bubble burst

This post is a little ode to a fantastic blog that is going into retirement. Childhood Magic will be sorely missed, but I feel blessed with all the fantastic ideas and inspiration I have gleaned from there.



If you pop over here, you can read about how to make your own bubbles. 

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ETA: Childhood Magic has closed its archives off entirely, so I will give a brief description on how to make the wand.  Sticks, pencils, doweling all work well for handles.  Into these you can screw in an eye hook to hold the string in place.  While you are gathering stuff up, you will need all cotton (butcher's thread) string - no polyester blend at all - and a metal washer (for weight on the bottom string). 

Cut your top string for desired width (depending on the arm span of your bubble makers), and then cut another string twice as long.  Tie one side of the top (shorter) string to one stick (either right on the stick or to the eye hook) and then attach the other end to the other stick.  For the bottom string, slip the washer on the string (to dangle loosely) and then tie the ends onto the sticks.  Done bubble maker.

For bubble solution, I used a liberal dose of dish soap in water.  And that's all.  It takes a bit of practice to get the big bubbles going, but it's lots of fun trying.  Enjoy!

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We did simplify the bubble wand a bit. Instead of doweling, we just used sticks we found in the backyard. At first we tried the eye hooks, but eventually, as the sticks became wet, we just tied the string right to the stick and it worked just as well. As others have found, a good dose of Seventh Generation dish soap in rainwater works very well.

I normally dislike blowing bubbles (too sticky), but making these biggies is oddly addictive. It's also a bit of a spectator sport too, with lots of advice from the crowd.  I recommend making up several wands if you are heading to any parties.  It could easily be turned into sport, especially if there are any competitive grown ups around with more than one glass of wine in them.



By the way, there will always be a crowd. Big bubbles draw attention from everybody. I suggest staying away from busy roads.  I am considering selling bumper stickers that read "I break for big bubbles".



The best part is how big bubbles reminded me how competent my babies are.



And how much fun it can be to celebrate each other achievements.



So thank you Childhood Magic, for your sharing your life and art with us.  You have given me more than I could of asked for, and I appreciate it all.  It may be the end of the blog, but the beauty will stay with me for a long time to come.