Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Fall Bubble Fun

Today was one of those rare but wonderful late September days that felt more like summer than fall. And not wanting to miss out on a minute of sunshine, my daughter and I spent the entire afternoon in the backyard, enjoying one last taste of summer. And any sunny afternoon in the backyard would not be complete without bubbles! Bubbles are a wonderful activity to promote hand-eye coordination and visual tracking. And they are endlessly entertaining for a wide range of ages. So don’t pack the bubbles away just because summer is over. Sunny autumn days make for wonderful bubble blowing, particularly if it is a little breezy outside.
The glycerin in this bubble recipe makes the bubbles stronger, allowing you to blow bigger bubbles that don’t pop as easily...

Super-Duper Bubble Solution
½ cup Dawn or Joy dishwashing liquid
4 cups water
2 teaspoons sugar
4 tablespoons glycerin (available over the counter at most pharmacies)
Combine ingredients and store in a leak-proof container with a lid. The longer you let the solution sit before using it, the bigger the bubbles will be. Have fun!
To make your own bubble wands…
·    Form the end of a pipe cleaner into a loop, leaving the remainder of the pipe cleaner as a handle. Or for bigger bubbles, use one pipe cleaner to make the loop and another to form the handle.
·    Straighten a wire coat hanger and form the end into a loop. Wrap ends of coat hanger several times with duct tape to prevent pokes or scratches.
·    Use a clean, never used fly swatter as a bubble wand. All those tiny holes make for oodles of little bubbles!
And a fun little twist…
·    Young babies love to watch bubbles, and this is a great way to promote visual tracking skills. To make the bubbles easier to see, add a few drops of food colouring to your bubble solution. Helpful hint: Although older children will love coloured bubbles as well, you may wish to avoid adding colour if you have a toddler who likes to “help” and ends up dripping in bubble solution (like my daughter inevitably does!).

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