Making Big Soap Bubbles

WARNING: Be careful of bursting bubbles too close to your eyes, or soap may cause stinging. And always supervise children when they are in or near water.

What you need

• bath, sink or shower
• soap

What to do

Lather some soap in your hands with some water. Hold your hands in a praying fashion or press your hands together and slowly open them so that your fingertips and base of your palms are still touching (see picture). You should have a soapy film stretching over the hole between your hands. Gently blow on the soapy film until you get a bubble.

This may take a few tries to get right. Keep practicing and you can get bubbles as big as a basketball. Now ask your child to try.

You can also try blowing bubbles from other parts of the body. Ideas include between their arms, legs or even behind their ears!

What they learn

This activity helps children to learn that some things can appear and disappear (permanence of objects). By blowing into the film to create the bubble, they learn that bubbles are filled with air and can watch the effect they make on the bubble film when they blow soft or hard.

Encouragement questions

• Can we make the bubble if we use only soap?
• Can we make the bubble if we use only water?
• Get them to test what is the best amount of soap and water.