Bubbles are a ton of fun and can be very beneficial for development. Some of the ways that playing with bubbles can be beneficial are:
- Hand-Eye Coordination: When a kiddo tries to pop a bubble they need to coordinate where they are reaching so that they can get to the bubble efficiently. Its a great way to get feedback because kids love to watch the bubble pop. To make it easier for them to have success, you can leave the bubble on the wand so they have an easier time getting it. As they get better at finding the bubbles you can blow them into the air and let them see how many they can pop!
- Visual Motor: Kiddos get to work on eye tracking as well as convergence and divergence by following the bubbles and visually tracking them to be able to pop them.
- Breath Control: Practicing blowing bubbles through the wand not only works on breath control (you need to be able to blow for a longer period of time) it also works on oral motor control by having the kiddos have to purse their lips.
- Fine Motor Control: Usually kiddos want to try to do it themselves so when they hold the wand they are working on grip, and then precision when they try to dip it into the bubble juice. They also have to work on steadiness with their hand so that they can blow through the wand to create the bubble.
- Finger Isolation: When kiddos go to pop the bubbles they work on isolating one finger to be precise with pointing and improved ability to pop the bubbles!
- Gross Motor Play: If you are outside and blowing bubbles the kids can run around to try to pop them. You can also have them try to stomp on the bubbles to pop them which will help with single leg stance and foot/eye coordination.
- Bilateral Coordination: If the kiddo is holding the bottle of bubble juice while trying to dip the wand in, they are working on bilateral coordination and hand use.
And just for some fun here is a link to some bubble recipes for you and your kids to enjoy!