Blowing and popping bubbles has delighted children across the world for many years. Whilst you know that bubbles provide entertainment did you know that bubbles can do so much more?
Let’s start at the beginning, using bubbles with a new bub. Get yourself some baby safe bubble mixture (or make your own) and head outside (bubbles inside is a slippery mess) with bub for some fun and development. Lay bub down on a rug and blow bubbles over them (but not onto them).
What does bubble play do for your bub?
- Helps to develop visual tracking as they watch the bubbles float around
- Encourages motor tracking skills as bub starts to reach for bubbles
- Teaches the baby basic cause and effect (you blow and bubbles appear)
- Provides a different idea for during tummy time
- Can provide social fun for the whole family, older siblings can pop the bubbles and join in
- Encourages baby to respond to stimulus
Once you have a toddler or pre-schooler, the benefits of bubble play grow even more.
- You can start letting your child get involved with blowing bubbles for themselves – this helps to strengthen the muscles in their mouths and throat and is a great activity to help with speech development and clarity; in fact, it’s an early childhood teachers go to activity to help children with speech and oral motor development.
- Bubble play also develops motor skills as your little one moves their body around to try to pop the bubbles – that hand eye coordination will get a real workout.
- Another benefit of bubble play is the introduction to basic science, concepts such as floating, wind, cause and effect (touching a bubble and it popping) and sensory exploration.
- It can even help to build social skills; encourage turn taking with the person who is blowing the bubble compared to who is popping the bubble.
- Bubbles can even be used to create fun artworks. Add some food colouring to the bubble mix and blow the bubbles onto paper to create beautiful patterns and marks as they pop
Here are some handy bubble buys:
Party Centre – Bubbles Value Pack Favors 2oz 6pcs
perfect size for a pre-schooler to hold and use, also easy to pop in a bag if you are heading to the park and need some entertainment for children of any age.
this is a super fun bubble pack for older pre-schoolers as they work out how to make huge bubbles that are even more fun to pop than small bubbles!
this is the perfect bubble set to help develop those oral muscles and speech skills for a toddler or pre-schooler. The variety of bubble wands challenge your child to position their mouth in different ways and to blow in different ways depending on which wand they pick.
