Have you made bubble foam yet? Try making a bubble foam bath and letting kids have some messy (but clean) sensory fun. In this post, you’ll get a recipe for bubble foam, information on using it as a bath time activity, and what kids are learning when you make them bubble foam.
What is a bubble foam bath?
This is the story of putting bubble foam into my bath tub, how my toddler played for an hour and I got to sit for a morning. Bubble foam bath, bless your sweet activities heart.
But wait. What is bubble foam?
Oh my friend, bubble foam is the greatest sensory material and beyond fun for kids to play with.
It’s easy to make.
It’s clean to play with.
And you probably (actually I KNOW!) you have all the materials on hand to make this because it’s just soap and water.
So let’s get to it. Let’s make some bubble foam, add it to the bath, and invite our kids into a quiet morning…
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How to make a bubble foam bath
Here’s the 411 for making bubble foam (get ready to be blown away by its ease!).
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup tear free bubble bath or body wash
- (optional) food coloring
THAT’S IT. I told you this was easy.
The ratio to remember is 2:1 (water to soap)
For this bubble foam bath activity, I made 3 batches of bubble foam (pink, turquoise, and purple). You can make more or less but each batch followed this same recipe:
- Combine water, soap, and food coloring
- Whip together with a hand mixer (or stand mixer or blender) until stiff peaks form
You’re making a bubble meringue (wink). Repeat for additional colors and head to the bath tub.
No hand mixer? No problem! You can make bubble foam in a blender. That’s what Friends Art Lab always does for her bubble foam.
Warning – bubble foam baths are slippery
I’ve had my kids play with bubble foam in just about every situation.
But in the bath, this gets slippery.
Our rules were: NO STANDING. Sitting only.
You can put a towel down for your child to sit on to cut down on some of slippery.
RELATED: What are the best bath activities for kids? Check out my list of them!
What to play with bubble foam
To make this bath even more fun, I added whisks, funnels, spoons, and cups to play with, mix, and create.
My 3 year old had a ball.
As he played, he experimented with combining colors and imaginative play. It was amazing.
When my son was “done” with the bubble foam part, we turned on the bath tub and turned this into one epic bubble bath.
A two for one activity.
I sat on the floor to supervise and sat for an hour (or should I say, sittervised). It was glorious.
RELATED: What are the best toys to have for the bath? Check out my bath time toy list!
What are kids learning with bubble foam?
We don’t need to justify play with “how is this educational?” because we know that all play is learning.
But sometimes it’s fun to consider how kids are using an activity to grow their skills and abilities.
In this bubble foam bath, my child is:
- Engaging with a sensory material
- Working on independent play skills
- Creating an imaginative play world
- Using various motor skills and life skills
- Experimenting with colors and bubbles
It’s “just” soap and water and yet, it becomes a whole lot of learning for a young child.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bubble foam is NOT taste safe so keep that in mind when deciding to do it with your child. It also does get slippery so make sure your child is able to play within a set of boundaries. It’s more about stages of development than ages with this activity.
It shouldn’t! Food coloring is water soluble and rinses clear when diluted with enough water. In this situation, we are using a drop or two in a full cup of water. If you have any concerns about your bathroom or tub, you can always skip the color!
Yes! We use it outside in the water table. It’s one of my kids’ favorite summertime activities.
Susie Allison, M. Ed
Owner, Creator
Susie Allison is the creator of Busy Toddler and has more than 2.4 million followers on Instagram. A former teacher and early childhood education advocate, Susie has written two home learning curricula, Playing Preschool and Branches. Her parenting book “Busy Toddler’s Guide to Actual Parenting” is available on Amazon.
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Jeanette says
I love this idea. Did it stain your tub?
busytoddler says
Nope!! Food coloring is water soluable and this is a few drops in a whole giant tub/bins of water. But alwasy do whats right for you (I’m just some lady on the internet)