Bubble Painting

Activity Overview

This activity infuses the fun and curiosity of sciences into a painting experience. The student will have the opportunity to experiment with the power of their own breath in making small or large piles of bubbles to pop onto the page. We recommend starting with just one color and expanding from there, as this gives students the foundational practice so they are able to better notice changes in their work when other colors or mediums are added.

What You Need

• Dish soap

• Liquid watercolor or tempera paint

• Water

• Watercolor paper or cardstock

• Paper straw

• Cup or mug

Steps

1. Add about one tablespoon of dish soap and about ¼ cup of paint to the cup and mix. Add water until the glass is nearly full.

2. Take your straw and practice blowing out of the straw with your student. Remind them if they suck in, they will get a soapy mouth.

3. Once your student is feeling ready, place the straw into the cup and have the student blow unto the straw until a mound of bubbles comes out of the top.

4. Once the bubbles come up, take your paper and press it down into the bubbles until they have popped onto the paper.

5. Repeat this process until the paper is covered to the student’s satisfaction.

Guiding Questions

• How many bubbles can you blow?

• How big of a bubble mound can you make?

• What color bubbles would you like to make?

• How does it feel when the bubbles pop against the paper?

• What designs or shapes can you make?

Extensions

• Make more than one color cup and see how the colors will mix

• Once the paper is dry, draw on top of it, build on top of it, or cut it up to show how we can re-purpose artwork.