Blowing bubbles to make bubble art is a great way to bubble paint! Kids of all ages will love blowing bubbles to create bubble paint art masterpieces filled with unexpected colorful designs.
Bubble Painting Art for Kids
This run bubble art project also has a little science mixed in. You can discuss hyperbolic pressure and other fun science concepts while you are blowing a bubble or just enjoy making a mess creating colorful designs with your kiddos.
What do kids learn from bubbles painting?
When kids are creating bubble art, they are learning all sorts of things through play:
- Bubble painting helps with fine motor skills of not only children’s hands but coordination between hands and mouth to create bubbles.
- Blowing out (and not in) on command helps with respiratory strength and awareness.
- Creative process building and sequencing skills are developed through non-traditional art projects like bubble art!
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What Do You Need for Bubble Art?
- 1 Tablespoon Dish Soap
- 3 Tablespoons Water
- Water Soluble Food Coloring in various colors (10 drops each color)
- Straws
- Cardstock Paper – You can substitute computer paper or construction paper but they disintegrate more when wet
- Clear cups or disposable cups or a bowl would work too – we like the shorter, more sturdy version that is harder to tip over
What Kind of Paint Do You Use for Bubble Painting?
With this bubble painting technique, no traditional paint is used for making the artwork. It is a homemade solution of water, dish soap, food coloring and optionally corn syrup that creates the homemade bubble painting paint.
How to make Bubble Art (Video)
How to Bubble Paint
Step 1
For each color, mix the water and soap adding at least 10 drops of food coloring.
Step 2
Gently blow into the colored bubble solution with your straw until bubbles form overflowing your cup.
Step 3
Gently lay your cardstock over the bubbles. As the bubbles pop they will leave an imprint on the paper.
Repeat the process with that color or other colors until your page is covered with popped bubble art.
We used this as a color lesson as well. We originally made three batches, blue, yellow and red. My kids then helped mix blue and yellow or red and blue to create “new colors.”
Prep Time
5 minutes
Active Time
15 minutes
Total Time
20 minutes
Difficulty
easy
Estimated Cost
$1
Materials
- 1 Tablespoon Dish Soap
- 3 Tablespoons Water
- Water Soluble Food Coloring in various colors (10 drops each color)
- Straws
- Cardstock Paper
- Clear cups or disposable cups or a bowl would work too
Instructions
- For each color, in a cup mix water, soap and 10 drops of food coloring.
- Gently blow into the colored bubble solution with a straw until the bubbles start overflowing the top of the cup.
- Take your cardstock and gently lay it on top of the cup allowing the bubbles in the cup to pop and leave color on your paper.
- Repeat with same and different colors on different parts of your paper until you have a bubble painting masterpiece!
- Let it dry before hanging.
Alternative Method for Bubble Paintings
This bubble blowing activity has been so popular here at Kids Activities Blog, we included a version of it in our first book, 101 Kids Activities that are the Bestest, Funnest Ever! under the title of Bubble Prints.
More Ideas and tips for bubble painting
In this colorful bubble recipe, we added just a Tablespoon of corn syrup to stabilize the bubble solution so that instead of blowing the bubbles in the container, we could use a bubble wand to blow the bubbles straight onto the paper or canvas.
Related: Make a DIY bubble shooter
How to Make Blow Art with Bubbles
- For best results, leave bubble solution overnight (we used recycled baby food jars as an airtight container for overnight storage).
- Stir gently…do not shake!
- Create a bubble wand by securing a group of 5 or 6 straws together with a rubber band or strips of tape.
- Dip one end of the bubble shooter in a colorful bubble solution and blow bubbles gently.
- Then hold the end of the bubble shooter over the cardstock and blow more bubbles onto the paper.
This Blowing Bubbles to Make Art activity was part of the unit where we studied “Air” as part of our learning theme.
Tips for Blowing Bubble Art
- Start with a bubble color water that is much darker than you want the eventual color of bubble paint to be on the paper since it gets diluted when the bubbles form.
- Choose a variety of bubble paint colors that go well together even when mixed because they will get mixed on the paper!
- We love doing this outside so we don’t have to worry about clean up.
More Bubble Blowing Fun from Kids Activities Blog
OTHER ACTIVITIES KIDS LOVE:
Did you and your children enjoy this bubble art craft? Comment down below! We’d love to hear.
