Flying away with Bubbles!

This morning was a perfect morning for outside play! It gets so hot in Arizona that sometimes we are not able to go outside at all or our outside time is cut down to minutes because we are all sweating. This morning everyone ate breakfast without issues and used their manners to be excused. Each kid did their assigned “chore” to help clean up and everyone got shoes on well, so outside we went! The pop up tent and tunnel were gathered, babies put in strollers, everyone lathered in sun block, bubbles in the bottom of the stroller, along with the chalk, and everyone lined up at the door including the dogs.

The first few moments outside are always a rush of dogs sprinting around, kids running using outside voices to the play house or the ball or just to the grass, and me bringing the strollers out tent and tunnel balancing on top or under arms. Once out and the initial burst is done, the dogs lay down in the shade and the kids remember the toys: bubbles please, chalk please, ball please fill the air and everything gets divided up. The big bubbles are for me to blow because of messes, so those stay put as I unfold the tunnel and tent. A sudden eruption of squeals again as kids run in and out of the tent, to the mini-house, to the tunnel, and back to the tent. Once, all is settled the sidewalk is drawn on and “big” bubbles are requested. Little ones run after the bubbles trying to catch them while bigger kids talk about them and try to pop them.

Today, one of the kids noticed that bubbles have colors in them. Hmmm, learning moment anyone? I asked what they saw, blue, green, orange, and yellow. I asked if the bubbles changed colors. YES, YES, YES, as the kids realized the bubbles did in fact change colors. I ask if the kids knew how to tell when the bubbles are ready to pop? Sometimes the kids will make a connection between the questions, today wasn’t that day instead I got the most obvious answer, bubbles are ready to pop when I put my finger in it! Re-approaching the subject what about the ones that pop by themselves I asked. The kids watched for a moment, then seeing some bubbles pop without the assistance of fingers, naturally wanted to know how to tell the bubbles would pop. Watch the colors, like a leaf that starts out green, when a bubble is green or bluish it’s new, as the soap stretches and the water evaporates the bubble like the leaf turns yellow and orange until POP! Another moment of watching bubbles and I was provided the lesson approval of “Cool!” You always know it’s a good lesson when the bigger kids spend a few minutes trying to re-teach it to the younger kids.

Take a moment out of your day today for a bubble lesson! Do it outside, inside, or even in the bath, but make sure to point out that there are colors everywhere and sometimes you have to look hard to see them! Make your own bubbles with non-lotion soap and water. Make them last longer by adding Glycerin found at the drug store (sometimes this makes it so you can actually catch the bubble and hold it in your hand or on your finger) or corn syrup (very sticky so outside only) or sugar (again sticky so outside only) by adding 4tbsps of any of these choices for each 5 cups of soapy water and allowing it to sit over night to dissolve an alcohol (often found as a disinfectant in soaps). Experiment with what makes for good bubble blowers (anything with holes in it is a great tool to experiment with from the holey drain spoon to a bent hanger! You can add food coloring for colored bubbles, but this can stain as its food coloring so I don’t recommend it, maybe try a dab (about a teaspoon or less) of washable paint for colored bubbles (again this may stain once mixed with your bubble mix so outside only and in clothes you don’t care about as I haven’t tried this due to the potential mess and having a daycare). Whatever your bubble fun, learn from it and you have once again made learning enjoyable for your child! As always make sure to write down any cool discoveries or pearls of kid wisdom shared into your "Kids say the Darnest things Journal" and take lots of pictures! To close, like the colors in bubbles sometimes the most interesting things in life are there but not seen unless you really look hard, once you find them they are always worth it!

Abby

Here are a few Glycerine Bubble pictures we took inside!