The San Francisco Bay Area’s Bay Area Discovery Museum recently held a Bubble Day, the first of many special hands-on events at the museum this summer. As a longtime fan of the magic of bubbles, it was great fun for me to see a new generation of children discovering simple bubble wonder and fun.
You can make your own bubble mix at home with simple ingredients. (Recipe below.) A bucket of mix will last a couple weeks. Leave it out in a yard or on a porch for spontaneous summer play!
Recipe for Great Bubbles
There’s no need to spend money on commercial bubble mixes. The best mixes come from ingredients that are inexpensive and easily available. A large batch can be left in a bucket or tub for days without losing its ability to form bubbles. Bubble mixes are best made at least ½ hour before you need them, so they can settle.
You’ll need:
6 cups (or parts) water
2 cups (or parts) Dawn dishwashing detergent
3/4 cup Karo or other light corn syrup
Measuring container
Large tub, bucket or pan (large enough for the wands to fit inside)
Use Dawn brand dishwashing detergent, if you can find it, for large, firm bubbles. Joy is second-best.
If you’re using the same container to measure both the water and the detergent, measure the water first to prevent detergent foaming in the container.
If your water is very hard, you may want to use distilled water.
Stir the solution gently. It should be smooth, not sudsy or foamy.
Learn lots more fun bubble experiments and activities.
Enjoy making your own bubbles!
This activity is adapted from Fed Up with Frenzy: Slow Parenting in a Fast-Moving World, which contains 300+ fun family activities.
Photos by Susan Sachs Lipman
