Sunday, June 21, 2009

Quick and Simple Homemade Bubble Pipe

We tried out this idea from PBS Kids' Zoom site this weekend. They actually call it the Tower of Bubbles, but since it was breezy for us here, we ended up with more of a bubble worm effect. Still as a bubble pipe, it was pretty cool.

To make one you need:

  • a straw

  • a paper cup

  • a rubber band

  • an old wash cloth

  • bubble solution

Poke a hole in the side of the cup just big enough for the straw to fit through. Insert the straw.



Place the cloth over the top of the cup, and secure it with the rubber band.


Dip the cup into your bubble solution to wet the cloth.


Blow through the straw into the empty cup, and watch the bubbles rise up from the cloth.


This was great for the younger kids. Since the cup is empty, if they accidentally breath in instead of blowing out through the straw, they don't get a mouth full of soap. The older kids were fascinated by the fact that they could make bubbles without blowing directly on the soap. They enjoyed trying out different cloths with varying weaves, and discovering the different sized bubbles they made.


The Zoom site has a recipe for homemade bubble solution, if you don't have any on hand. It calls for dish soap, water, and glycerin (we always substitute corn syrup for glycerin when making bubble soap - I can't say we've ever had glycerin just sitting around in our cupboard, and if we did, I'm pretty sure it would have a more important use strengthening bubbles).


It's great to be a homeschooler.

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