Get creative and paint some beautiful artwork whilst exploring the science behind Bubble art with this handy guide.

Equipment

• Old newspapers or table cloth (to protect the table)
• Paint pots (mugs or bowls)
• Children’s paint
• Water
• Washing-up-liquid
• Paper
• A Straw

Method

1. Protect your table with old newspapers or a tablecloth.
2. For the bubble mix you need 3 tablespoons of paint, 1-2 tablespoons of water and 2 good squirts of washing up liquid.
3. Stir it with a spoon until it is all mixed together.
4. Put one end of the straw in the bubble mix and then BLOW gently into the other end of the straw.
5. You may need to adjust your bubble mix – if it’s too watery then add more paint, if the bubbles burst too quickly then add more washing up liquid etc.
6. Once the bubbles are at the top of your bowl, place a piece of paper over the top to print onto the paper.
7. You can try this with lots of different colours too.

The Science

When you blow air through the straw, the washing up liquid traps it inside a soapy film. The outside of the bubbles has a layer of water on it. The water is mixed with your paint which gives it its colour and this leaves a print on the paper