We turned one of our absolute favorite sensory activities into a fun hands on seasonal activity. This Pumpkin Goop (aka Oobleck) is not just for your toddlers and preschoolers, your older kids will be digging their hands into this yummy smelling goop and exploring it’s unique texture. I made a batch of it for our youngest and the other two kids were quickly asking me to make some for them.
What is Goop?
Let’s start out talking about Goop. What exactly is this stuff? Goop (a.k.a. Oobleck) is a non-Newtonian fluid…it’s not quite a solid and not quite a liquid. It acts like a liquid when it is being poured and acts like a solid when it comes in contact with something. You can grab Goop with your hand like it is a solid, but it will ooze out like it is a liquid making it is a pressure-dependent substance. Increasing pressure on goop increases its viscosity or thickness. If you poke at it quickly, it feels like a solid. But if you hold some in your hand, it will ooze out of your fingers like a liquid. So fun! Right!
How To Make Pumpkin Goop
Since it’s pumpkin season, we transformed our traditional Goop recipe into Pumpkin Goop by adding just a couple of simple ingredients. This fun-filled, fall activity will entertain your children while they explore and learn through sensory play.
Ingredients:
The ingredients for Pumpkin Goop are basic items that you most likely things you have on hand. No mad dash to the grocery store needed for this one.
- 2 Cups of Corn Starch
- 1 Cup of Water
- 10 Drops of Orange Food Coloring
- 1 Teaspoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice
Supplies:
- Shallow Bowl or Container
- Measuring Cup
- Measuring Spoon
- Small Pumpkin (optional)
Directions:
1. In a shallow bowl or container, combine the corn starch and pumpkin pie spice.
2. Add orange food coloring to one cup of water. We were out of orange, so we combined yellow and red, which lead to another learning activity.
3. Add the orange water to the cornstarch mixture. The mixture will be thick and hard to stir, so mix the ingredients with your hand.
4. We added a small pumpkin to our Pumpkin Goop.
Do you want to make fizzing Pumpkin Goop? When you mix the corn starch and water together, add a 1/4 cup of baking soda. While your child is playing with the Goop, have him or her slowly add drops of vinegar. The combination of baking soda and vinegar will make the Goop fizz.
Playing with Pumpkin Goop is a fun, tactile sensory activity that your children are sure to love.
You Also Might Like
- Pumpkin Volcano Science Activity
- Apple Volcanoes Science Experiment
- Halloween Dot Painting (free printables)
