Who doesn’t love blowing bubbles? You can blow bubbles year round indoors or outdoors too. Freezing bubbles is definitely on our list of 25 Best Science Experiments to try. Since it’s pretty cold here, 19 degrees to be exact, I thought we would see if our bubbles would freeze outside for an extension on our indoor bubble play. Freezing bubbles is pretty cool but not all that easy!
HOW TO FREEZE A BUBBLE ACTIVITY FOR KIDS
BLOWING BUBBLES IN WINTER
Bubble science is real and fun! Read more about the science behind bubbles below. If you like, you can draw snowman on a large cup (see below) and explore bubble science indoors first! CHECK OUT: Winter Science Activities My son loves blowing bubbles into great masses! The bigger the better. How big will the bubbles get?
FREEZING BUBBLES
What about freezing bubbles? I suggested we try blowing the bubbles outside to see if it would be different. What would happen since it is so cold outdoors? I checked the temperature at 19 degrees on our back porch, so we headed out. We were still able to blow great masses of bubbles like indoors. However, we noticed them start to freeze a bit over a few minutes. Sadly, there was a breeze and since the freezing was not immediate, we would loose our bubbles if a gust came along!
You could see the freezing bubbles change though which was pretty cool. Instead of the very transparent sparkling of the indoor bubbles, they became a bit cloudy {as he called them}.
You could tell the bubbles were freezing and forming a shell. This was definitely evident when the freezing bubbles popped and left behind partially frozen pieces of the bubble!
We tried the freezing bubbles over and over again to see what would happen until we were too cold to continue. The waiting was the hardest part especially when a good breeze came along just as the freezing bubbles were looking good!
FREEZING BUBBLES RECIPE
See how to make bubble solution with glycerin as an alternative to corn syrup!YOU WILL NEED:
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons of corn syrup
- 4 tablespoons of dish soap
HOW TO MAKE BUBBLES
Add all the ingredients to a container and mix together.
HOW DO BUBBLES FORM?
A bubble is a super thin layer of soapy water and inside it is filled with air.
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.
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.
Looking for easy to print activities, and inexpensive problem-based challenges?
We have you covered…
Grab your quick and easy winter STEM challenges.
MORE FUN WINTER ACTIVITIES
- How Do Polar Bears Stay Warm?
- Frost On A Can
- Snowy Owl Craft
- What Makes Ice Melt Faster?
- Ice Cream In A Bag
Printable Winter STEM Pack
Even if you don’t live in a snowy winter climate, there are many ways to explore the season! WHAT’S INSIDE? You’ll find 250+ Pages of Winter theme projects for science, STEM, and art!- 25+ Winter science activities and STEM projects for kids that are easy to set up and fit into the time you have available even if it’s limited! NEW: Observation sheets for activities.
- Printable winter theme STEM activities that are simple but engaging for home or classroom. Perfect for K-2 and beyond and adaptable to many skill levels.
- Find simple background science explanations to share with kids while they explore hands-on and playful experiments, projects, and activities! Fun with physics, chemistry, design, engineering, and more!
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- Fun snowflake theme STEM, including snowflake cutting templates, snowflake tinker cards, and snowflake science activities, including a snowflake formation cycle!
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