Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere

As the weather is starting to get warmer here, the kids are really starting to get antsy about going outside more. One fun activity that you can do with your child outside this spring is blowing bubbles. I don't know what it is about children and bubbles, but most children love bubbles. It doesn't matter if the bubbles are in a sink full of dishes or floating around outside, children just can't get enough time to play with them. There are several benefits to blowing bubbles, too, besides just being fun. The act of blowing bubbles helps to strengthen mouth muscles that are used for speech and it's great for teaching children breathing techniques to use when they are stressed.

Here is a recipe to make bubble solution with ingredients you probably already have at home.

Bubbly Bubbles for  One

5 tbsp water
4 tbsp Dawn dishwashing liquid
1 tbsp of light corn syrup

Bubbly Bubbles for More

6 c. water

2 c. Dawn dishwashing liquid

3/4 c. light corn syrup

For best results, mix all the ingredients together in a sealable plastic container five days before you plan to use them. 

Some fun items to use for blowing bubbles besides the little plastic wands that come with the store-bought bubble solutions are

-cookie cutters

-plastic embroidery hoops

-plastic drinking straws

-mesh flyswatters

-uncooked wagon wheel pasta or rigatoni

-plastic funnels

-different size spools

-squares of plastic needlepoint canvas

-squares of plastic mesh produce bag

-plastic sunglasses (with the lenses removed)

-pipe cleaners bent to form a wand

If you want to try making some really big bubbles, get a plastic kiddie pool and pour bubble solution into it until it's about 2-3 inches deep. Then use a hula hoop as your wand and watch as the children's eyes get about as big as the bubbles.

Another fun activity to do with bubbles is to add food coloring to the bubble solution and make bubble prints. You may want them in old clothes or paint smocks before they start blowing with these bubbles, though. Attach a large piece of white paper to a wall or easel. Lay a drop cloth on the floor to protect it from getting colored. Then let the children use the different colored bubble solutions to blow bubbles at the paper. When the bubbles pop against the paper they leave a fun, colored bubble print behind. 

What other fun objects can you find around the house that would work to use with the bubble solution?