1 c. cornstarch
4 c. water
1/3 c. sugar

Cook until thick; cook it fast. Color with food coloring. Seal in freezer weight Ziplock bags, removing as much air as possible. Seal the tops of the bags with duct tape. The experience of "squishing" the material in the bag is one the children enjoy, or children can use in much the same way as finger paint, layering the bag flat on the table and "drawing" in the mixture and "erasing" again. Be sure the children know that when the bag springs a leak, it goes into the garbage right away!

For variety, try dividing the mixture into two or three portions, coloring each portion differently. If you use two or more primary colors (red, yellow, blue) in the same bag, the children are able to see the new color formed by combining the primary colors.

NOTE: Not for human consumption!