One of our favorite things to do during the summer, is to go outside and play with bubbles. I mean…you can really never go wrong with bubbles. Kids love them…adults love them – it’s a win-win! We enjoy hanging out in our backyard and testing different sizes and shapes of bubble wands. Heck, if you remember, we even made our own Fourth of July Bubble Wands this year. And we always setup a bubble machine during our daughter’s birthday parties – the kids go bananas for it. Needless to say, we are crazy about bubbles! And some sunny afternoons call for some extra special Summertime Bubble Fun! On those days, we take our bubble game up another notch!
There are so many different ways to have fun with bubbles…but we wanted to share just a few of our favorites. These three ideas are tried and true, quick and easy to setup, and will have your kiddos smiling from ear to ear! π
Summertime Bubble Fun
Ball Pit Balls + Bubbles
Playing with colorful ball pit balls is always a good time…but you can amplify the fun factor by combining them with lots of white soapy bubbles! I honestly had no idea just how engaging this simple activity would be for our daughter…she was thrilled! She spent more than an hour outside…swirling the balls around in the bubbles, hiding the balls in the bubbles, rolling the bubble-coated balls across our deck, sorting the balls by color…and covering her entire body with bubbles. π
All you need are some colorful ball pit balls, a large plastic tub (you could also use a kiddie pool or water table), and some soap and water. If you’re worried about your little ones getting soap in their eyes, you can always use a tear-free bubble bath or shampoo. Simply add soap to the plastic tub, spray in some water to create lots of bubbles (you want more bubbles than water), and then toss in the balls.
And with any luck…by the end of the activity…your little one will be the one getting all cleaned off in the tub! π
Bubble Snakes
Bubble snakes were all the rage on Instagram last summer…so we obviously had to give them a whirl. And truth be told? They are super fun, and incredibly mesmerizing! All of the intricate little bubbles shimmer and sparkle in the sunlight…and it’s truly magical!
To make your own bubble snakes, you will need an empty plastic bottle, a clean sock, a couple of rubber bands, and a dish of soapy water. First, you will need to cut off the bottom of the plastic bottle. This step should be done by an adult. We used an X-ACTO knife to accomplish this task. Next, pull the sock over the bottom of the plastic bottle – pulling tightly, until the bottom of the bottle is nice and smooth. Secure the sock with the rubber bands. Dip the sock in the soapy water, and blow through the top of the bottle to create loads and loads of bubbly fun!
We even attempted to dye the bottom of our sock with food coloring (after seeing a magical, rainbow-colored bubble snake on Instagram), but it didn’t really work in our favor. That being said, our bubbles snakes were still beautiful!
Bubbly Car Wash
I don’t know about you, but I loved helping my parents wash our car when I was a little girl. The combination of spraying water and soapy bubbles always won me over. And I’m sure my parents were thrilled with my excitement and enthusiasm to actually help with a household cleaning task. π So…one afternoon (when I was struggling to come up with fun ideas to keep our little nugget busy) our daughter’s little toy car caught my eye…and our mini car wash was born!
I filled up a bucket of warm, soapy water – and decided to add a few squirts of liquid watercolor…to make things more colorful and fun. We grabbed a rag, our bucket of bubbles, and the little pink car…and we headed outside to hook the sprayer up to the hose. And then…it was time to wash! Our little nugget was so excited to man the hose and sprayer all by herself (she even took the liberty of spraying me a few times). And she scrubbed that little car until it was sparkling – all on her own volition (not because I asked her to). She took pride in cleaning one of her favorite toys. It certainly helped that she was able to get all bubbly and wet in the process. π
In fact, creating a little bubbly bath is a great way to have your kiddos help clean their toys that need disinfecting! You can even set one up inside in a large tub (for smaller toys).
Of course a few days after washing her own car, our little nugget requested to wash our “gold car.” Since it’s our older car, and doesn’t get a whole lot of use or attention, it was definitely in need of a nice bath. Little kids are obviously not tall enough to reach the upper portions of a vehicle, but washing a car is a great way to spend some quality time together. I guarantee there will be lots of laughs and giggles…and you’ll probably get a little wet too. π
I don’t think that we will ever tire of playing with bubbles! So, if you have some other fun summertime bubble ideas, go ahead and send them our way!
And if you’re looking for a fun craft idea involving bubbles, make sure to check out our Bubble Painting – Two Ways post!
