Thursday, July 16, 2015

Life-Saving Bubbles {Part 1}

OK, maybe not literally life saving...but it sure seems like it some days!

Each group of families I've worked with has been quite different from the last.  Some really enjoy music and will turn lots of different props in to drums, trumpets, or other creative instruments.  Other groups would have been happy playing with nothing but rubber ducks for the whole session.


There is one thing that is always a hit, though.  It doesn't matter the age of the little ones in the class - 2 months, 20 months, all of two years - they are all equally enthralled.   It doesn't matter how many older siblings are also in attendance.  It doesn't matter who's starting to get grumpy or even who's upset that we've put away the fun toys we'd been playing with.  Any time I start blowing bubbles, I have a group of engaged, positive participants.  Some like to try to catch the bubbles, others enjoy using just their pointer finger to pop the little spheres of joy, still others just enjoy watching them float by.

Drive around on any warm (or even almost warm) day, and you'll see plenty of kids - of all ages - having a blast with bubbles.  There's just something about bubbles that draws everyone in.

Bubbles are a Life Saver!

I have even pulled bubbles out in a department store in order to entertain both of my kids.  Shopping with Mommy and Daddy is fun for only a short time.  Especially when Daddy needs new shoes. They need to be found, tried on, compared - it takes time, and it gets boring pretty quickly.

Instead of chasing toddlers in different directions between racks of shoes - that gets old for Mommy pretty quickly - I pull out the bubbles from my purse.  I have bought myself 10 minutes or more of happy children as we giggle and pop.  Now, I do this as discretely and as politely as possible - avoiding any merchandise or other customers, but at the same time unapologetically.  I'm doing the best I can to keep my kids happily contained for the better of everyone in the store.  On the days I let my self get overwhelmed and forget I have bubbles, the results are less than fabulous.

That's the reason I hand out little vials of bubbles with my business cards.  I like being able to pass along something that - just like early communication skills - can save the day!

Let's Make Our Own!

(This post was sponsored by Whole Foods Market who provided the ingredients used to make these bubbles to me free of cost. All opinions and wording are my own.)

With all the fun bubbles bring, I thought it would be fun to make some of our own - big ones that don't break immediately.

I found two recipes at pbs.org, gathered the needed supplies, and set to work.


Corn Syrup Recipe

We started with the recipe this recipe - I made our recipe 1/4 the size since this was a test batch.


We measured, poured and mixed very carefully.  (I totally forgot about microwaving, as we were all excited to try it out....we'll warm it up next time and see if the results change at all.)




















I fashioned a couple of quick bubble wands out of pipe cleaners we had on hand, and we set to testing our concoction.


SUCCESS!


These bubbles were very easy to form, and, though they easily popped as soon as they hit the driveway, we did manage to "catch" a few.  As a bonus, our corn syrup happened be vanilla flavored, so our bubbles smelled yummy too!



Once we played with those for a little while, we mixed up the second recipe, which was supposed to make BIG bubbles.

Glycerin Recipe

Again, I made a 1/4 sized test batch.


Since this version suggested an overnight rest, we mixed it up and set it aside before heading in for dinner.

The next day, we brought our supplies over to Grandpa's house to try out during our visit. My husband and I fashioned the bubble makers out of straws and some cotton twine we had on hand, and set out to make some giant bubbles.



We delicately poured the solution from the canning jar we used for transportation  into a baking pan.
I could tell immediately that we were going to have to quickly figure out what "Plan B" was going to be.

With two excited kiddos wanting bubbles, we gave it a shot anyway with more parental involvement than we'd planned on.  Being as careful as possible, almost every bubble I tried to form broke before I even got the bubble maker out of the solution.  (I even tried doubling the glycerin, but to no avail.)

We did finally get to see one short-lived, not as giant as we'd hoped, bubble!



It was going to take more research and materials than I could offer immediately to get to see our giant bubbles.  Slightly disappointed, but distracted by getting to feed Grandpa's chickens, we put our bubble supplies away.

Luckily, I knew the perfect person to ask for advice!  Stop back soon to see how we finally got to see big bubbles!

Life-Saving Bubbles {Part 2}

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34 comments:

  1. Try using the original, blue colored Dawn instead of the Seventh Generation dishwashing soap. I don't know what's in there, but it's magical!

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    1. I've heard that. Blue Dawn seems to have so many magical uses! It makes me wonder what Dawn knows that no one else seems to. It's definitely on our list to try in our search for the perfect bubble recipe! Thanks for stopping by with some advice!

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  2. How fun! Thanks for sharing and thank you for the visit and sweet comment at The Dedicated House. It means the world! Feel free to share this post at my Make it Pretty party which is currently live. Here is the link if you want to check it out. http://www.thededicatedhouse.com/2015/07/make-it-pretty-monday-week-143.html Hope to see you at the bash! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

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    1. Thanks for stopping by! I'll be back to Dedicated House with this post next week!

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  3. We make bubbles with vegetable glycerin! It all depends on the dishwashing liquid you use. I agree with Meghan above, Dawn makes much better bubbles than Seventh Generation or any other natural/green soaps! I am curious to try your first recipe with corn syrup.

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    1. We tried blue Dawn - part 2 is coming soon! We're still looking for the perfect GIANT bubble recipe though! Let me know what you think of the corn syrup recipe. We were warned to use it outside as it can get a bit sticky. I didn't find it too much stickier than regular bubbles, but I don't think I'm going to be trying it out inside either! Thanks for stopping by!

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  4. We love Bubbles too, thank you for the recipe!

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    1. Bubbles are great at any age! Thanks for stopping by.

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  5. What a fun post! Bubbles are the best! And, I love all of your pictures with your kids!

    We used to work with 2 year olds at church. When all else failed, we would pull out the bubbles!

    Came over on Wonderful Wednesday, and I'm glad to find your site.

    Hope you have a blessed day today~
    Melanie

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    1. There's definitely something magical about bubbles! Thanks for visiting, I hope you'll stop back again!

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  6. My kids have long enjoyed bubbles also.. and they still do. So many things to do with them.

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    1. There is definitely something pretty great about bubbles. I love how timeless and simple they are to cause so much joy and fun! Thanks for stopping by!

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  7. Bubble are magical! My sons are 6 and 4, and have loved bubbles since before they could talk! Thanks for sharing with #SocialButterflySunday this week! Hope to see you link up again this Sunday :)

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    1. They sure are magical! It doesn't seem to matter, young or old...they're always great! Thanks for stopping by!

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  8. Bubbles are awesome for calming the kiddos down. Thanks for sharing all of the recipes -- I'll have to try some. :)

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    1. There's definitely something special about bubbles floating by - at any age! We're still on the hunt for the perfect recipe, but the corn syrup one is good one for "regular" bubbles. Thanks for stopping by!

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  9. Bubbles are definitely a favorite in this house! Thank you so much for these homemade recipes. We are visiting my parents for awhile and I may just have to try this out.

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    1. There is something awesome about bubbles. I bet your parents would enjoy helping with this project and participating in all the fun it can bring! I hope you have a great visit! Thanks for stopping by.

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  10. Such a lovely post !! Xxx loved bubbles x Check out my latest blog post at http://xbeyoutifulx.blogspot.co.uk !! Xx followers are desperately needed xxxxx

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  11. Hi! I love this, I will have to check it out later tonight, Sophie's not into bubbles just yet, but I'm sure soon enough she will be. I wanted to come over and let you know that I had responded to your comment, but you're a no reply blogger so I don't know if you saw my response.

    liz @ sundays with sophie

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    1. I bet she'll love just watching the float by - even some of the itty bitty infants I've worked with will notice them and grin. Here's my newbie showing - but do you have any clue how to change my no reply status? No one has mentioned that to me before, and I'm not seeing anything in my settings that looks that way.

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  12. What a wonderful and creative thing to do! I still love making bubbles even at my age. lol I will share this for sure!

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    1. Bubbles are timeless and ageless, for sure! Thanks for stopping by!

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  13. You are so right bubbles are life saving. I love the idea of giving it out with business cards! thanks for linking up to #fbfriday

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    1. Thanks, they make a great handout at mom fairs. I've been tempted to give them to little ones waiting in the grocery line needing a distraction, but I haven't been brave enough just yet. Thanks for stopping by!

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  14. My cousin has two children with special needs and they use bubbles a lot, they really do have a magical effect.
    I know a couple of counsellors who use them in therapy sessions too - not just good for the kids I think!

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    1. They're definitely great for ALL ages! I've heard of them being used in therapies helping kids learn about breath control and how to use their facial muscles, too. There are so many great reasons to pull out bubbles! Thanks for stopping by.

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  15. Bubbles are so much fun even big kids and adults enjoy them. Thanks for the recipes and reviews and for sharing them at Good Morning Mondays. Blessings

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    1. There's definitely no age limits on the fun bubbles can bring! Thanks for stopping by!

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  16. As the mom of a two-year-old who loves being outside, I really appreciate all your tips and recipes for making magical bubbles! I know my son would love to try all of these! Thanks so much for sharing this with us at Merry Monday! We hope you'll join us again this week! :)

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    1. I'm still on the quest for the perfect GIANT bubble. I think I found a good lead, though! I'm hoping to share my success before the summer's out - hoping the rain will subside a bit so we can get some outside time in! I hope you and your son both have lots of fun testing out your own bubbles! Thanks for stopping by!

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  17. We've been exactly where you are right now! I had to toss quite a bit of the glycerin solution, but was told the same thing that others have already mentioned: Dawn. Not sure what's in that stuff, but it worked. I can't wait to see what you came up with to get those big bubbles!

    Thank you so much for linking up with us at the Thank Goodness It's Thursday link party! I can't wait to see what you bring to the party tomorrow.

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  18. Blue Dawn helped some. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the other secret ingredient our STEM teacher suggested....thanks for visiting, I hope you'll stop back to see our other adventures!

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