Summer is a great time for kids to be outside investigating the world around them, and there are not many more captivating activities for kids than blowing and chasing bubbles. Maybe you have tried it with one of those plastic bubble bottles and little round bubble wands. Want to do something a lot more impressive? Read on, bubble master.
Here is how to create giant bubbles that will impress your kids, your neighbors, your friends and yourself. And all you need is stuff you already have at home.
Ingredients for Bubble Supremacy:
- Drinking straws
- String (not too thin, not too thick)
- Bucket or other large container
- Dish washing soap (Dawn or Joy works best)
- Water
Try to do this activity outside on a day when there is no wind blowing, or find a spot where you are sheltered from the wind.
1. Make the bubble makers – Thread 3 feet of string through 2 straws, and tie the ends of the string together. Hold a straw in each hand and pull them gently apart to make a rectangular frame. Make a couple of these tools so you and your child can play together. It looks like this:
2. Make the bubble solution – Mix 1 cup of dish soap per gallon of water in a bucket. Stir well. Make the “OK” sign with one hand – you know, like this:
Dip that OK hand in the bubble solution, keep that OK sign, and pull it out. Try to blow a bubble through the “O”. How is your handmade bubble? Add a little more soap to the bucket if you can’t blow a bubble yet.
3. Practice being awesome – Place your straw-and-string bubble maker in the bucket of soap solution, making sure that your hands are thoroughly soapy. Touch the straws together, and while they’re still together, pull the bubble maker out of the soapy water. Gently pull the straws apart and you should see a bubble sheet in your rectangular frame. Move the frame up and down. Do you notice anything? Can you make a bubble that goes airborne with this tool? Try getting a bubble in your frame, hold it parallel to the ground at your waist, then move it up to shoulder height quickly—but not too quickly. If you touch the straws together as you reach shoulder level, the bubble will close up and fly on its own. It takes some practice—but you’ll get it!
While you are making bubbles, ask your kids some questions. What shapes are the bubbles you are making? Are they always the same shape, or do they come in different shapes? Keep trying to make bigger and bigger bubbles.
Blowing bubbles is more than just a whole lot of fun—by engaging in this activity, your child will be building important scientific skills like observing, using tools, generating questions, reporting their discoveries and more.
The Power of Play 