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mummy brains
Some of my kids’ other ideas for naming this were “yucky goo,” “slime chunks,” “goblin guts,” and my favorite: “ghost barf.”
I think it was my brother who came home and showed me this trick when I was a kid, and once, when I homeschooled my oldest son (for all of about five minutes), we tried it making it at home. It was once included in a Martha Stewart Kids magazine (September/October 2004), and was called “Cornstarch Quicksand”. Oh, how I miss that publication. That’s where my kids saw it this week and begged me to make it.
For about 20 cents, this stuff will keep my kids occupied for a good hour. I imagine it’s a fantastic stress reliever for grownups, too. All you need is some cornstarch and water, and you end up with a strange substance that oozes when you handle it slowly, and tough and resistant when you try to force it quickly.
To make it, pour 1 cup of cornstarch into a bowl.
Add in 1/2 cup of water.
Mix together with your hands. If the mixture ends up a little too lumpy and chunky, add in about a tablespoon more of water. Keep mixing until smooth.
Now try punching it. Your fist won’t even break the surface.
Now try lifting it, and let it ooze through your fingers.
To learn a little about the science behind these mummy brains, which are considered a non-Newtonian fluid, you can look at this post on WiseGeek.
7 Responses to “mummy brains”
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Fun idea. I miss you guys. Hope you are doing well.
THANK YOU!! I bought a box of cornstarch about a year ago with the intention of doing this trick with my kids, but I’ve never gotten around to it.
What a great activity for my Halloween party!
you can add food coloring to it as well…. which could add another level of ooo la la to the activity!
I love the look on Charlie’s face. I think you should have called it ghost barf.
Molly–I know!! I swear, right after we made it and photographed it, I was thinking, “Oh, this will be good to make again as a Halloween activity. I’ll just make it again and color it green to make it look like slime.” And then I thought, “Oh, wait, this week IS Halloween!!” I’m so busy lately, I can’t even keep track of what season it is!
Naming it those other things was me covering my tracks to make up for the fact that I should have colored it in the first place. So embarrassing!
Yeah, I think you’re right, Connie!
[...] matter what you choose to call this creepy concoction — yucky goo, goblin guts, or ghost barf — add it to your Halloween fun this weekend! Get a few [...]