Bursting with Happiness From pears soap to woodstock, the love of bubbles has had kids and adults forever blowingÉ so read our foam-truths and make a little magic for yourselves

Making Bubble Mixture
Instant: mix washing–up liquid and water at a 1:15 ratio (that’s one part detergent, 15 parts water).
Prepared: 25 parts Glycerin or white Karo Syrup, 1 part detergent, 15 parts water (not sure where to buy Karo, but glycerine is readily available for as little as 50p a wee bottle – we found ours in the homebaking section of a well-known supermarket). This is a superior mixture that lasts longer, has more colour and is more ‘sticky’ – the bubbles tend to hang around.
Obsessed: We haven’t tried it but apparently adding pure Linseed oil can make bubbles last up to 25% longer (than what? A piece of string?)
Anything that comes in contact with the solution should be clean; grease and dirt will contaminate your mixture.
• Soft water is best, but you could try posh bubbles and used distilled water.
• Don’t mix the ingredients too vigorously – don’t create bubbles before you blow them.
• Improve on a bubble solution just by leaving it in an open container overnight, or in the fridge.

 

Making Wands
It’s not rocket science – to make a successful bubble wand you need a loop.
But any loop or complete shape will do, and the larger the loop the bigger the bubbles. Here are some ideas:
A paper cone: use a couple of pieces of paper for stiffness and level off the bigger end; then dip the big end in the solution to soak it up a little before blowing through the thin end. It takes a couple of dips and may start to look a bit raggy, but it really works once it gets going.
A tube: and anything that can be doctored to make a tube, like a yoghurt pot or a tin can (no sharp edges). Blow, swoop or run with it… toddling probably won’t create enough gust so you may have to demonstrate!
Fly swatters: with all those holes they make streams of little poppers!
Biscuit cutters: smaller kids will marvel at how a star-shape can produce a round bubble!

 

Bubble Games
Keepy Uppy: try to keep your bubbles from falling to the ground; frantically waving is fun, but the best method is blowing upwards from underneath. The best bubbles for longevity here aren’t the stretched-thin magnificent orbs, but the little ones that have more soap solution to their surface area.
Baby Bubbles: blow streams of bubbles over a kiddie congregation. Either they have to pop them or dodge them. Depends on your nature – is it bumper cars or dodgems?
Guess the Bubble: children sit blindfolded while a master blower chooses his moment to let loose the bubbles over one or two of the children’s heads. The first to feel a bubble – genuinely – wins the round. Those who wrongly shout ‘me!’ are out of the game.
Insider Bubble: ambitious but fun; stand your child on a small step in the middle of a small paddling pool filled with bubble mixture. Then use a hulahoop to pull a bubble over them! Hazard: very slippy!

 

Handy bubbles
A master of these, having done them every bathtime for years with baby soap, I can recommend the following:
1. Rubbing the mixture in your hand (if soapy) and making a fist – or dipping your fist in bubble solution.
2. Slowly unclench your fist, allowing all fingers to separate, except thumb and index finger.
3. Thumb and index finger should unfurl, without breaking contact, to create an ‘O’. If there is no soapy film then dip again in solution.
4. Gentle blowing will produce fantastic size bubbles.
5. Once you’ve mastered this, try clasping your hands together and uncurling slowly until a complete triangle is formed between both sets of thumbs and index fingers.

 

Troubles with Bubbles
Big Flops: When you get one really going, the bigger the disappointment when they flop. The main problem is lack of control: filled with a large amount of warm air, the bubble starts to rise – unless there is too much fluid, causing drips and bringing it downwards. Either way, it all starts to distort and malfunction, and more so when outdoors as there are more factors to wreak havoc. First get practice indoors, and learn how to control it.
Fast Pops: if bubbles are bursting before they’ve hardly formed then you could a) have too little detergent or b) have contaminated solution.
Little Suds: if you’re only producing little bubbles you could either be blowing too hard – a large one requires a steady, gentle stream – or holding the wand too close to your mouth.

 

Did you know?
*Bubble solution is the best selling toy in the world!
*You can puncture a bubble with a wet pin or nail without it popping!

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Bubble Tips

Scented and tinted detergents make fragrant and colourful bubbles!

Adding tempura paints can be bright, but a little messy!

Use a vinegar-water solution to clean up bubble mess.

Blow bubbles in the shade and when there is little wind or breeze.

After a rainstorm the air is full of moisture, and bubbles will last for ages!

Keep your bubble tools really wet with bubble solution.