How to put a Kid in a Bubble (with Homemade, Extra Strength Bubble Solution)

Making the right bubble solution and having the right equipment will give your kids a great time at home or for inexpensive party entertainment.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Good dish washing soap (Joy or Dawn)
• water
• corn syrup
• unflavored gelatin
• hula hoop
• cotton string
• child's swimming pool
• footstool

1. First you make the bubble solution. Fill an empty one gallon container (a rinsed out milk jug is great) with warm tap water. Add 2 cups of Joy or Dawn dish soap, one cup of corn syrup and one package of unflavored gelatin. Shake well. It's best to make this a day ahead of time and let it sit, but not necessary. You will want at least three gallons of solution for a small swimming pool.

2. Next, you'll make your bubble wand. Take a hula hoop and wind a long piece of cotton string around the tube, like thread on a spool. It doesn't have to be tightly wound - a inch or so between the string is good. Tie the ends together. This will help absorb the bubble solution.

3. Pour the three to five gallons of solution in a child's size plastic pool. Lay the string wound hula hoop in the pool. Place a low foot stool in the center for the child to stand on. We let this sit for a little while and even skimmed the foam off the top before we started.

4. 
   Hold still!

   Have a child stand on the foot stool with his/her arms at their side. It works well to have two taller adults count to three and lift the hula hoop together, straight up and over the child's head. Hold it still; the bubble should last for a few seconds. We got pictures of every child and the more we use the wand and solution - the better it got. Later the kids lifted the hula hoop and made giant bubbles running through the park. It was great, inexpensive fun.

Tips & Warnings

• The bubbles lasted a long time and we had smaller wands (kitchen gadgets are great) for the kids to use on their own. Warn them not to flip the solution or get it in their eyes.

[scottmitzi]

on 10/25/2009 Make sure you are bringing the hula hoop up rather quickly. Once the kids were on the footstool, two of us grabbed the hoop and lifted together on the count of 3. It also seemed to do better after the solution had set for a little while. You might add more dish soap, but this recipe worked great for us.

[mlmc]

on 10/24/2009 Having a bday party for my little boy in 2 weeks. Am having trouble with this solution. I followed your directions exactly, but the bubble 'caves in' about 1-2 feet from the bottom, then pops. I'm doing it in the garage, so no breeze factor. Ideas on what I'm doing wrong?

[veryirie]

on 8/16/2009 This looks like a whole lot of fun; thanks! :)

[frischy]

on 8/5/2009 What a fun party idea for kids! Thanks for sharing!

[Rosepedal]

on 7/26/2009 What a neat ideal. I will try this with my grandkids. Great Article. 5*