• Bubbles are a source of fascination for many kids. They are fun to blow and great to chase. You and the children in your life may have played with bubbles more times than they can count, but probably not taken time to stop and think about the properties of bubbles. Sneak some learning into playtime by engaging students in a series of interesting science projects that explore the life span, color spectrum and freezing properties of bubbles.
  
  

Stayin' Alive

• How long does a bubble live? Answer this question by experimenting with bubbles and making a graph of your findings with students. Divide your students into groups, and have them guess how long they think a bubble will last. Provide each group with bubble solution, a wand and a stopwatch and head outside. Tell the students to blow bubbles and time how long the bubble lives. Start the stopwatch when the bubble leaves the wand and stop it when the bubble pops. Tell students to record the life spans of at least 10 bubbles. Bring the results back into the classroom and create a graph. Label the Y-axis with times and write the bubble numbers on the X-axis. Have students put a dot at the appropriate time for each bubble, then connect the lines. Allow students to use their graphs to evaluate how close their guess was to the actual life span of a bubble.
  
  

Bubble Kaleidoscope

• Check out all the colors that are present in a bubble by creating a bubble kaleidoscope. Provide each student with a plastic lid from a margarine or cottage cheese container, a small flashlight, some tape, a straw and soapy water. Instruct students to tape the flashlight in the center on the top of the lid. Once they are done, the side of the lid with the lip should face away from the head of the flashlight. Then put a small amount of soapy water in the lid and ask each student to use the straw to blow a bubble in the liquid. Once they have created a bubble on the lid, turn out the classroom lights and turn on the flashlights. As the light from the flashlight causes the lid to glow, the light will be dispersed by the bubble and create a rainbow effect. Ask students to look carefully at the bubbles and see what colors are present on the soapy surface.
  
  

Freezing Bubbles

• What happens to bubbles when the temperature drops? Explore this question with your class on the next cold winter day. This project will only work if you live in an area where the temperature drops below freezing in the winter. On the next cold winter day, mix up some soapy water and take your students outside. Then start blowing bubbles. Many of your bubbles will act as bubbles normally do, floating around and then popping, but those long lasting bubbles that seem to float forever on the air will start to freeze. Tell your students not to touch the bubbles, but instead to let them freeze and land on the ground. Once the bubble is frozen, it can be gently picked up and held. Discuss with students that bubbles are made up mostly of water, so bubbles can freeze when the temperature drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.