Bonus Activity: DIY Giant Bubble Blower {Bubble Week}

By Deborah Pace Rowley & Tiffany Rudd

I hope you've enjoyed all the fun bubble activities this week! We really tried, but couldn't come up with a decent Parenting Tip post even remotely related to bubbles.

So, lucky you...you get a bonus activity post this week! And, this one was an absolute hit at our open house last week.

Giant bubbles! And I mean seriously giant bubbles. And with very few supplies and a few minutes work you can make some too.

Giant bubbles originally happend at our house thanks to this kit grandma bought for the kids. It isn't super spendy, but it is also incredibly easy to make one for yourself for $1 or so.

 Supplies Needed:

• Dowel rod. It doesn't have to be very thick and 3 feet or so should be plenty long.
• Two pieces of yarn. Cut one to 18 inches and the other to 60 inches (5 feet).
• Two rubber bands. We used one thick and one thin, but whatever you have should work fine. 

How To Make a Giant Bubble Blower:

1. Tie one end of your long string and one end of your short string to the end of the dowel rod. So, both strings are tied to the the dowel rod in the same place. Wow, this is much harder to explain than it is to do. :)

2. Put the free end of the long string through a rubber band. We used the bigger rubber band here. The string should NOT be tied to the rubber band, just be going through the middle. This rubber band hangs loose to cause tension in the long string. 

3. I just realized we didn't take a picture of this last step. Let's hope I can explain it well enough!

Put the dowel rod through the second rubber band. Tie both loose ends of string to the rubber band. Do not tie these ends of string to the dowel rod or wrap the rubber band tightly around the rod. The rubber band and strings should be able to slide loosely along the rod. 

Here is a picture of the finished giant bubble blower. 

How to Use Your Giant Bubble Blower: 

1. Slide the rubber band to the end of the rod so that both loops of string hang straight down.

2. Submerge all of the string in Best Ever Bubble Solution (see recipe below). Pull it back out and let the excess drip a little.

3. Now slowly pull back on the elastic to separate the strings. See that bubble forming in the middle? Exciting stuff!

 4. Now just move the rod so air forces that giant bubble out!

 5. There it is! Wahoo!

6. While the bubble is still forming, slide the elastic back toward the other strings at the end of the rod. This will close the bubble and allow it to float away. Awesome!

If you haven't already written down this bubble recipe, or clicked HERE to print it off, I highly recommend it. It is definitely the best I've ever used. Use the glycerin or corn syrup when preparing solution for giant bubbles and give it plenty of time to sit.