Bubbles: lots of fun and learning too!
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EmailBubbles are a great summer activity for kids of all ages to expand their learning and have a blast.
Bubbles are a wonderful activity to keep kids busy and learning in a simple and exciting way. Children of all ages love to play with bubbles and we can do a few simple things to educate them, and ourselves, as we play together. Here are some ways we can use bubbles to enhance learning in different developmental areas.
- Physical development, both gross and fine motor. Have children chase and catch bubbles using different body parts to pop them. Try using different tools to blow bubbles, which increases children’s physical skills and hand/eye coordination.
- Science. Talk with your child about how the bubbles look and feel. Explore gravity and how wind and air movement changes the bubbles. Experiment with different types of bubble solutions. Talk about what happens when a bubble touches a wet surface versus a dry one. Use different types of wands and gadgets to blow bubbles with such as plastic berry baskets, pipe cleaners made into different shapes, funnels, paper cups, straws, string or even a hula hoop. Let the kids use their imagination and talk about their exploration.
- Early literacy. Use your words! Label everything and be descriptive: large, small, tiny, huge, high, low, near, far, up, down, in, out, hard and soft. Talking and labeling can help children learn more about the world around them. There are also many finger plays and songs you could use to make the bubbles even more fun.
- Sensory. Add soapy water to the sensory table, bath tub or tote and let the kids explore. Include dishes and sponges for washing. Add turkey basters, pumps and siphons to help them make more bubbles.
- Math. Count bubbles of course! You could also talk about size and shape. Try having a bubble wand sorting activity with different colors and sizes.
- Social skills. Include dolls to wash in the soapy water, encourage interaction in bubble games and practice taking turns.
Ready to start your bubble activities? Here is a simple bubble recipe that will allow you to blow larger and sturdier bubbles:
- 6 cups water
- 1/2 cup blue Dawn dish detergent
- 1/2 cup corn starch
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder
- 1 Tbsp. Glycerin
Once you’ve made your bubbles, have fun in the summer sun with all the bubbles you can blow! Looking for more summer learning activities for kids? Michigan State University Extension can help!
