SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS FOR KIDS

Blowing bubbles is every kid’s favorite outdoor activity. But what if you’re stuck inside and can’t bear the idea of those sticky orbs landing all over the furniture? Here’s a project that lets your little one blow some bubbles – and make a cool piece of art at the same time.

Using a simple mixture of dish soap, tempera paint and water, your child creates beautiful colored bubbles that they can then “save” by transferring to a piece of paper. This fun project will keep them from blowing those bubbles in the house – for the time being.

GATHER THIS:

• Tempera paint in various colors
• Dawn dish soap
• Bowls (soup bowls are the perfect size)
• White paper
• Straws
• Water
• Tablecloth (Cover your table. This can get messy!)

THEN DO THIS:

1. In each bowl, combine two tablespoons of paint, two tablespoons of dish soap and 1/4 cup of water. Stir well.
2. Place a straw in the soap mixture and blow until bubbles rise up past the rim of the bowl. (Note: For very young children, parents may want to do this step to avoid them drinking the liquid through the straw!)
3. Gently place your paper on the top of the bubbles to capture the soapy design.
4. You can then place the same piece of paper on another bowl with different colored bubbles to create a colorful pattern.

* Alternately, you can use a spoon to scoop up the bubbles and place them on a sheet of paper. After the bubbles pop, they'll create a unique pattern!

ASK THIS:

• Do different sized bubbles make different designs?
• What happens to the bubbles as they pop?

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

When you place the paper on top of the bubbles, the rough surface of the paper pops them. Then, the soap and the paint that make up the bubble is deposited on to the paper to make your design.