BUBBLE TOYS : I Don't Mean To Burst Your Bubble But . . .
Apr 08 '01
The Bottom Line is that you are better off sticking to the basics when it comes to selecting bubble toys.
bub·ble: a small globule typically hollow and light: as a : a small body of gas within a liquid b : a thin film of liquid inflated with air or gas - Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Although bubbles have been a favorite among children for centuries, it wasn't until the early 1900's that bubbles were actually marketed as a toy for children. Prior to that, it was just mom's old soapy dishwater for bubble fun.
In the 1940's a chemical company that manufactured supplies for cleaning, introduced what is more commonly known as the 'bubble wand'. It was a simple circle a top a stick that was attached to a cap that sealed the bubble solution. This company was purchased by one of today's most popular bubble toy manufacturer's, Tootsietoys.
The bubble toy industry took off from there.
Bubble toys and solutions are now manufactured by various companies all over the world but which ones are right for you and your child?
Various Bubble Toys
Bubble toys can range in price from under $1.00 to electronic bubble machines that are priced in the hundreds of dollars. But the chances that your child will have much need for a $250 bubble blowing machine is unlikely.
Bubble toys come in many forms including your basic pipe or wand in a bottled solution to battery operated bubble toys that come in different shapes and sizes. Each year, makers introduce hundreds of new bubble toys and bubble related toys so which ones are worthy of your shopping dollars can be quite confusing.
What's In A Name?
There are many quality manufacturers of bubble toys and bubble related toys including Koosh, Tootsietoy, Fisher Price, and even a lesser known company Little Kids Inc..
Although each of these companies has introduced some wonderful bubble products from the basic bubble wands or more advanced products like the bubble mower, it doesn't necessarily mean that every one of their products are worthy of the shopping dollars from bubble fans.
In fact, most of the battery operated bubble toys that have been introduced into the market have been a major disappointment.
Why Disappointment With Battery Operated Bubble Toys?
When purchasing battery operated bubble toys, I suggest reading as many product reviews as possible. I have been disappointed on more than one occasion when it came time to the performance of some of these products.
For example, I was thrilled when Koosh introduced the battery operated bubble gun. What an amazing concept and all I had to do was dip the end of the gun in some bubble solution, pull the trigger, and the toy would shoot out an endless ray of bubbles. Wrong. Oh sure I got a few bubbles of various sizes by pressing on the trigger but only once out of every three or four tries. The other times the solution would just trickle out the end onto the grass or all over my hand.
So much for the bubble gun.
Kid Tested, Bubbles Failed
There have been a number of bubble toys that I have purchased over the years for my nephews. There was the Bubble Mower by Fisher-Price, which was a semi-realistic model of a real mower, so my nephew would push his little plastic mower behind me. Just because it is manufactured by a company like Fisher-Price doesn't necessarily make it a quality product. I was incredibly disappointed in the performance of the bubble making mechanism. Not only did it produce far less bubbles than the product advertises, half the solution was sloshing on the ground in a trail behind my nephew. Every couple feet seemed to require more solution.
Many of these companies that produce bubble toys like mowers, high power bubble guns, and riding toys failed in several areas. The primary area was that the toys were not designed with an actual kid in mind. Sure the commercials and advertisements show happy little children blowing millions of bubbles with the toys but in most cases it simply isn't true. Either the toy was much more difficult to operate than suggested or it was just too frustrating for the child that was expecting a zillion bubbles to float from the toy.
My point is that you can't rely just on the brand name of the bubble toy or your child will be in for some pretty major disappointments.
Suggested Bubble Toys
My personal preference and suggested product would be the original invention of the simple bubble wand or bubble pipe. Sure they are basic and aren't as appealing as a neon colored bubble machine gun but I would wager you can rely on the old standard to perform better.
Little Kids Inc. is a manufacturer that has introduced some good quality bubble products in the last few years including the Bubble Tumbler and the Super Party Bubble Jar. Their products are durable and made with the kid and bubble lover in mind.
The non-spill Tumbler is perfect for little ones because it allows them to hold the solution themselves and blow bubbles with the plastic wand. No mess or arguments over who holds the bottle of solution.
The Super Party Bubble Jar and the Mini Party Jar are both excellent purchases for young bubble fans. Each of these kits contain several wands and blowers in various shapes and sizes with solution included. The nice thing about these kits is that the individual pieces are all contained in a plastic jar. The different pieces are designed for little hands and are easy to hold and operate.
Another bubble product I have found that I enjoyed is produced by a company called Zometool. They manufacture a bubble toy called the Zome Bubble Kit System. This is not your average bubble toy because it is a number of pieces including long thin tubes and round balls that you put together, much like you do Legos or Tinker Toys. The concept behind this system is to teach the aerodynamics and science involved in the art of bubble making. Once you get the hang of this system, it makes some interesting bubbles in different shapes that you can't get from any other bubble toys.
The main complaint about this product is that the recommended age is 6 years and up. It was frustrating as an adult to try to keep the pieces together when you went to connect a new piece so I can't imagine the frustration it would cause a child. Other than that this is an excellent toy for teaching and for play.
Recommendations
My suggestion for bubble toys is to stick with the basics. Purchase sets with various sized wands and a bubble pipe. If you want to be really creative when it comes to bubble toys, try making your own wands from wire coat hangers or copper wire. This can be a fun craft for parents and children to do together. The wire can easily be shaped into different shapes like circles or even stars. For even more crafty fun, let the kids decorate their bubble creations with colorful ribbons dangling from the end.
Another important factor to consider when using bubble toys is to have a good solution. Store bought brands can be purchased cheaply and are fine in a pinch but making your own bubble solution is more really the way to go. By making your own solution, you can be sure that you are getting a quality mixture that works and costs only pennies to make.
The Bigger Bubble Solution
1 Gallon of Distilled Water
2 Tablespoons of Glycerin
16 Ounces of Ultra Dawn (or other ultra concentrated soap)
16 Ounces of Mr. Bubbles Soap
Mix together and that's it. Glycerin is one of the most important ingredients because it keeps the water from evaporating so quickly and adds some swirls of color to the bubbles. You will have enough bubble blowing solution to cover the neighborhood sky with zillions of bubbles.
If you are serious about bubble toys then I strongly recommend the book 'The Unbelievable Bubble' (ISBN: 0932592155) by John Cassidy. It is co-authored by David Stein, the creator of the Bubble Thing. This is a fun book to read and gives instructions on how to make some amazing bubbles.
Start making some bubble fun of your own today.
This review is being submitted as part of a write-off sponsored by the zany Epinions member, HawgWyld. Thanks for allowing me to participate.
Please check out the fine submissions from these participants:
Cate1956 | geovolt | sweetypeach | arpoet | HawgWyld Ladysmom | nanct | Alkaiser | MaggsMomm | robinmichele jroberts80 | kay67 | basilisk4 | nwinston | frazzledspice
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Member: Pamela
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