Mini Monets and Mommies: Kids' Bubble Painting Art Activity

Bubble painting is always a big hit with the kids. Not only does it combine art and science, but it’s always an option when you don’t have actual ‘paint’ on hand.

Instead of packing up the kids and heading out to the craft store, you just need a few things from the kitchen cabinets to get creative! Keep in mind, just because this art activity is made from everyday items, it’s not edible. Dish soap is the main ingredient. Talk to your child about soap, ask her why she thinks it bubbles and why she shouldn’t drink or eat it. You can get more specific, and ask your child:

· What do you think will happen (or, can you predict) when you blow air through the straw into the liquid soap?

· What do you think is inside of the bubbles?

· What shape are the bubbles?

· How does the food coloring change the bubbles?

· What do you think will happen when you put the paper on top of the bubbles?

· How would the paint look different if you used a brush?

Here’s What You Need:

· Dish soap

· Bowls

· Plastic straws

· Food coloring

· Construction paper

Here’s What to Do:

1. Drip a few drops of food coloring into the bowl. Make one bowl of bubble paint or a few with different hues.

2. Pour in the soap. I used one cup of soap per bowl (with three to four drops of food coloring), but you may want to add more or less, depending on how much paint you want to make.

3. Blow air through the straw into the paint. Make sure that your child pushes the air out and doesn’t slurp in the soap. If she does happen to get a bit of soap in her mouth, tell her to spit it out immediately. If your child is too young to blow bubbles without drinking the soap, do this step for her. The bubbles should balloon up above the bowl’s edge.