Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere

 

It was a just-because-bubble-playing-kinda day. I’ve been wanting to get some materials together for some fun with bubbles all summer and finally pushed myself to do it before the season was officially over. It was a great tribute to a fantastic summer!

There are so many recipes out there for homemade bubble solution. Many recipes called for glycerin which would have required a special trip to a special store, and with my three lil-ones, I really just didn't have the time. So I crossed my fingers and went with the recipe that called for light corn syrup. It was much easier for me to just grab while grocery shopping and it turned out PERFECT! 

Here’s what we did and here's what you’ll need if you give it a try:

• 5 gallons of water (I used regular ol’ tap water)
• 8 cups of dish detergent (I used a mix of dawn and dollar store brand)
• 2 cups of light corn syrup

That’s it!!! How easy right?!?! I combined the solution outside since it was going straight into the small play pool. I went with the water first and then added the 8 cups of dish detergent and 2 cups light corn syrup. I used my hands to gently rub the bottom of the pool in efforts to incorporate the ingredients without creating suds. Many sites suggested letting the solution sit overnight for the best results however I put the solution together about 2 hours before we begun our play and I have to say, after playing with it all day, for three days straight, it was perfect from the start. Thank God!

I purchased the majority of our bubble tools the dollar store; pipe cleaners, large bubble wands, individual bubbles, and nets (for butterfly catching). Some of the things we already had were the small play pool, hula-hoop, step stool, drinking straws, yarn, water bottles, rubber bands, and an old pillow case.

Before we ventured outside I let the kids use the pipe cleaners to make different-shaped bubble wands. They really enjoyed that! Even though there was an abundance of tools to choose from they still really enjoyed using the small pipe-cleaner-wands they created. <3

The nets were TONS of fun! I’m so glad I decided to grab them. They initially used them to run around chasing and catching bubbles of all shapes and sizes until day 2 of playing with the solution when they discovered suds! They used their nets to scoop up the suds from the pool and swing them around and around…it was love at first sight…tiny suds floating through the air and landing everywhere. It looked like snow! Really, it was beautiful!

If I had to choose my favorite experience with the bubbles it would have to be watching the kiddos use the most inexpensive tool of them all…the yarn and straw tool.  Check out brother and sister enclosing each other in HUGE bubbles! It was SO awesome!

Using the hula-hoop to create large wonky looking bubbles and trapping each other in them comes in at a very close second! These things made the most incredible bubbles! Four out of five of the kids that were playing were five years of age and under, and these tools were super easy to manipulate and created jaw-dropping bubble results!

We also made some sudsy-snake-makers by cutting a water bottle in half and wrapping it with parts of a cut up pillow case. I gathered the fabric at the bottom, cut side of the water bottle and secured it by wrapping a rubber band around it. With everything else to choose from, these weren't as big of a hit but did come in handy when the kiddos needed more suds to scoop up with the nets. Beware, they more than likely will get suds very close, if not in, their mouths when using this one.

I really enjoy watching them explore and learn through play. It was more fun than I could have ever hoped for!

Rainbow Rice

We finally took the time to dye our rice and make sensory rice! We have been experimenting lately with color mixing (which has been TONS of fun) so this fell right in line. I searched online for the easiest way to accomplish this and come across a hand sanitizer version opposed to using vinegar - it was super simple! I prepped everything and experimented with the first batch after the kiddos were in bed. I have to say, it was really hard for me not finish ALL of the colors. I just knew how beautiful they would all turn out and really wanted to see the final product. I'm glad I didn't, though, because upon waking, the kiddos were very excited to see what was in store for them.

Here’s what we did and what you’ll need:

• Food coloring (We used the gel food coloring. I also have the neon liquid food coloring and I was curious to find out how vibrant those colors turned out. Next time we’ll try those. I’m sure any liquid food coloring would work. I couldn't tell you exactly how much gel coloring I used, I just squirted a bit till I felt it was enough. If I had to guess I’d say it was about a teaspoon. I do think I could have used more.)
• Hand Sanitizer (2 pumps per batch/color)
• Jars (We used an old plastic peanut butter jar and a plastic tuberware container. Glass jars or even bowls, if you prefer stirring over shaking, would work as well. I’m glad we went with plastic because there was a bit of banging on the counters that was needed to get everything mixed together)
• Rice (I used about 2 cups of rice for each color)
• Foil, wax, parchment, or even just paper towels for laying out the rice to dry.

Process: I chose to keeping the food coloring and hand sanitizer squirting to myself but let the kiddos use a measuring cup to scoop one cup of rice at a time into a funnel sitting in the jar. The rice poured right on top of the sanitizer and food coloring then we popped the lid on and did lots of shaking and banging. It did take quite some work to make sure the color was dispersed but it was well worth it. Once the kids decided the color was perfect they poured it into sheets of foil to dry. That was it! It was a super easy, kid friendly project that has provided for hours of fun!

They were so excited about playing with the colored rice they made. 

A few notes: 

• It doesn't take long at all to dry, especially if you spread it out well. Ours dried within 30 minutes. (I did find 1-2 small clumps of gooey rice and food coloring clusters that I just tossed.)
• I followed ROY G BIV when laying them in the large bin.
• Whether we play inside or out with our sensory rice (or any other sensory material) I always lay a large sheet down to catch the mess. I’ve learned the hard way, that sensory play is much more fun when we’re (ok…when I'm) not worried about the huge mess it’s going to leave behind. :)
• My favorite thing about this beautiful sensory rice is that we can reuse it! I can use it for future discover bottles, I spy bottles, Carisa's ABC Find It!, artwork and whatever else our little hearts see fit for it. I promise you, too, will find it well worth your time. Have fun!

Sequencing Numbers

Today, we worked on letter K activities that we didn't quite finish last week. Regardless, I’d say it was a success, especially because we had FUN while learning!

The kids traced the letter K using paint and q-tips, and we cut, glued, and made a bit of a mess (which, in my book, is a sign of success!). We also played in a rice sensory bin, searching for items that begin with the letter K.

While I worked with Mikey on the vocabulary words “big” and “little,” big sister cut out number cards from 1 to 20. We took those cards to our glass coffee table and placed them under the glass tiles. The kids were intrigued as they looked through the glass to find and pick the next number.

We then arranged the numbers in order on top of the glass surface. It was a fun and unique activity, and I’ll definitely be using this strategy again. Both the kids and I really enjoyed it—felt like we were shopping for numbers!