 newspaper measuring cups 1 cup dry cornstarch large bowl or pan food coloring (if desired) 1/2 cup water Place newspaper on counter or table . Place the cornstarch in the bowl. Add a drop or two of food coloring. (Use whatever colors you like.) Add water slowly, mixing the cornstarch and water with your fingers until all the powder is wet. Continue adding water until the Ooze looks like a liquid when you stir it slowly. Then try tapping the surface with your finger or a spoon. When Ooze is perfect, it won't splatter - it will feel solid. If the Ooze is too powdery, add a little more water. If it's too wet, add more cornstarch. Play with your Ooze! Take a handful and squeeze it. Stop squeezing and it will drip through your fingers. Place your fingers on the surface of the slime. Let them sink to the bottom of the bowl. So try to get them out quickly. What happens? Take a drop and roll it in your hands to form a ball. So stop rolling. The slime will drip off between your fingers. Place a small plastic toy on the surface. Does it stay there or sink? Ketchup, like Ooze, is a non-Newtonian fluid. Physicists say the best way to make ketchup flow is to turn the bottle upside down and be patient. Hitting the bottom of the bottle actually slows down the ketchup! Why is my Ooze acting this way? Your Ooze is made up of tiny solid particles of cornstarch suspended in water. Chemists call this type of mixture colloid. As you discovered during experiments with your slime, this colloid behaves strangely. When you poke it with a spoon or quickly squeeze out a handful of Slime, it freezes in place, acting like a solid. The harder you push, the thicker the slime becomes. But when you open your hand and let your slime drip, it drips like a liquid. Try stirring the slime quickly with your finger and it will resist your movement. Mix it slowly and it will flow easily around your finger. Most liquids don't behave like this. If you stir a cup of water with your finger, the water moves easily and it doesn't matter whether you stir it fast or slowly.