Watch the full video
The science of oobleck
This Kapow pupil video is part of the Kapow Science scheme of work . It is designed for pupils and introduces the fascinating material known as oobleck – a simple mixture of cornflour and water with some very unusual properties. The video explores how oobleck behaves both like a liquid and a solid, depending on how you interact with it.
Pupils observe how oobleck can flow like a liquid when poured, yet form a ball when squeezed or resist impact when struck. They see how objects move through it differently depending on speed, and how sound vibrations can even make it dance. Through these engaging demonstrations, the video introduces the concept of non-Newtonian fluids and encourages curiosity about the states and behaviours of materials.
The video is designed to be shown to pupils as part of Science, Lower key stage 2, Year 4, Making connections: How does the flow of liquids compare?, Lesson 3: Investigating liquids – Analysing, concluding and evaluating