Ask Ollie
Frozen Bubble Magic
Here's one to try together!
On a frosty day, blow a bubble and watch it turn into a sparkly ice ball right before your eyes!
Reviewed by our team.
Safety first
- Very cold air nips skin: dress warmly, and go inside after about 15 minutes
- Bubble mix is not for drinking: blow out, never suck in
- Soap stings eyes: keep faces back
What you need
- Water, 1 cup warm
- Dish soap, 2 spoonfuls
- Sugar, 1 spoonful
- Clear cups, 1
- Straws or a bubble wand, a few
- Plate or tray, 1
- Phone, 1, as a timer (optional)
- Warm winter clothing for everyone
How to do it
Grown-up prep: Pick a calm, still day colder than 20°F and have everyone's warm winter gear ready by the door.
- Stir the soap and sugar into your cup of warm water.
- Bundle up in your coat, hat, mittens and boots.
- Carry your bubble mix and plate outside and let the plate chill.
- Blow a bubble and gently land it on the cold plate. Ask: What do you think will happen to the bubble out here in the cold?
- Watch closely as ice crystals grow across your bubble.
- Race time: freeze one bubble in the shade and one in sunlight. Ask: Which bubble do you think will freeze first, the shady one or the sunny one?
- Gently poke a frozen bubble and watch it shatter.
- Warm up inside, then share your discovery. How many bubbles will you freeze next time? Ask: What surprised you most about the frozen bubbles?
Play it again
- Freezer test: on a warmer day, put a bubble on a plate in the freezer for 15 minutes and check it.
- Biggest bubble: see who can freeze the largest bubble without it popping.
- Snow landing: let bubbles settle on fresh snow and compare them to plate bubbles.
Kids loved this? There are more where it came from.
Get 3 free ideas a dayTurn "I'm bored" into "let's do something together!" 3 free ideas a day, picked for your kids.