I've decided to spend on bubbles. I like being the grown-up with several bubble wands tucked into my bag for playground time. It's nice to let kids take turns. Some accidentally spill bubble solution, and that's okay. It's a learning moment. Some have a hard time taking turns, and that's also a learning moment. When I can, I like bringing a wand and a tray for making large bubbles. No automatic bubble-makers, though. I like the way manual bubblemakers require you to learn how to control your movement or your breath.

Regular bubble solution is easy to get during the summer. Giant bubble solution doesn't seem to be as readily available here, so I'm working on getting the hang of mixing my own and forming large bubbles. I bought guar gum from Bulk Barn and Dawn dish detergent from No Frills, and I mixed up a batch of Quickest Mix:

I may eventually try different frames and practise bubble-making techniques. Even the bubbles I can get from the Dollarama large bubble kit test most kids' ability to resist popping large bubbles (they rarely survive long enough for people to enjoy looking at them!), so I don't have to worry about making larger bubbles unless, say, we're just hanging out in the backyard.

What about A-?

Small bubbles: A- She can both blow bubbles and wave bubbles out of the regular wand. She usually goes at the right speed, although sometimes she still goes too quickly. She holds the bubble wand container upright and can dip into it herself, and she gives it to me to close when she's done. She usually dips it gently, although she gets influenced by kids who dip the wand multiple times quickly (that creates foam, which makes it harder to blow big bubbles).

Large bubbles: She can wave bubbles out of the large bubble wand, although they tend to pop on her clothes because her arms are short. She generally doesn't blow bubbles out of the large bubble wand – maybe because she doesn't want them to pop in her face.

Social: A- generally likes making bubbles, asking “May I have a turn?” She doesn't seem to mind sharing the bubbles with other kids, and occasionally offers the wand to others. We usually attract quite a few kids who set up a regular rotation, so it's a great way for her to see turn-taking up close. She can wait for a few people's turns, although she prefers to watch instead of occupying herself with an alternative activity. I talk to A- about how happy the kids are because she's sharing her bubbles, pointing out how they're chasing bubbles or making bubbles.

A- doesn't like chasing bubbles when there are lots of kids around, but she sometimes chases bubbles when it's just us. It makes sense – a limited field of vision might make her more cautious in chaotic situations like that.

I sometimes keep playing with bubbles even after she's moved on to something else, like digging in the sandbox. I like how bubble-blowing gives me something fun to do while I give her space for independent play. Sometimes she asks me to stop playing with bubbles and go dig with her instead, so I happily oblige. After all, I'm there to play with her, not just amuse other kids (or myself!) with bubbles. =)

Ideas for leveling up

• Using bubbles to ease transitions
• Trying a bubble wick
• Trying a commercial giant bubble mix
• Bouncing bubbles
• Experimenting with the properties of different bubble makers and different solutions
• Copper wire bubble wands, for custom shapes: maybe later on, when she's more interested in crafts?
• Bubble art, catching bubbles on paper: probably at home, might need more coordination
• Bubble geometry experiments: later on
• Keeping an eye out for bubble events in Toronto

What could awesome look like?

• A background activity while A- plays at the playground
• An ice-breaker and karma-builder
• Practice in sharing and altruism
• The occasional large-bubble hangout with A- and maybe a few friends
• Something to contribute to grown-up get-togethers, too