Super Bubbles Solution

Blowing bubbles is a fun and inexpensive outdoor activity that will keep children occupied for hours on warm summer days. You can purchase large jugs of bubble solution, or try this recipe from SteveSpanglerScience.com to make bigger and better “Super Bubbles!”

1 cup distilled water (minerals in tap water can affect the quality of your bubbles)
1 Tablespoon plain dish soap (Steve recommends Dawn, but any regular dish soap with no added moisturizers or anti-bacterial qualities will work.)
1 teaspoon glycerin (available in the pharmacy area of your store)
Mix ingredients together, and let the solution sit for at least 24 hours at room temperature. Steve says letting the solution rest is the secret to super bubbles!

In addition to regular bubble wands, try dipping other items into your solution. Bend a wire coat hanger into a circle, square, or other shape (have children guess what the bubbles will look like from each shape). Use plastic tubes from the hardware store. Try a clean, new flyswatter. Use kitchen utensils like whisks, colanders, and slotted spoons. Cut up an old laundry basket, and let kids use the pieces to blow bubbles. Try using an old tennis racquet.

For a giant super bubble a child can stand inside, pour bubble solution into a small kiddie pool, have a child stand in the pool, then use a hula hoop to make a giant bubble around them.

Let children experiment with the science behind bubbles. What else can they use to make bubbles? Look at the colors reflected in the bubbles. Encourage children to catch the bubbles (Hint: A glove helps. The oil on our skin is what makes the bubbles pop.) See which objects make the biggest bubbles, or bubbles that last longest.

The key to science is asking questions, then coming up with ways to test different theories. Follow the children’s lead, and encourage them to try out their ideas.

Written by Janet Robison, Training Coordinator