Review the rules about cooking near the stove with the toddlers and preschoolers who may want to watch and participate in the cooking portion. Keep children a safe distance away from the stove and do not let young children of any age pour the boiling water. Boil water in a pot. Add cornstarch and stir until smooth. Slowly add food colouring until it is the colour you would like. Remove from the heat and cool. Let your children squish away on a tray at the table or on the floor. Or, for less mess, put into a zippered bag and seal. Some children may not like the feel of goop and may prefer playing with it in a sealed bag.

While making the goop, toddlers and preschoolers can learn about safety rules when working in the kitchen. In addition, remember to talk about each of the ingredients allowing them to touch, smell and if possible taste each one. As you combine the ingredients talk about how the mixture changes with the addition of each ingredient. Finally, once it is finished, talk about the qualities of the goop.

Let children play with the goop placing it in a tray to contain the mess. As you play with the goop and your child, talk about the qualities of the goop - how it feels and smells. Bring in some other materials like cookie cutters and see what happens when you try to make a shape. Even infants will enjoy sitting on your lap or in their high chair and touching the goop, drawing in the goop, and generally playing with it. If your child is reluctant to touch the goop, put it into a zippered bag and let them mush it (don't be alarmed by this reluctance - some children are sensitive about touching things so be patient). With infants, adults should describe the qualities and should sit either with the infant on their lap or, if the infant is in a highchair, sit so she can see your face as you describe the feeling of the goop. If you are playing with a toddler or preschooler, playing on the floor or a table with the goop in a tray will let him explore with you. Instead of describing the qualities ask your toddler or preschooler to describe the feeling and let them experiment with different materials like cookie cutters.