It’s the middle of August and while it’s too depressing to think about, summer is almost over. But bubbles are basically the opposite of depressing, and kids are crazy for them, so here we are.
A while ago, I was in Central Park and saw these guys using some long stick contraptions to make giant bubbles, delighting kids and parents (and also getting cash from parents for making the bubbles). It didn’t look that hard and so I turned to trusty Amazon to find such a contraption, but there were too many choices with reviews all over the map. Instead, I wound up making my own wand for about $6 (wooden dowels like $2 a piece; washers .10 each; $1 for a roll of cotton clothesline; $2 for a packet of eye screws). It was idiot proof!
I used this site’s great directions and once I had the supplies, it took about 4 minutes. I ordered a jug of this great powder, and mixed it with regular old dishsoap andhot water to make the solution.
On a cool, humid morning, I tested it out with my toddler and both the solution and my DIY wands worked perfectly. Giant, shifting, shiny bubbles (they look sort of like a clear version of Slimer from Ghostbusters) floated across the lawn, up into the sky, and over the house. My toddler had so much fun chasing them and trying to poke them with a stick. I wound up making a smaller bubble wand for her, but so far, it appears to be more fun to destroy the giant bubbles than to make them. In any case, if you have kids, or if you know kids, or if you just like bubbles (or want to make a buck in your local park!), try this.
You can use the leftover bubble solution in store bought bubble bottles. My toddler and her friends really love the ones with animal heads (these, by Kid O), but word to the wise, they leak! Also, for those that just want to buy the big bubble wands, these look a lot like what I made. Making a nice pair of bubble wands and packaging it with a cute bucket, a bottle of the bubble powder and a bottle of dishsoap, all tied up with a nice ribbon would also make a really nice present.