How to Make Homemade Bubbles and Bubble Wands

Bubbles! The perfect outside activity, bubble making is fun for kids of all ages. Homemade bubbles and bubble wands are a recipe for hours of enjoyment. A simple homemade bubble solution can quickly be made from common ingredients, while household objects instantly become bubble wands when a little imagination is added. Homemade bubbles and wands are a perfect hands-on science project with children too, as they can experiment with what items make the smallest or biggest bubbles.

The Best Homemade Bubble Solution:

Web searches pull up hundreds of homemade bubble recipes, many of which use glycerin as a main ingredient. As I tested the recipes, I didn't notice much of a difference between glycerin and non-glycerin solutions. I actually prefer this recipe since I always have these ingredients on hand:

2 1/2 quarts water
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup clear liquid dish detergent (not soap for an automatic dishwasher)
Food coloring (optional)

Gently mix the water and corn syrup in a large container. Add the liquid dish detergent and lightly stir. Do not over mix or mixture will get too bubbly. Solution can be easily doubled or tripled. If making colored bubbles, mix in a couple of drops of food coloring. The homemade bubbles can be used immediately or kept for a couple weeks if stored in a covered, airtight container. Baby shampoo can be substituted for the liquid dish soap for no-tears bubbles.

The Best Homemade Bubble Wands:

Your kitchen is full of creative bubble wands! Potato mashers, wire whisks, plastic berry baskets, and plastic fly swatters can be dipped in the bubble solution for tiny bubbles. Cookie cutters make wonderful bubble wands; I attach a craft stick to the cookie cutter to make a handle. Hollow items, such as straws, funnels, or rigatoni pasta, work great too. Just warn the children to blow out, not suck in!