And lots of it!

∞ Find our recipe inside this post ∞

Bubbles whisper words of fun and discovery in children’s ears and nothing else is required!

These simple round floaties also offer such great benefits from gross motor to the development of inquiry skills.

When we go outside to blow bubbles, there is growing sound of excitement in the house! We usually play “chase the bubbles,” as well as “catch the biggest/smallest.” We jump over the bubbles (the kids pretend that they are alligators) and count them by twos. We add, and we subtract. The simple task of chasing bubbles helps children practice focusing on one thing at a time – quite the task for them! They also develop one-to-one correspondence in such a playful way (the ability to match numbers to objects, objects to objects or to simply see relationships that have 1:1 ratios).

There was much discussion about the “shape” of a bubble – an ongoing inquiry here! They made several attempts at blowing a bubble inside a bubble – is it even possible? Who knows? “What if the bubble wand is not round?” They used spatulas with longish holes and, after a few days, we used the building sticks. Yes, our children’s learning process is being enriched by the “soap curriculum!” How else can we make chemistry and physics more inviting?

No drills, no pressure. Just the flow of the moment and when they are ready, these opportunities for learning present themselves at the right time.

Set-Up for Episode #23:

• Bubble wands
• Homemade wands with hangers, pipe cleaners, cups, etc
• Dish Soap
• Water
• Glycerin (you can find this at your local pharmacy – in the US)

The kids typically make a batch of this solution a day before they need it – the amounts vary greatly but the ingredients stay the same! If the mix sits over a period of time, it is even better to use and it lasts a long time! After we come in from outside, I generally I pour the solution back in the bottle through a piece of cloth over a funnel to catch the debris, dead bugs, boogers, etc. I don’t do that in the winter!

Our recipe for the bubbles: I don’t really measure them and eyeball the amounts, adding here and there as needed. Nonetheless, here is an approximation:

2 parts of Dish soap (the more concentrated the better)

1 part of Generous amounts of glycerin

4 parts of Water

1 part = whatever you decide to use (i.e.: cup, scoop, coffee cup, laundry caps, etc).

A small cut for a straw in a plastic cup. This is especially nice for children who are just learning to blow into a straw but not successful with the bubble wands.

Bubble wands of different sizes (and shapes like you saw in the video!).

These rings that hold drinks are everywhere and our local grocery store used to save them for us! Blueberry baskets and orange mesh bags were popular!

We keep the solution “kid-ready” so they can use it whenever they feel like it! They are part of the clean-up, too. On a warm day, the hose can be a fun way to make more bubbles in the process of washing them off…

This is an eye-dropper that had its top cut off.

Small plastic cups with the bottom cut-off are great for children who are having a hard time blowing with wands, or straws. The wind is a great helping hand with these as well!

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Have fun and Go Beyond The Classroom!

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