Wonder Bubbles

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Nothing draws a crowd of neighbor kids like a giant tub of bubbles. Well, with the exception of  juggling fire, but that’s a story for another day.

I grew up in a family filled with unique talents. My Dad’s hobby was being a magician, and I was his assistant. We dressed up as clowns, juggled (yes, even fire), and often created quite a scene in our neighborhood.

We lived in a quiet subdivision, and during the summer months – right before sunset – neighbors would walk the perimeter streets for exercise and conversation. Often kids would ride their bikes or scooters while their parents power walked. My family sometimes joined the evening walks.

Other times, we chose to provide the entertainment. Dad would glance at the clock, give me a sly grin and ask, “Hey, want to go practice juggling clubs?”

I’d raise one eyebrow and ask, “Sure! Front yard or back?” knowing full well he meant the front yard. We’d gather our juggling bags and stand in the front yard “practicing.” Groups of neighbors would occasionally stop and watch for a few minutes. Come to think of it, we should have put out a tip jar! One evening, a policeman pulled up in front of the house to ask what was going on. We were such rabblerousers.

One summer, after attending the yearly Fellowship of Christian Magicians conference (I promise, I am NOT making this up!), we came home armed with a new form of summer-walk-front-yard-entertainment. Bubbles. Not just any bubbles, wonder bubbles.

You may not know this, but the bubbles you buy at the store are cheap and do not have the elasticity that homemade bubbles provide. Mom whipped up double batches of the recipe, and we stood in the driveway with ice cream pails filled with wonder bubbles. Dad purchased giant bubble wands at the conference with rope loops that created a bubble large enough to carry away a small dog. That year, we learned how to make square bubbles and blew bubbles inside of bubbles inside of bubbles.

 It was like magic.

Now, over twenty years later, I wanted to provide the same wonder bubble experience for my own children. Unfortunately, most recipes for homemade bubbles require glycerine, which is nearly impossible to find these days. So when a friend gave me a recipe a couple months ago that didn’t include glycerine, I was intrigued.

We tried it this week, and the kids blew bubbles much bigger than what’s possible with store bought bubble mixtures. I think I need to ask my parents how to make one of the giant rope wands.

True to form, a crowd of neighbor kids gathered on our driveway. It was like magic.

The ingredients surprised me, and it forms a milky white liquid. I was hesitant at first,  but trust me, these bubbles are like magic.

Wonder Bubble Recipe:

1 cup dish soap (my friend said to use Joy. I used store brand and it worked fine)

12 cups water

1 cup cornstarch

2 Tablespoons baking powder

Mix together and make giant bubbles! Watch the crowds appear! (And extra bonus about the cornstarch…it makes your skin so soft!)