Craft Stem Bubble Wands

Ages/Grades

Preschool, Early Elementary

 

Learning Domains

Language, Fine Motor, Science

 

Materials

• Craft stems

• Bubbles or dish soap and water

• Shallow bowls

• Beads (optional)

 

Ready, Set, Create!

Place all of the materials out on your tray or work surface.

 

Show children how to bend the craft stems into shapes, making sure they are closed on the edge.

 

Pour bubble solution into shallow bowl (either use store-bought solution or mix 6 cups water, 1 cup dish soap, and 1 tablespoon glycerin to create your own).

 

Dip the craft stems into the bubble solution and blow bubbles!

 

 

Make observations about what happens when different shaped bubble wands are used.

 

 

 

Engage Children in Conversation

Comment on what you observe, such as “I notice you bent the craft stem into a heart shape” or “What do you think will happen if you only dip half of the craft stem in the bubble solution?

Ask children open ended questions that encourage critical thinking, such as:

Which shapes will you create?

What happens to the shapes of the bubbles when you use different shaped wands?

What works best, blowing bubbles or letting the wind do the work for you?

For very young children, try asking “either/or” questions, such as;

Are you using the red or the purple stem?

Are the bubbles big or small?

Can you make your bubble pop?

 

Extensions

This activity can go along with a Science unit about bubbles or water. Children can draw pictures or make observations about what happened when they used different shaped bubble wands. Do different shaped wands change the shape or size of the bubbles? Were some shapes more successful at creating bubbles than others?

This activity can also be used while talking about shapes. Some children may choose to make a circle shape for their bubble wand, while others may make squares, hearts, diamonds, etc. They can draw pictures of the possible shapes while planning what they’ll make. Children can add beads onto the ends of the craft stem “handles” to extend the activity. Maybe they’ll create patterns with the beads!

 

Modifications

Caregivers can help young children bend the craft stems into shapes.

If children prefer not to touch the bubble solution, they can ask caregivers for help with dipping their wands.