Using Bubbles to Create Art Prints : as seen in "101 Kids Activities' Book

My older daughter who will be turning 8 in three months still loves bubbles and now my youngest who is 23 months loves when I blow bubbles. With both of them lately, the bigger I can make them, the more they love it. I'm told to make another big one and then the little one loves to poke it with her finger. Makes me smile every time. Well, now there's something new you can do with bubbles and Holly Homer and Rachel Miller of KidsActivitiesBlog.com are here to share one of their fun craft activities with us. They have recently released a book that will make the saying "I'm bored" be a thing of the past. The book, 101 Kids Activities That Are The Bestest, Funnest Ever has 101 activities inside that will keep children of all ages busy with activities that use common, everyday household items. Today's project is called Bubble Prints and here's the craft recipe to create it with your child(ren).

Bubble Prints

Materials (to make one bubble shooter)
• 9 to 12 drinking straws
• Rubber band
• Broad plastic cup
• Multiple sheets of paper

Bubble Solution (to make about 1 1/2 cups [360 ml] bubble solution)
• 1 cup (235 ml) water
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) not concentrated liquid dish detergent (if concentrated, use slightly less)
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) corn syrup
• 10 to 15 drops food coloring

It is best to stir the ingredients to mix them, not shake. Let it sit overnight for the best results. We split our recipe into multiple baby food jars and then added food dye for our printing craft.

Grab a handful of straws and secure them together with a rubber band. We found that five or six straws worked best.

Dip one end into the bubble solution placed into a plastic cup broad enough to accommodate the straw bundle. Blow lots of bubbles!

Hold the end of the shooter over a piece of paper and see what happens on the paper as the colored bubbles pop. Let dry.

Modifications for Younger Kids
Instead of using dish detergent to create the bubbles, make them pain-free by using tear-free baby wash. This way, if your child gets a bubble in an eye it won’t sting.

Younger kids who might inhale with the straw in their mouth vs. exhale should continue to use a bubble wand until the coordination is mastered. No one wants a mouthful of bubbles!

Modifications for Older Kids
Cut the bottom off a water bottle. Put a dish rag over the opening and use a rubber band to secure that to the bottle. Dip the rag into the bubble juice and blow on the “mouth” of the bottle. The result should be a “snake” of bubbles.

Use your bubble-printed paper to write a card to a friend or family member you haven’t seen in a long time - you can also use bubble prints on butcher paper to create your own wrapping paper for gifts.