Bubbles- Test Tub Touchable

The most effective sources of early learning are immediate, meaningful, and involve children’s discovery and choice. Bubbles not only involve children in learning, but they are fun, easy to use, and ever-changing.

• Fine motor skills: Kids have the opportunity to practice pinching the skinny wand, coordinating two hands to hold the bottle and dip, holding the blower with a pencil-like grasp, opening and closing the bottle, and using hands in different ways to pop the bubbles (poke with index finger, “squeeze” to grab bubbles with the whole hand, use two hands to clap the bubbles).
• Visual tracking skills: Follow where the bubbles go. Some are fast and some are slow. And some will even glow!
• Hand/eye coordination: It takes serious practice to link up what the eyes and hands are doing in order to accurately dip and blow with a wand.
• Sensory processing skills: Bubbles are wet. and slimy. and sticky. They feel funny. And the physical act of blowing can be a very effective sensory-based way to help children “organize”, calm, and focus their bodies.
• Gross motor skills: What an easy way to get kids to reach way up high, stand on their tippie toes, squat, jump, run, stomp, and kick.
• Following directions: You can give them directions on how to pop the bubbles with each turn (clap them, poke them, squeeze them, jump on them, etc.) either one at a time or by telling them a popping sequence (first poke, then squeeze, then clap). Or they can follow the directions to a turn-taking sequence (first Johnny pops, then Caitlin, then Danny). The possibilities for directions are endless.
• Identifying body parts: Pop with your finger, your elbow, your knee, or your nose!