I recently noticed that both my kids were becoming sensitive to having dirty hands. The two kids who pick up spiders, worms, play in dirt and sand all summer long don’t like to have wet “dirty” hands. During a recent activity with paint they were very uncomfortable with the thought of having paint on their hands and both requested a baby wipe to keep near by. I can respect that they want to stay neat and clean but this may some day become a problem if they want to become chefs, sculptors or painters. 
So, I conducted an intervention of sorts and we called it GOOP week.
I made a batch of “flubber” that I found a recipe for on this website. I have since found that Borax was probably not safe for us to play with, but of course it was fun at the time. (Live, learn, and adjust.) J & A were both pretty apprehensive about getting their hands dirty at first but with some coaxing they did great. How funny it is typing that I had to encourage my toddlers to get dirty.
The second goo I made with them was a mixture of corn starch, baking soda, and water. We added food coloring for a “wow” factor which of course the kids thought was cool. I gave them funnels, bowls, and cups to use with their goos. They found out quickly that the flubber didn’t go through the funnel.
Mixing with their hands.
I did notice that they both liked the two different goos but they played with the corn starch mixture for a little while longer. I think this was because they were able to transfer the liquid from one container to the other with greater ease.
Another activity for goop week was sort of a free for all. I gave them bowls that contained some ingredients that they could mix. There was flour, rice, oatmeal, lentils, and water. I provided them with measuring spoons, measuring cups, and mixing bowls.
Before A & J began mixing, we took the time to discuss texture. They talked about how things felt when they touched them.
This looked like a lot of gooey and sticky fun.
It wasn’t long before J asked me if he could use a muffin pan.
I feel that this goop activity really pushed A & J. It required them to work with an extremely sticky substance and it definitely led to wet dirty hands. It was interesting to note that even when given he exact same ingredients they used them in varying combinations. A’s goo was the consistency of dough whereas J’s goo had the consistency of batter. It is was interesting side note.
