MATERIALS

ACTIVITY QUESTIONS

Open-ended questions that can be asked during this activity:

• What do you think each item is for?

• What do you think the shape of the bubbles will be?

• What do you think the colour of the bubbles will be?

• How do you think the bubbles became that colour?

• How do you think we can make the bubbles bigger?

• What shape are the bubbles before you print them? What shape do they make on paper? 2D and 3D shapes can be discussed.

• What do you notice about the bubbles?

EARLY YEARS LEARNING FRAMEWORK

Early Years Learning Framework Outcomes:

Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners

4.1 Children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity.

4.2 Children develop a range of skills and processes such as problem solving, inquiry, experimentation, hypothesising, researching and investigating.

Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators.

5.3 Children express ideas and make meaning using a range of media.

PROCESS

Include children when mixing the solution to allow them to see the ingredients before, during and after the experiment. Discuss what the aim of the experiment is so they can hypothesise why each ingredient is necessary.

1  Fill the bowl with about 2/3 of water and then add colour.

2  Add a good squirt of dishwashing liquid.

3  Place straws, paper and a bin nearby so children can dispose of straws once they’ve finished their turn.

4  Demonstrate to children how to place the bottom of the straw into the bubble solution. Then show them how to blow to make bubbles until they’re higher than the rim of the bowl. Some children will find the concept of blowing into a straw challenging, so be very clear about what will happen if they suck the solution up. Also have a towel and some water close by in case of an accidental suck instead of a blow.

5  Take a piece of paper and carefully lower it onto the bubbles to catch them.

6  When you lift the paper, it will leave a coloured print of the bubbles. Children can do several prints of the same colour or they can move to another colour and print over the first to create layers.