bubble activities

Bubble Activity #14: Sensory Play with Bubble Wrap

Sensory play with bubble wrap is inexpensive and pops with fun and learning for kids. It can be used in an amazing variety of ways.

We all know that kids love to press on the bubbles so they can hear that satisfying pop but bubble wrap also appeals to the sense of touch, not just the sense of hearing. While a baby’s sense of hearing is already fully matured just a month after birth, touch is the primary sense for interacting with the world. “At about eight months, a baby can touch and identify a familiar object without seeing it,” says Dr. Greene, author of Raising Baby Green. (Parenting, Developing Baby’s 5 Senses) With bubble wrap, kids get to hear and touch together.

bubble wrap science fun

Bubble wrap calls out to kids to pop. They will do it over and over, driving adults crazy. Besides the sensory stimulation, kids are exploring cause and effect. There is a sense of accomplishment with the mini-explosions. The translation of “Pop” could easily be “I did it.” As an adult, would you confess to responding to the temptation of bubble wrap? I wonder f psychologists could suggest bubble wrap as stress therapy? It can be so satisfying.

Mom Laura at SunnyDayFamily.com had a super clever idea for sensory play with bubble wrap: a bubble wrap road! She laid out some long pieces on the floor and taped the edges down with painter’s tape. This kind of tape is usually better for floors and walls that masking tape or duct tape, but as she reminds us, check a small patch first. She added small bits to make lanes. Can you imagine the fun of driving toy cars on the bumpy road? (Thank you Laura, for permission to share.)

sensory play bubble wrap sunnydayfamily

The tires of small vehicles transfer the feelings of the bumps to muscles in the body, giving lots of sensory stimulation. Young children are not just exploring their senses, they are figuring out how to organize and respond to sensory information. This is called sensory integration and is a critical aspect of this type of play.

As an adult, would you confess to responding to the temptation of bubble wrap? I wonder f psychologists could suggest bubble wrap as stress therapy? Sensory play with bubble wrap can be so satisfying and fun, would you agree?

Bubble Play & Learn #13: Bubble Math-Science Activity

Bubbles Make Raisins Dance

Bubbles are exciting for kids and this bubble math and science activity just pops with fun. It’s simple and easy to do, combining play and learning.

bubble math science activity raisinsFind a clear jar or bottle. Because spills can happen with kids, we used one with a lid. With your child, count out 10 raisins and place them all in a row—that’s the math. The old, dry ones in the bottom of the baking supplies work great.

Pour some clear soda pop into the container. Can you hear the fizz? That’s the sound of the bubbles coming to the top and popping. Take a minute just to look at the action of the bubbles.

Before doing the next step, ask your child what might happen when s/he puts the raisins in too. Will the raisins float? Will they drop to the bottom? Will they swell up and explode?

Once your child has made a guess, what scientists call a hypothesis, let your child drop the raisins in one at a time. Count them again as they go into the soda pop.

Now, what’s happening? Do you see the raisins going up and down? Ask your child to tell you what s/he sees.

Kids may notice the bubbles sticking on the outside of the raisins. The bubbles attach onto the raisins and float up. As the bubbles pop, the heavier raisins sink back down until more bubbles carry them up. Up and down go the raisins. Are there still 10? It’s hard to count with the raisins dancing up and down.

Surprisingly, this all lasts for several minutes so kids can watch for a good stretch of time. That’s another action of scientists, to observe. Besides the science and the math, kids are also using lots of language. They are exercising their concentration skills as they pay attention to the raisins and the bubbles.

After a few minutes of fun with this bubble math and science activity with raisins, kids may want to play on their own. They may have some ideas of different items they can use. They might want to try stirring or taking the raisins out and putting them in again. That’s another thing scientists do; they explore and children’s play is certainly a form of exploration. Will this activity add some bubble fun to your child’s day?

Bubble Activities #12: Imaginary Stories about Bubbles

Besides books, you and your child can make up imaginary stories about bubbles. Adults might think it’s hard but kids don’t. Great ideas are often silly.

imaginary stories about bubbles

After consistent exposure to books, kids will use a similar format in their own stories of beginning, middle, and end. They will have a problem and a resolution, and a variety of characters. More or less. Their ideas are often quite different from ours. A simple story idea could be a bubble that floats away to imaginary places. Where might it go? What might happen when it lands? A bubble could go visit grandparents, or it may discover a new planet.

Magical powers are not limited to wands, or hands inside gloves. Bubbles may have magic and kids can use them to fight dragons, build towers, and create explosions. If only bubbles could wash dishes, do laundry, and clean floors all by themselves. Perhaps, one day…

Maybe kids could travel right inside a bubble. There are videos of plastic bubbles that people really do use. Riders skim across water, zoom down mountains, and have contests pushing each other over. These inventions come from imagining being inside bubbles. Imagine being able to go deep in the ocean inside a giant bubble or far, far into outer space. The best thing about imagination, there are no limits!

Imagination is not just part of childhood. Being innovative and creative in industry and business is highly respected. Developing imagination is like other skills and abilities. It is strengthened with opportunities and practice. The best time is during the early years. Being able to imagine is also critical for relationships. For empathy, we need to imagine how someone else might feel in a situation.

imaginary stories about bubbles

For a play-of-the-day, there may be some minutes when you and your child can share some imaginary stories about bubbles. Once upon a bubble…?

Bubble Activities #11:  Chasing Bubbles Nature Time

In only one generation, children have been separated from Nature. For a simple but magical activity, kids can have some chasing bubbles nature time. Part of the fun of blowing bubbles is then chasing and trying to catch them. Outside, in a backyard or park, kids will also catch nature. On a calm day, the … Continue reading Bubble Activities #11:  Chasing Bubbles Nature Time

Cooking with Kids – Bubble Cake aka Puddle Cake

Playing, having fun, and learning can all happen at the same time. 1 2 3. This bubble cake combines more than ingredients. It’s easy for cooking with kids. There’s hardly anything to wash up since you mix it and cook it in the same pan. Sometimes, this Bubble Cake is known by another name, Puddle … Continue reading Cooking with Kids – Bubble Cake aka Puddle Cake

Bubble Play & Learn Activities #9: Playing in Soapy Water

Bubble Play or Bubble Work? It’s All Play! Playing in soapy water is another great way to have fun with bubbles. For this activity, instead of just water and soap add in some toys that kids can wash. We might call this work, but kids think it’s play. Toys spend a lot of time on … Continue reading Bubble Play & Learn Activities #9: Playing in Soapy Water

Play Learn with Bubbles #8: Bubble Movement Activities and Game

Chasing bubbles outside is the best fun, but here are some bubble movement activities and game that kids can do indoors or out, in almost any size space. For some independent movement activity play, turn on some music and let your child dance around like bubbles. Of course, they need to have experienced blowing bubbles … Continue reading Play Learn with Bubbles #8: Bubble Movement Activities and Game

Bubble Activities #7:  Children’s Books about Bubbles

Would it surprise you to know there are some wonderful children’s stories and books about bubbles? And not just the kind in the bathtub. The Bubble Factory by Tomie de Paola tells the story of a girl and boy, twins, who visit the factory where their grandpa used to work. What would workers in a … Continue reading Bubble Activities #7:  Children’s Books about Bubbles

Play – Learn with Bubbles #6: Baking Soda and Vinegar Science Fun

Bubble, Bubble, Fizz, and Pop Soap and water aren’t the only ingredients for bubbles. Another way is baking soda and vinegar science fun. Just a bit of makes lots of fun and learning. Scoop some baking soda into a small bowl, fairly flat container, or even a clear plastic wine glass. Set this in another … Continue reading Play – Learn with Bubbles #6: Baking Soda and Vinegar Science Fun

Bubble Art Mothers Day Cards Kids Can Make

Hand-made cards are treasures that mothers keep for years. Here are some bubble art Mothers Day cards kids can make at home. There are several sites that suggest blowing colored bubbles and dipping a paper into them. I’ll admit to being skeptical about this.The bubbles don’t look colored, so how can they leave a color … Continue reading Bubble Art Mothers Day Cards Kids Can Make