Maker Monday: Kids can create a homemade ‘bubble machine’

Sunny days are perfect for blowing bubbles and chasing them across the lawn. This week’s Maker Monday project gives kids a chance to create clouds of bubbles that rise with the fall breeze.

A grown-up may need to help with the cutting, depending on the ages of the kids. But kid makers can do the rest. This fun activity keeps kids (and any mess they make) outdoors. And as with all Maker Monday projects, kids can do this with items you may have around the house or can pick up at a dollar store or grocery store. Just follow the step-by-step instructions below.

Maker Monday materials:

• a disposable plastic cup (like you’d get at a fast-food restaurant)
• a straw
• bubbles liquid (available at a dollar store if you don’t have any at home)
• stickers (or markers to decorate your cup)
• a sharp knife

Step 1: Ask a grownup to cut a small hole in the cup, about 2 inches from the bottom. The hole should be just slightly bigger than the circumference of a straw. Once you’ve cut the hole, slide the straw into the hole.

Step 2: Decorate the cup with stickers (or markers) to give a festive flair to your homemade bubble blower. Then pour about an inch of bubble liquid into the cup, keeping the liquid below the straw opening.

Step 3: Take a deep breath and blow through the straw. The bubble mixture will foam and bubble up, releasing bubbles into the air.

Want more at-home fun creating cool (and delicious!) stuff and making beautiful things? Check out more Maker Monday projects right here. Do you have an idea for a Maker Monday craft project? If so, please share it with Kidsburgh! Send your maker activity ideas to info@kidsburgh.org.