforce them when they follow your expectations, “Yay! Oobleck in bin!!”
Involve KIDS in clean-up:
Be sure to provide kids the opportunities to learn responsibility by helping during the clean-up process. Kids are capable! Depending on their ages and developmental levels, give them small and specific jobs.
This could sound like: "Your job is to put the paintbrushes in the sink." "Your job is to put the play dough back in the jar." "Your job is to wipe the table and push in all of the chairs."
Be specific. Model how to complete the jobs. Reinforce their efforts by providing direct praise!!
HAVE FUN!!
Messy play is for sure messyyyyy but it is fun and works on a ton of skills! Embrace all of the learning and sensory goodness happening as they play!
How to encourage messy play?
Start small. Put a tiny amount in a bowl and explore with it to see how it feels!
Play with them! Roll up your sleeves and get messy with them.
Let them know that getting messy is OK.
Have a clean-up strategy so that they can wipe their hands quickly if it becomes too much. Maybe have a towel in their lap or wipes right next to them.
Encourage starting with just one finger. "Poke the Oobleck with your pointer finger. How does it feel?"
Materials:
(2) cups Cornstarch
(1) cup Water
Sensory bin or bowls
Spoon
Food coloring
Glitter (optional)
If you want to do all the colors, repeat the above measurements for each color! I mix the food coloring into the water first, then pour it into the cornstarch. This helps it to mix smoother.
Step 1: Pour corn starch, water, and food coloring in a tub or tray and mix well.
Step 2: Add in your favorite scoops or bowls and PLAY!!
Make observations as you play:
How does it smell?
How does it feel?
What happens when you add more water to the Oobleck bin?
What does it look like as it dries?
Explore color theory: what happens when you mix red and green together?
APFL TIP: If you let Oobleck completely dry out and harden, you can store it in an airtight container. The next time you want to use it, simply add water to reactivate!
Messy play is SO beneficial for children. It's open-ended, encourages creativity, provides sensory input & teaches them about their personal boundaries. Messy play activates the senses and has been known to be calming, offering an incredible opportunity to practice self-regulation strategies.
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