Bubble Play for Every Age!

You've probably already noticed that bubbles are quite the reinforcer for kids of all ages.  I got to thinking about bubbles today and realized that my seven year old still delights in bubble play.  So, I thought I would write a post highlighting the bubble play activities he and many of my speech and language clients have enjoyed over the years.  

If you service clients in Early Intervention or have toddlers of your own, you NEED Gymboree Bubbles!   First and foremost, they last a couple seconds which is much more rewarding than the bubbles that pop in your face as you are making one!  Children find it so rewarding to chase after these non-sticky, little treasures.  Second, a little solution goes a LONG way!  The bubbles come with the little dish that you pour the solution into for dipping.  I typically fill a quarter of the dish per session, so the big bottle lasts FOREVER!  Third, they even float on water!  My colleagues and I used these bubbles in a pool group and everyone, even those not in our group, loved watching the little bubbles float on the water and fill the room.  Again, the children in the water had time to move towards the bubbles before they popped, thus getting them some good, physical activity too!  The one downfall is that you can't offer your bubble wand to little ones for sanitary reasons so they can work on some oral motor coordination.  BUT, children can still try and blow the bubbles in the air, which often is a good starting place for toddlers trying to learn how to blow a bubble anyways.  You can find these bubbles at Gymboree clothing stores/ gyms or via this affiliate link:

The next bubble solution is one that you can make yourself with items in your pantry and you don't need a wand to blow these babies, just your fingers!  I stumbled upon this little gem one overcast, summer day and my neighbor and I decided to try it out with our kids aged four through seven years old.  They all LOVED it, including the big, adult kids;)  You can follow this bubble link to a site that tells you how to make the solution and use your finger wands.  Plus, there are some activities included in the post that enhance speech and language.

Another bubble treasure is a light up bubble wand that we recently paid way too much money for in Disney

for our seven year old.  It isn't one of those toys that you buy at a parade and never use again though, because he delights in playing with it outside at home.  At least we got our money's worth.  It's nice to see him enjoy play with some younger neighbors who don't mind chasing after the bubbles as he makes them.

My last bubble recommendation is the dollar store/ Walmart tube bubble wand.  One Easter, we bought fifteen of them and piled them in a bucket and then sent the mixed age group of kids on a treasure map hunt for the container.  Next to candy, it was a great gift for children of all ages.  I love how you can hold the wand up in the wind on a breezy day and effortlessly watch gigantic bubbles appear and float away.  Not only are these large bubbles interesting to see fill the sky, but you can also gain a plethora of language from this activity (large, big, smaller than, bigger than) and the list goes on and on.

Now, get out there and have some bubble making-popping-talking-watching fun!  If you have a bubble activity treasure, please share it with us in the comments section:)




photo credit: Jeff Kubina via photopin cc for image at the top of the post