www.outofschoolalliance.co.uk. Bubble Snakes. In theory the weather is getting warmer, so here is a great activity for g
Bubble Snakes In theory the weather is getting warmer, so here is a great activity for getting the children outdoors, and not wet! Equipment Small plastic drinks bottles (empty) Old socks Rubber bands Scissors Washing up liquid Small plastic tubs A little bit of water Liquid food colouring (optional) Method 1. Using the scissors, cut the bottom off a bottle. 2. Put a sock over the open end of the bottle. (If the sock is long you may need to cut it down a little.) If necessary, secure in place with a rubber band. 3. In a plastic tub put a good squeeze of washing up liquid, add a similar amount of water. 4. Take everything outside. Dip the sock end of the bottle into the bubble liquid then blow through the drinking end of the bottle. Foamy type bubbles should come out of the sock end. 5. These bubbles don’t float around, although if it’s a windy enough day they will fly. 6. The children can have competitions to see who can make the longest snake. 7. To extend the activity, put some food colouring in another plastic tub and let the children experiment making rainbow snakes. (Note gel food colouring does not work, it needs to be liquid food colouring.) We found that the tighter the weave of the sock, the denser the bubbles, and therefore the longer the snake. You could experiment with different materials, for example old t-shirts or dusters or synthetic fabrics, to see which make the best snakes. Make sure the children know to blow and not suck – bubbles do not taste nice! Areas of learning and development: PSED PD EAD
