Frozen Bubbles

I have wanted to try to make frozen bubbles for years, but I either didn't have bubble solution left from the summer or the weather didn't cooperate.  Well, it has been VERY cold, and I saw bubble solution on sale at Target yesterday.  That's a double win!

After school yesterday, Reagan attempted to blow frozen bubbles without any luck.  I did some research and found that warming the bubble solution first provides the best results.  Reagan and Ellie braved the frigid polar vortex this morning to try again with warm bubble solution.

I put the bubble containers in a bowl of hot water for a while before they went outside.

At first we didn't think it was working, but the girls caught a few bubbles on the wands and they froze before our eyes!

This picture is very blurry, but you can actually see the bubbles in the process of freezing.

Here is a bubble on Reagan's wand that froze as we watched.

The frozen bubbles aren't solid like ice; they are kind of gelatinous and remind me of the bubbles we used in the past that you can grab.

When the bubbles fell to the ground, they shattered, and that was also kind of cool.

Kate wanted to join the fun in the worst way.  I bundled her all up, but the second we got outside she took her mittens off.  She blew two or three bubbles, and returned to the warm house!

Yesterday, a few people asked me how we have time for activities before school.  I was specifically asked what time I wake up and how we manage to do fun stuff so early.  I am usually up around 6:00, and the kids are usually up by 7:00.  If they take the bus, they leave the house at 8:00; if I drive them or we walk, they have to be at school by 8:50.  Ellie (our neighbor) comes over at 7:20 every morning.  After giving them breakfast, and packing lunches, we usually have about thirty minutes on the days they take the bus.  I try to have something fun for them to do to start the day; I think it's nice to head off to school with something fun on their minds rather than just sitting in front of the television.  I'm also fortunate that I don't usually have to rush out and I'm still in my pajamas setting up any activities.  Nothing we do before school is very elaborate (although a few of the activities have been more complex than I expected, and those required more than just one morning), and most of the activities only take a few minutes to plan and execute.  Also, most of the time the activities are so simple that they aren't even blog-worthy.  Sometimes the kids choose not to do the planned activity, and that is fine too!  Reagan and Ellie played a game yesterday instead of making bird feeders, and Collin wasn't interested in being out in the cold today.  I know that mornings can be difficult for some people, and not everyone has time to play before school, but we are very lucky that mornings are only mildly chaotic here, and we usually have time for fun.  If it makes for a positive start to their day, then it's well worth the few minutes it takes me to plan something fun!!!