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 the floor. They might not look dirty, but could likely use a wash. This can happen in a sink or large container of some sort. On a sunny afternoon, we filled up a bin with warm, soapy water and set it outside on the deck. This way, once the kids finished washing their toys, they could set them in the sun to dry.
Besides toys, you may have other things kids could wash. Any picnic or camping gear that needs a clean up? Rather than washing something in a container, you might fill a bucket with warm soapy water and let kids wash the patio furniture. The mats from the car are another possibility of something that could use cleaning. This can also be an activity for inside the house. Kitchen chairs will feel less sticky after a wipe down. The garage often has stuff to be washed. Kids will have suggestions of things they can wash.
For adults, work is the opposite of play. We can hardly wait for work to be done so we can play. For kids, their work is to play. Through their play, they are discovering how to connect and interact with the world. If we think of play in a child’s terms, we can understand why sweeping the driveway can be just as playful as building with Lego, why washing dishes is a play activity as much fun as digging in the sandbox.
Washing items in a bin is just as much playing in soapy water as pretending toys are in a foamy ocean in the bath. It’s hands on and sensory play. Would this be fun play for your child?