Bubble Summer

I could not think of a better way for a university English major to spend the summer than encouraging the Valley’s youth population to get out in the sun and read! It’s easy to fall into a rut of the “dog days of summer”, doing the same thing every day, staying inside where the air conditioning relieves the beads of sweat on everyone’s foreheads. I was tasked with coming up with four different programs for each age group of the Summer Reading Club.  My favourite activity is Giant Bubble Making, and it has proved itself to be fun for any age! The fun-in-the-sun aspect is what I enjoy most about it. But this activity would reach its full potential with a few kids at a beach where swimming off all that slimy bubble solution is a great way to end the activity. Everything needed for the bubbles is found easily around the house, and can easily be thrown together while at a campground:

12 cups of water

1 cup of Dish detergent (Ivory, Dawn or Cascade worked best for me)

1 cup of cornstarch

2 tbsp of Baking powder

Mix all of this together in a big bucket!

To make the big bubble maker you need:

Four straws of any kind

String (yarn does not work very well)

Scissors

       * If the straws have a bendy end, take scissors and cut off the bendy part.

        * Take two straws and thread the string through them. The string should be about a foot and a half long (the length determines the size of the bubbles). The best way to get the string through the straw is to put the end of the string into the straw and suck on the other end to draw it through. It comes through very quickly! So make sure there is no choking.

 *     Once two straws are on the string, tie the string together with a knot. 

 * Take the remaining two straws, cut a slit in one end so the straw will fold in on itself. Fit the cut straw into the straw with the string.

  

You now have a perfect big bubble maker and the best bubble solution possible!

Some of my fondest memories of my childhood involved outdoor games, exploring forests, crafts, and campfires. I hope every child gets to create some of these memories this summer. Exciting play time is always balanced with quiet reading relaxation at any time of the day. Long car rides make filling the Summer Reading booklets easy, especially with an audiobook along for the ride. I feel great knowing that my job involves encouraging kids to develop healthy brains and bodies.  And the only downside? My own hours of reading aren’t going towards an Upper Clements FastPass!

Erin Jardine

Summer Reading Club Assistant