Bubble Science (Plus~ Make Your Own Bubble Solution and Bubble Blower)

Welcome to another Science Invitation Saturday where we explore science for kids! Last week we made reflecting rainbows using a CD and flashlight. This week are going to experiment with bubbles!

Materials:

• bubble solution (recipe below if making your own)
• large container to hold bubble solution
• shallow dish or cookie sheet
• 2 straws
• 1 piece of string (about 30-36 inches long)
• any other items to experiment blowing bubbles with (berry basket, paper towel tube etc.)

Bubble Solution Recipe:

• 2/3 cup Joy dishwashing liquid
• 1 tablespoon glycerine
• 1 gallon water

Mix all three ingredients together. You can use the solution right away or even wait a day or so for it to really work well!

Procedure:

1. Fill up a shallow container with bubble solution. 
2. Put a straw into the bubble solution and blow to create a bubble. What does it look like?
3. Try blowing another bubble against your first bubble. Does it change the shape of the first bubble? What else do you notice?
4. Continue blowing as many bubbles as you want. Look around your pile of bubbles and see what different shapes you can discover.

Lucy having fun blowing lots of bubbles!

Theo had a blast!

 5. Now it’s time to blow some giant bubbles! Bring your large container of bubble solution outside.

6. Make your own bubble blower using string and 2 straws:  Cut a piece of string about 3 feet long. Thread two straws onto the string and tie the ends of the string together to make a loop. Pull the straws to each side so you create a rectangle.

7. Dip your bubble blower into the bubble solution. Pull it out slowly. When you notice a thin sheet of soap film between your straws, blow slowly and create a large bubble! What do these bubbles look like? 

8. When you are done playing with your bubble blower, look around your house or yard for other materials to try to blow bubbles with. Try them out and see what happens!

Tips:

– Lifting the bubble maker out of the solution slowly is important. It also helped to have the straws together in the solution. Once we lifted it out of the container, we pulled the straws apart slowly. 

– Once you like the size of your large bubble, you can put the two straws together to make it come off.

– If there’s a breeze outside, you don’t even need to blow the bubble. Just holding the bubble maker in the air should be work!

Question to Spark More Curiosity & Critical Thinking:

Compare the bubbles you made with your straw and shallow dish to the large bubbles you blew outside. How are they the same? How are they different?

What’s Going On:

Want to go even further?

Even more activities to inspire creativity and critical thinking for various ages: 

• Design and build your own bubble blower.
• Try using just your hand(s) as a bubble blower.
• Experiment with making your own bubble solution. Is there a combination of products that work best? (Try things such as cornstarch or other brands of dishwashing liquid.)
• See below for some bubble related products from Amazon.