What is it about blowing bubbles? You can blow bubbles year round, indoors or outdoors too! Making bubbles is definitely on our list of simple science experiments to try. Mix up your own inexpensive bubble solution recipe and get blowing with one of these fun bubbles science experiments below. Make bouncing bubbles as you learn all about the science behind bubbles for kids.

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Enjoy Bubble Science For Kids

Get ready to add these simple bubble experiments, including bouncing bubbles, to your activities or lesson plans this season. If you want to learn about the science of bubbles, let’s dig in! While you’re at it, make sure to check out these other fun STEM activities.

Our science activities and experiments are designed with you, the parent or teacher, in mind! Easy to set up, quick to do, most activities will take only 15 to 30 minutes to complete and are heaps of fun! Plus, our supplies lists usually contain only free or cheap materials you can source from home!

How Are Bubbles Made?

What’s the science behind bubbles? Bubbles are made up of a thin wall of soapy film that fills with air. You can liken a bubble to a balloon in that a balloon has a thin skin of rubber filled with air.

However, when two bubbles of similar size meet, they merge together creating the least possible surface area. Balloons, of course can not do this!

The film that makes the bubble has three layers. A thin layer of water is sandwiched between two layers of soap molecules. Each soap molecule is oriented so that its polar (hydrophilic) head faces the water, while its hydrophobic hydrocarbon tail extends away from the water layer.

When bubbles of different sizes meet, one will become a bulge onto the larger bubble. You may start to notice that when you get a ton of bubbles going that they start to form hexagons. Bubbles will form 120 degree angles where they meet.

That means that whatever shape a bubble has when it is first formed, it will try to become a sphere. That’s because a sphere is the shape that has the least ​surface area and requires the least energy to achieve.​

Blowing into a container of bubble solution is a great way to observe how bubbles attach to each other!

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What are bubbles?

Bubbles are thin liquid films enclosing a pocket of air or other gas. They can be made from a water and soap mixture or other liquids with appropriate properties (including the addition of glycerin or corn syrup). The film of a bubble is made up of water molecules (in the case of soap bubbles) and is very flexible, allowing it to trap the air inside. Did you know a bubble has three “walls” like a sandwich? The outer walls are a thin layer of soap with a layer of water sandwiched in between them.

How are bubbles formed?

Bubbles are formed when air (or another gas) is blown into a liquid that contains soap or other substances that lower the liquid’s surface tension. Surface tension is the force that holds the molecules of a liquid together, creating a thin, elastic “skin” on its surface. Blowing air into the soapy water stretches the surface tension of the water mixture to form a sphere, creating a bubble.

Why are bubbles round?

Bubbles are round because the sphere is the shape with the least amount of surface area for a given volume. In nature, many things try to minimize energy, and a sphere is the most energy-efficient shape for enclosing a given volume of air.

Popping bubbles:

Bubbles can be easily popped by touching them or when they come into contact with dry surfaces. This happens because the water in the bubble film evaporates (remember the sandwich from above), causing the film to thin and break. When the bubble pops, the air inside is released into the atmosphere.

Turn It Into A Bubbles Science Project

Science projects are an excellent tool for older kiddos to show what they know about science! Plus, they can be used in various environments, including classrooms, homeschool, and groups.

Kids can take everything they have learned about using the scientific method, stating a hypothesis, choosing variables, and analyzing and presenting data.

For example:

Formulate a straightforward question or hypothesis for the project. For example: “What factors affect the size of bubbles?” or “Which soapy solution makes the most long-lasting bubbles?”

Design the experiments that will help answer the question or test the hypothesis. Keep it simple and safe for kids to perform.

Here are a few experiment ideas:

a. Bubble Solution Comparison: Compare different bubble solutions (e.g., store-bought vs. homemade) to see which produces bigger bubbles.

b. Bubble Wand Shapes: Test how the shape of the bubble wand affects the size or number of bubbles produced. Make bubble wands or 3D bubble shapes!

c. Bubble Blowing Techniques: Investigate how different blowing techniques impact the formation and longevity of bubbles.

Want to turn one of these experiments into an excellent science fair project? Check out these helpful resources.

Bubble Solution Recipe

Bubble science is real and fun! Make up some homemade bubble mix and start investigating bubbles. See how to make bubble solution with glycerin or corn syrup!

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Bouncing Bubbles

Can you make a bubble bounce without it breaking? This bubble experiment is fun to try!

Supplies: 

  • Tablespoon measure and a one-cup measure
  • Paper cups and marker
  • Straws, eyedropper, apple slicer (optional) and baster for blowing bubbles
  • Simple glove (bouncing bubbles)
  • Towel (wipe up accidents and keep surfaces clean)

How To Make A Bouncing Bubble

We used our baster to blow a large bubble onto our hand with the bubble solution.

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Then we used a gardening glove to bounce our bubbles gently!

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We also made bubbles with an apple slicer. Place it in the solution and then wave it through the air to create the bubbles. What else can you use to blow bubbles?

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Want to stick a skewer through a bubble without popping it? Have a go!

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More Bubbles Science Experiments

Now you have mixed up your bubble solution, explore bubble science with one of these fun bubble activities perfect for preschoolers!

Geometric Bubble Wands

Can bubbles be different shapes? This special geometric bubbles activity combines a bit of math, engineering, and science as well. Build your own geometric bubble wands and explore bubble shapes.

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Freezing Bubbles In Winter

A fun bubble activity for winter. What happens when you blow bubbles in winter?

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3D Bubble Shapes

Bubble blowing, homemade bubble wands, and 3D bubble structures are all an incredible way to explore bubble science any day of the year. 

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Bubble Snake

Bubbles are fascinating and fun to play with, especially when we blow them through a sock! Explore what keeps all those bubbles together to make a gigantic bubble snake.

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More Simple Experiments For Kids

Helpful Science Resources

Here are a few resources to help you introduce science more effectively to your kiddos or students and feel confident when presenting materials. You’ll find helpful free printables throughout.

Printable Science Projects For Kids

If you’re looking to grab all of the printable science projects in one convenient place plus exclusive worksheets, our Science Project Pack is what you need!