Bubble Play

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Author: Rebecca O’Callaghan, M.S., OTRL, SWC
As an occupational therapist, bubbles are one of my most favorite activities to play with children of all ages and stages of development. Bubbles have a way of capturing our attention, as we watch that light translucent iridescent bubble float in the air, and then POP! I would like to share with you the benefits of bubbles, so you know WHY playing this activity with your child is important. But what if my child is too young or isn’t yet blowing bubbles?! That is just fine, don’t worry, your child doesn’t need to be able to blow bubbles themselves to benefit from this play activity. I’m here to give you some guidance that I hope you will find helpful, and keep playtime going with smiles, laughter, and fun!


Enhances Visual Tracking by Strengthening Ocular-Motor Muscle Control

So why is this important? We use visual tracking skills every day, and often times, without noticing. For you, that may involve something like you tracking the words on this page as you read what is written or searching around the room and scanning each surface for where you left your keys. For kids, visual tracking is important because it helps them to develop the eye muscles by performing coordinated and precise left to right, up and down, or diagonal movements. Visual tracking also enhances their ability to perform tasks that require visual-motor coordination.

Improves Visual-Motor Coordination (also known as hand-eye coordination)

So why is this important? Clap your hands, catch a large ball, draw a circle, write the letter “P”, or cut a piece of paper in half. All of these are things that involve visual-motor coordination. Broken down in the simplest form, anything we do that requires us to use our eyes and hands together is a visual-motor task. And when your child visually tracks and then reaches out to pop that bubble (no matter if the bubble is on the floor or in the air), that’s visual-motor coordination at work!


Improves Oral-Motor Coordination

So why is this important? Oral-motor coordination involves the oral-facial muscles of the jaw, tongue, lips, and cheeks all working together so that we can eat, talk, and of course, blow bubbles! The oral-motor muscles themselves may be small, but of the many, many muscles involved, each has the responsibility of coordinating with not only one another, but all together at one time! It is an extremely complex task, and one that impacts many of our daily tasks including feeding and speaking. Remember that oral-motor coordination develops over time as oral-facial muscles strengthen and the jaw stability increases. If your child isn’t yet blowing bubbles, that’s okay. Most children master this skill around three years of age. However, it is possible that an underlying oral-motor coordination issue may be the cause if mastery is not developed, and an oral motor therapy program(s) may be needed to assist your child in learning this oral-motor coordination skill (or other oral-motor coordination skills related to feeding and speaking).

Improves Respiration

So why is this important? Think back to your last birthday...how did you blow out ALL of those candles on your birthday cake? Yes, a really, really, REALLY big breath! Respiration is key in daily life to feed our body with life giving oxygen. But it also plays a role in other activities like blowing bubbles, blowing whistles, and yes, even blowing out our birthday candles. Strengthening the muscles needed for breath and increasing respiration is important in helping us be able to speak out loud with varied volume, use long sentence structures, and sing. For kids, this is important in making sounds, babbling, speaking, and playing!

My Favorite Bubble Brands

Imperial Super Miracle Bubbles

Imperial Super Miracle Bubbles are inexpensive and work well for blowing lots of bubbles at once or to use in a bubble blowing machine. I often find this brand at Target, Amazon, Walmart, and CVS. It is a non-toxic formula.

Ja-Ru, Inc. Grab-A-Bubble

Ja-Ru, Inc. Grab-A-Bubble are “no-pop” bubbles. This means you can catch them in your hand, and they don’t pop! These bubbles also make for a great sensory experience as they are a bit sticky, but also wipe up easily off surfaces and hands with a damp cloth. I often find these at the Dollar Store or on Amazon. I recommend taking the solution out of the original packaging as the “test tube” bottle does not seal tightly and often leaks. Instead transfer the solution into a travel-size bottle that has a screw-top lid.

Pustefix

Pustefix bubbles are both award-winning and world-renowned for having one of the best bubble formulas. This German bubble brand is one of my absolute favorites. Is more expensive than other bubble brands but can be worth the cost. The formula produces a slightly denser bubble solution that makes learning to blow bubbles much easier for children. Because this solution creates a thicker film on the wand or bubble whistle surface, it does not pop or dilute as quickly when your child must take time and work to refine his/her oral-motor coordination and breath control. The original formula comes in a bear bottle (which squeezes up the wand and is very easy to spill the solution), so I recommend just getting a refill bottle (sometimes a blue bottle with a yellow label). You can find these bubbles online at talktools.com. Search “Talk Tools Bubble Bear” and then select the option for bubble refill only. I do not recommend these bubbles for use in a bubble machine. It is a non-toxic formula.

Bubble Play Ideas



  • Try with open hands to catch some bubbles before they hit the floor or pop
  • Try clapping your hands together to catch a bubble make it pop
  • Grab a bubble machine, and have a bubble dance party
  • Make an obstacle course of pillows and cushions, then have your child crawl or walk over them while moving toward the bubbles
  • Blow some bubbles and count as many you can before they pop
  • Take a bubble bath and add some toys for fun
  • Make your own bubble wands using pipe cleaners to make fun and different shapes
  • Make a “bubble mountain” using milk in a bowl and blowing the milk with a straw
  • Use an old water bottle to blow bubbles by cutting off the bottom, dipping the base in bubble solution, and blowing into the top of the bottle to create bubbles