The Chaos and the Clutter

sensory play

Chocolate Oobleck or Fake Mud for Sensory Play

a child's hands pull a brown sensory material over a bowl

By

In case you’re not familiar with it, oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid. That means its viscosity can change from liquid to solid depending on the pressure it’s under. So this chocolate oobleck is both a sensory play material and a science experiment!hands in a bowl with a brown messy sensory material. Text reads "Chocolate Oobleck"This recipe makes great messy fun for kids. It can be used at home or in the classroom for a fun sensory activity. Because it’s taste safe, it can even be used with toddlers or preschoolers.

We’ve made regular oobleck, candy cane (scented) oobleck, and lemonade oobleck. I had the idea of doing a chocolate version because I thought it would be fun with Valentine’s Day coming up. The chocolate smell really brings in the Valentine’s theme.

Once I saw it, I realized that it would make a really great fake mud for sensory play. When my boys were younger, they would have had so much fun driving toy trucks and construction vehicles through this stuff!

So regardless if you use this in a sensory bin with toy vehicles as a safe fake mud or in a Valentine’s theme bin with a heart mould to pretend to make chocolates with, this recipe is where you start!a child's hands pull a brown sensory material over a bowl

Chocolate Oobleck Recipe:

Supplies needed:

  • 1/4 cup cocoa
  • 2 cups cornstarch
  • 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. water

Instructions:

  1. Mix all ingredients together.
  2. Get to playing.

collage of photos of making chocolate oobleck including the cocoa, cornstarch, and water neededImportant notes: Make your oobleck on the day you want to play with it as it doesn’t keep longer than a day or two. NEVER dispose of oobleck down the drain as it will clog your drain. Allow it to dry uncovered and then scoop it into the garbage.

When kids squish or squeeze the oobleck, it will act like a solid but when they allow it to fall through their fingers, it acts like a liquid. hands hold clumps of a brown material over a bowl

Playing with this oobleck engages the tactile, visual, proprioceptive, and olfactory (smell) sensory systems. It is also taste safe, so technically, it could engage the gustatory system but I wouldn’t recommend eating it as with all that cornstarch, it won’t taste great.

Enjoy the messy, sensory, science fun!

Are you looking for other fun sensory play recipes to make at home? Join us for a five day email series on Sensory Activities and Solutions and get a free sample of our Sensory Play Recipes eBook.

Check out our other oobleck recipes:

Lemonade Oobleck

Candy Cane Ooblecktray of red and white oobleck and candy canes with a pair of hands squeezing the oobleck

Fun Birthday Slime Recipe

thumb pulling blue slime filled with confetti

By

This stretchy birthday slime recipe is great for pretend play or for celebrating a birthday. It can even be given out as a party favour for guests. stretched out blue slime with confetti in it. Text reads "Birthday Stretchy Slime"

Slime is a wonderful tool for sensory input. It engages the visual, tactile, and proprioceptive sensory systems. thumb pulling blue slime filled with confetti

Birthday Slime Recipe:

Supplies needed:

  • 6 oz. bottle Elmer’s clear school glue
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup warm water, as needed
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup liquid starch, as needed
  • birthday themed glitter 
  • fine blue glitter (or whichever colour that matches the theme of your party)

collage of photos of making blue celebration slimeDirections:

  1. Pour the clear glue into a medium-sized bowl.
  2. Stir in 1/4 cup warm water with a fork.
  3. Add the fine blue glitter and stir well.
  4. Drop in 2-3 Tablespoons of liquid starch and stir well for 2 minutes.
  5. If the slime is too stiff, add more water. If it’s too stiff, add more of the liquid starch.
  6. Continue stirring until the slime forms into a ball.
  7. Knead for 2 minutes, adding more water or liquid starch as needed to get to the right consistency.
  8. When the slime is stretchy and no longer sticky, knead in the birthday themed confetti and glitter.
  9. The slime is ready for play.

collage of photos of blue slime with birthday confetti in itWhen not in use, store in an airtight container or resealable bag. Adult supervision should be used for this and all sensory play. Be sure to wash hands well after handling slime. 

stretched out blue slime with birthday confetti

Ideas for Making this Slime into a Party Favour:

  • Place the slime in a plastic container and use a hot glue gun to attach a bow, small figurine, decoration or to the top of the lid.
  • Or for a less expensive option, place the slime in sandwich bags, seal, and decorate with stickers. 
  • If you want to make this super interactive and fun, you can set up slime stations and have the kids all participate in making their own party favours. This idea is best when it’s a birthday for older kids or teens or when you have other adults to help.

Are you looking for more sensory play recipes you can easily make at home? Join us for a five day email series on Sensory Activities and Solutions and get a free sample of our Sensory Play Recipes eBook.

Check out these other fun slime recipes:

Shark Edible Fluffy Slime

Glittery Butterfly Slime

Glow in the Dark Slime

Candy Cane Oobleck

red and white swirls in a dish with candy canes and cookie cutters

By

Looking for an easy Christmas sensory activity? This Candy Cane Oobleck recipe requires only 3 ingredients and is ooey-gooey fun! It combines sensory play with science for lots of holiday fun.red and white swirls with candy canes, peppermints, and cookie cuttersMy kids love playing with oobleck and this candy cane themed one was especially fun. They enjoyed creating patterns and molding and squishing it into a ball and then watching as that ball turned to liquid and slid off their hands.

What is oobleck?

Oobleck is a sensory play material that acts like a solid when under pressure but is a liquid at rest. That’s where the science of it all comes in. Oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid because it can mimic the properties of both a solid and a liquid.

This festive Christmas offers a way to combine science discovery with sensory play.red and white swirls in a dish with candy canes and cookie cutters

Candy Cane Oobleck Recipe:

Supplies needed:

Directions:

  1. Make one batch of white oobleck by mixing together 2 cups of cornstarch and 1 cup of water in a bowl.
  2. Pour it into a glass baking dish to form a single layer.
  3. Stir some red food dye into 1 cup of water.
  4. Mix the red water with 2 cups of cornstarch to make red oobleck.
  5. If you want, you can stir in a few drops of peppermint essential oil to make the oobleck smell like candy canes too. 
  6. Drizzle the red oobleck over the white.
  7. Drop some mini candy canes in there if you want or some Christmas cookie cutters or plastic candy canes and pretend peppermints.
  8. Invite kids to play.

collage of photos of red and white oobleck and a Christmas tree shaped cookie cutterThere is so much great sensory input in this activity. It provides wonderful tactile input, visual input, proprioceptive input, and if you use scent, olfactory input. Kids can squish it, squeeze it, tap it, drizzle it, smush it around, and pour it.

tray of red and white oobleck and candy canes with a pair of hands squeezing the oobleckThe science of it all:

I always find that kids learn best when they don’t even realize they’re learning. Invite your child or students to explore the oobleck and talk about their observations. 

When does the oobleck behave like a solid? When does it behave like a liquid?

Discuss states of matter. 

Read about Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids.hands holding red and white swirls of liquid

Important notes:

  • Oobleck doesn’t keep as well as slime or playdough so it’s best to make it the same day you want to play with it.
  • Never dispose of oobleck down the sink or it will clog your drain. Just allow it to dry a bit and scrape it directly into the garbage.
  • Adult supervision should be used at all times with this or any sensory play activity.
  • Although this recipe is technically taste-safe, I wouldn’t recommend eating it!

Sign up for your free Christmas Fun Jar activity ideas. 

Check out these other Christmas sensory activities:

Nativity Slime

I Spy Christmas Sensory Bag

Peppermint Playdough Station

I Spy Forest Animal Babies Sensory Bottle

clear bottle filled with dry rice and forest animal buttons

By

Create an opportunity for kids to explore through play with this I Spy Forest Babies sensory bottle. It’s easy and inexpensive to make and can be used at home or in the classroom.

clear bottle with white rice and mini animals in it. Text reads "Forest Animal Babies sensory bottle"Kids will use their tactile, visual, and proprioceptive sensory systems. They can also practise counting skills, memory, visual recognition skills, and communication. 

I Spy Forest Animals Sensory Bottle:

Supplies needed:

Directions:

  1. Using a funnel, add a small amount of rice to the bottom of the bottle.
  2. Place a forest baby animal button inside the bottle.
  3. Repeat the above steps until all the animals are placed inside the bottle. By layering the rice and animals, they won’t all be in the same place. We included two foxes, a porcupine/hedgehog (hard to tell what it is!), squirrel, owl, and skunk.
  4. Fill the remainder of the bottle with rice, but leave some space for the rice to move around. You can empty out rice if you feel the rice doesn’t move enough to allow the animals to be seen.
  5. Replace the lid on the bottle.
  6. If you want to secure the bottle, you can secure the lid with a hot glue gun.
  7. Give the sensory bottle to a child to explore.

four photos of the process of putting rice and small animal buttons in a sensory bottleKids can move and shake the rice around to find all of the forest babies in the bottle. You can also give them a cheat sheet so they know what they are looking for.clear bottle filled with dry rice and forest animal buttons

Ways to expand this activity:

  • Have kids draw the animals as they find them.
  • Set out books on forest animals.
  • Watch a movie like Bambi about animals in the forest. 

As with all sensory play activities, adult supervision should be used at all times. Even if you have secured the lid with glue, it is still possible to get it open and the bottle contains small parts which are choking hazards. 

Are you looking for more easy sensory play ideas to try? Join us for a five day email series on Sensory Activities and Solutions and get a free sample of our Sensory Play Recipes eBook.

Check out some of our other sensory bottles:

Astronaut Sensory BottleColour Mixing Sensory Bottle

Alphabet I Spy Sensory BottleA closeup picture of a sensory bottle filled with bright colours of alphabet beads and bright coloured tinsel.

Stretchy Superhero Slime

hand presses into blue slime with coloured confetti in it

By

This stretchy superhero slime is great for inspiring imagination. It can be used for sensory play or made as a party favour for a superhero themed birthday. child's hand presses down on blue slime. Text reads "Stretchy Superhero Slime"One of our daughters is a huge fan of all things superhero. She loves the Marvel and DC movies and comics. She is inspired by the thought of superpowers. We even had a DC themed birthday party for her last year.

hand pulling up blue slimeSo I guess it comes as no surprise that I’m talking about how to make superhero slime.

Superhero Slime Recipe:

Supplies needed:

Directions:

  1. Pour the blue glue into a medium-sized bowl.
  2. Use a fork to stir in 1/4 cup of warm water.
  3. Add 3 Tablespoons of liquid starch and stir well for 2 minutes.
  4. Test the slime. Add more water if too stiff, more liquid starch if it’s too sticky.
  5. Continue stirring until the slime forms into a ball, then knead for 2 minutes, adding more water or liquid starch as needed.
  6. Once the slime is stretchy and no longer sticky, knead in the superhero themed confetti.

collage of photos showing the process of making blue slime with added confettiAs kids play with their slime, they engage their visual, tactile, and proprioceptive sensory systems. Getting enough sensory input is important not only for brain development, but for emotional regulation. 

collage of photos of blue slime with confetti in itSlime can be stored in a resealable bag or airtight container when not being used.

As with any sensory play, adult supervision should be used both while making the slime and while interacting with it afterwards. Hands should be washed thoroughly after playing with this or any other slime.

Ideas for using this slime as a party favour:

hand presses into blue slime with coloured confetti in itAre you looking for other easy sensory play recipes to make at home? Join us for a five day email series on Sensory Activities and Solutions and get a free sample of our Sensory Play Recipes eBook.

Check out some of our other slime recipes:

Camo Slime

Unicorn Fluffy Slime

Textured Butter Slime

Basic Homemade Playdough Recipe

balls of playdough in 6 colours stacked on top of each other

By

Homemade playdough is so much better than store bought. It’s softer, less crumbly, easier to play with, and it lasts far longer. Making your own is easier than you might expect. 6 different colours of playdough balls stacked on top of each other. Text reads "Homemade Playdough Recipe"When I was growing up, my mom made homemade playdough. For some reason, our playdough was always green. I’m not sure why she never made it another colour, but when I think of homemade playdough, a certain shade of green is what comes to mind!

My mom used a recipe she got from my Auntie Barb. When I became a mom myself,  I started with that same recipe. 

I’ve adapted it slightly, but this is essentially just a good old-fashioned homemade playdough recipe.

Of course, when I discovered that playdough could be made in the KitchenAid and I could avoid sore arms from all the stirring, I never went back to the stovetop method again. 

I’m including instructions for both the KitchenAid and stovetop methods below, but if you have a KitchenAid, that’s the method I recommend. 

<h2″>Basic Homemade Playdough Recipe using a KitchenAid:

Supplies needed:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup salt
  • 2 Tbsp. cream of tartar
  • 1 Tbsp. cooking oil
  • food gel or food colouring 
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • optional: glitter

Directions:

  1. Put dry ingredients (flour, salt, and cream of tartar) in the KitchenAid mixer. 
  2. Add the oil and food colour and begin mixing using the flat beater. 
  3. As it is mixing on the lowest setting, pour in the boiling water. 
  4. If you want to add glitter, add it at this point.
  5. Continue mixing until the playdough forms a ball and is the right texture.
  6. It is now ready to be played with. When not in use, store in a resealable bag or airtight container.collage of photos of child playing with playdough

Basic Homemade Playdough Stovetop Recipe: 

Supplies needed:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup salt
  • 2 Tbsp. cream of tartar
  • 1 Tbsp. cooking oil
  • food gel or food colouring 
  • 1 cup water
  • optional: glitter

Directions:

  1. Mix the dry ingredients together with the oil, food colour, and water in a pot on the stovetop.
  2. Stir over medium heat with a wooden spoon.
  3. Scrape the sides and bottom, stirring constantly.
  4. Keep stirring!
  5. Cook until the dough forms a ball.
  6. Remove from heat. 
  7. Place the dough on a piece of wax paper. 
  8. Knead. If you’re adding glitter, mix it in at this point.
  9. Allow to cool.
  10. When playdough isn’t being played with, store in an airtight container or resealable bag.

As with all sensory play activities, adult supervision should be used. Consuming large quantities of salt is dangerous for children so this playdough should not be eaten. balls of playdough in 6 colours stacked on top of each other

How to scent playdough:

There are several ways that you can add smell to playdough. You can add a few drops of essential oil, spices, or extracts. Scents are either alerting or calming, so you’ll want to choose a scent accordingly.

If you’re wanting to add it to a calm down kit, you’ll want to choose a calming scent whereas if you’re making playdough for a learning activity, you’ll want to add an alerting scent.

Essential oils to add:

Extracts to add:

  • vanilla
  • peppermint
  • almond
  • caramel
  • coconut

Spices to add:

Add only one type of scent to each batch of playdough. Be sure to be mindful of allergies. 

There are so many ways to play with playdough that go so far beyond play. Kids can work on their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, communication, shapes, colours, sensory input, and cognitive skills. child's hands press a dog bone shaped cookie cutter into blue playdough

Ways to play with playdough:

child's hands press a star shaped cookie cutter into purple playdoughGet an entire set of printable transportation alphabet playdough mats free by entering your email address below. You’ll also be signed up to receive our email series Sensory Activities and Solutions.