What is not to like about making bubbles! This activity is just as enjoyable for adults as it is for toddlers. We use a homemade bubble mix and large bubble wands made from wire.
What is great about using a large bubble wand is that the child will need to cross the midline as the bubble wand is swept from one side of the body to the other. Crossing the midline requires both brain hemispheres to work together as a coordinated whole. Any activity that requires crossing the midline takes more effort but is so beneficial particularly for developing the hand dominance needed for skills such as writing and using scissors.
Giant bubble mix
There is a fountain of knowledge on making your own bubble mix at Soap Bubble Wiki. Be warned it can be a rabbit hole! The following recipe is their “easy first bubble mix” and makes wonderfully stretchy and robust giant bubbles.
Ingredients
- 1 litre water
- ¼ teaspoon guar gum
- 3 tablespoons dishwashing liquid*
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Method
- Fill a large PET bottle with 1 litre of water.
- In a small jug or bowl, start with the guar gum and then add the dishwashing liquid a little at a time stirring as you go until you have a smooth slurry.
- Pour the guar gum mixture into the bottle and turn the bottle gently upside down a few times. Use a spatula to scrape all of the slurry from the bowl into the bottle.
- Tip in the baking powder and turn the bottle gently upside down a few times.
- For best results let the mixture sit for several hours.
Notes
* The type of dishwashing liquid matters. We have had good results with Fairy Ultra concentrate. Soap Bubble Wiki has a list of effective detergents by country.
The mixture will be cloudy and may have some sediment but that is nothing to worry about.
Bubble wands
To make the bubble wands, I drilled a hole in the top of a stick, made a loop out of wire, twisted it closed, and glued the ends into the hole with hot glue. I then wrapped the wire in twine and secured the ends with hot glue. The loops are about 14 centimetres in diameter.
Safety
The bubble mixture should be mixed ahead of time and not together with toddlers. Bubble play is of course an activity for toddlers only under supervision.