A DIY Outdoor Bubble Station and My Favorite Bubble Recipe

With summer on the horizon, I’ve been experimenting with fun activities to entertain Brody. One of our favorite activities has been creating a DIY bubble station in our driveway. It’s simple to set up, provides at least a solid 45 minutes of entertainment and is a great activity that can be adapted to a range of ages, from baby, to toddler, to school-age kids.

First we fill a small plastic play pool about a half inch deep with bubble solution. Since Brody is just now learning how to dip the wands into the solution and blow bubbles, a play pool has been a great way to perfect the art of bubble blowing.

I’ve been collecting bubble wands in different shapes and sizes over the past few months, and I toss them all into the pool. Our local dollar store has been a great place to find bubble wands this time of year. And if you don’t have any on hand, there are so many items you can use as bubble wands from around your house. Here are a few of our favorites:

Hula hoops. Place a hula hoop in the middle of the pool with a stool inside of the hula hoop. Have your little one sit on the stool and slowly lift the hula hoop upwards to create a massive bubble around your little one.
Pipe cleaners. Mold pipe cleaners into fun shapes and use them as bubble wands!
Water bottles. Cut off the wide end of a water bottle and blow through the mouthpiece for big, round bubbles.
Tennis racquet. Dip a tennis racquet into the bubble solution and wave through the air for lots of miniature bubbles.

One of the keys to a successful bubble station is the perfect bubble solution. Below is a simple recipe that makes long-lasting bubbles.

DIY Bubble Solution
6 cups of water
1 cup of dish soap
1/2 cup of light corn syrup

Gently stir the ingredients together. Be careful to not stir so hard that foam begins to form. Let the solution settle for a few minutes before using. To cover the surface of a small kiddie pool, multiply the recipe by four.

Whether you are hanging out with your neighbors this summer, relaxing in your backyard or looking for a fun birthday party activity, I’m sure your little ones will have just as much fun as we do with this DIY bubble station.