By: KBB Outreach Team

A few simple ingredients are all it takes to whip up your own bubble solution. You might already have everything you need at home!

What you will need:

• 6 cups distilled water
• 1 cup liquid dish soap (preferably Joy or Dawn brands not labeled as “Ultra”)
• 1 tablespoon glycerin (can be found at your local pharmacy)

Directions:

1. Measure 6 cups of water into a container and pour 1 cup of dish soap into the water; slowly stirring until the soap is mixed in. Try not to let foam or bubbles form while you stir.
2. Measure 1 tablespoon of glycerin and add it to the container. Stir the solution until it is mixed together.
3. You can use the solution right away, but to make even better bubbles, put a lid on the container and let your super bubble solution sit overnight.
4. Dip a bubble wand, slowly pull it out, wait a few seconds, and then blow.

Note: To make non-toxic bubbles, use natural, biodegradable liquid dish soap.

Blowing and popping bubbles is a favorite summertime activity for kids, and it can be educational too! Here are some ideas on how you can engage children of different ages in some fun learning while playing with bubbles.

Infant/Toddler

• Practice visual tracking – Bubbles are great tools for babies to practice visual tracking because they are eye catching and move slowly enough to allow young children to focus on them easily.
• Get a jump start on speech – Blowing is a great exercise for tiny mouths. Learning to blow can be a little tricky, but producing fun bubbles are a great reward and incentive.

3-7 year olds

• Develop hand-eye coordination – dipping and blowing the wand and seeing and popping bubbles seem like simple fun, but for kids it means learning how to aim and using several skills at once.
• Learn size concepts – Ask your child to blow bubbles of different sizes; this not only teaches about size, but also how long they have to blow and how much force to use.
• Bring out their inner scientist – What happens if you add more soap? What if we use some food coloring? Does a straw make smaller bubbles than a wand? Encourage their natural curiosity and help them learn through experimenting.

All ages

Playing with bubbles can help strengthen both fine and gross motor skills in kids of all ages. Small hand movements used to hold a bubble wand helps promote fine motor skills, while chasing after bubbles, reaching up and jumping to pop them, and waving a wand in the air helps strengthen gross motor skills.

As the temperatures warm up, playing with bubbles is a great way to get your kids outside and keep them active. Kids of all ages can help mix the bubble solution and play with what they’ve created. Watch your child blow bubbles, chase them and admire their colors!

Have you made home-made bubbles with your child? What is his/her favorite bubble game to play?