Pipe Cleaner Bubble Wands

Bubble play just got kicked up a notch with easy DIY pipe cleaner bubble wands! They’re quick, easy, and completely customizable.

A child holds up a giant pipe cleaner bubble wand (three pipe cleaners twisted together) and blows a bubble.

Your kids will L-O-V-E DIY pipe cleaner bubble wands

Do you know what kids love? What they go crazy for? What they want to play with when they’re little and big?

BUBBLES!

Whenever I need a guaranteed hit that’s easy to set up, hours of fun, and an utter delight, I do this activity.

Related: Make a Bead and Bubble Kit for gift-giving and be the HIT of the party!

A child holds up a pipe cleaner bubble wand (one pipe cleaner twisted together) and blows a stream of bubbles.

DIY pipe cleaner bubble wands are the answer to all of your problems

Need a project that won’t break the bank? DIY pipe cleaner bubble wands.

Or, do you need a project to keep a large group of mixed-aged kids entertained? DIY pipe cleaner bubble wands.

Instead, you may need an activity that connects science, literacy, fine motor, and social skills. YOU GUESSED IT: DIY pipe cleaner bubble wands.

There’s more science fun where this came from! Check out these spectacular science projects:

Materials

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Bubble solution
Pipe cleaners
Shallow container – I can’t find mine online anymore, but I LOVE these shallow trays
Beads – optional (look at how many styles pony beads come in!)

A child pours a small container of bubble solution into a large teal, plastic, shallow container sitting on a table. In the background is a backyard with grass and plants.

How do you make a pipe cleaner bubble wand?

Prep the bubbles: Fill a shallow container with about ½ inch of bubble solution. I never worry about adding too much into the container because whatever you don’t use can be poured back into the bottle.

Make the wands: You just need to make a closed shape for the bubbles to blow through, and you can make a bubble wand from 1, 2, 3, or more pipe cleaners.

Two kids make and play with pipe cleaner bubble wands, one child is blowing a bubble wand and the other is dipping a wand into the shallow container of bubble solution.

How do you make GIANT BUBBLES with pipe cleaners?

You can make giant bubbles with DIY pipe cleaner bubble wands. *jaws drop*

We’ve tied 4 and 5 pipe cleaners together at a time to make a gigantic bubble wand, and while it takes some practice, it works!

If you’re new around these parts, my middle name is more-is-more.

Steve Spangler says, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” and honestly, those are words I live my life by.

Note: When using a bubble wand made with several pipe cleaners, you’ll have to use it upside down because the circle part is too large and in charge for the handle, but it’s FINE! The direction the wand is held doesn’t matter one bit.

A child holds a giant pipe cleaner bubble wand made of three pipe cleaners twisted together in a shallow container of bubble solution.

Try this technique to make shaped wands, too!

Circle wands make circle spherical bubbles.

But what happens if you make a triangular shape with pipe cleaners?

Or a heart?

Or a letter?

Invite your child to guess what shapes will come from the other bubble wands and test the hypothesis.

A child blows a bubble from a blue and orange pipe cleaner wand.

What makes the best bubble solution?

I’ve done the homemade recipes as well as bought bubble solution at the store, and here are my scientific findings.

Buy premade bubble solution.

We love a DIY for cost savings, but the homemade recipes I have made end up being the same price as the premade stuff. Plus, the ratios in the premade mixes are perfectly measured and usually a pretty safe bet.

If you love making homemade bubble solution, that’s fantastic. If you want to eliminate that step and make it a little easier on yourself with premade, that’s fantastic. Whatever you choose is fantastic because YOU are fantastic.