Bubble Rainbow Science Project

Use household materials to make a bubble rainbow. This is a safe, easy, and fun project that explores how bubbles and colors work.

Bubble Rainbow Materials

• a sock
• liquid dishwashing soap
• plastic bottle
• food coloring

You can probably use a bubble solution for this project, but I got much better bubbles using the dishwashing liquid. Any soft drink or water bottle will do, but firm bottles are easier to use than thinner, flimsy ones.

Make a Homemade Bubble Snake Wand

You're going to make a fat snake of bubbles. It's actually a great project even without the coloring. Here's what you do:

1. Cut the bottom off of the plastic bottle. If this is a project for kids, leave this part to an adult.
2. Slip a sock over the cut end of the bottle. If you like, you can secure it with a rubber band or ponytail holder. Otherwise, a small sock fits just fine or you can hold the sock over the bottle manually.
3. Squirt dishwashing liquid into a bowl or plate. Mix in a little water to thin it out a bit.
4. Dip the sock end of the bottle into the dishwashing solution.
5. Blow through the mouth of the bottle to make a bubble snake. Cool, right?
6. To make a rainbow, stripe the sock with food coloring. You can make any colors you like. Rainbow colors are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. For most food coloring kits, this would be red, red plus yellow, yellow, green, blue, and blue plus red. Apply more coloring for a more intense rainbow or to "recharge" the sock if you need more bubble solution.
7. Rinse yourself with water when you're done. The food coloring will stain fingers, clothes, etc., so it's a messy project. This is best done outdoors while wearing old clothes. You can rinse your homemade bubble wand and let it air dry if you wish to use it again.