ul li {list-style-image: none;list-style-type: none;display:inline;} -->

The Open School of Creative Arts

The Open School of Creative Arts
Click here to go to our new site full of creative art activities

Bubble Dough


This is amazing! I sort of made it by accident, well not by accident, but just through curiosity... after making our Cold Sensory Snow with shaving foam and cornflour, I wondered what other liquids and cornflour would do. Id also seen Play Create Explore's wonderful Ice Cream Dough (which is on our list to do, I have a bottle of strawberry conditioner waiting just for this!) so I looked in my kitchen for what we had a lot of. Washing up liquid, [or dish soap] is what we had, so in it went into a bowl of cornflour [cornstarch]! I stirred it up and mushed it together and a wonderous sensory dough appeared in front of my eyes. ;) 
Bubble Dough | Creative Playhouse
I used a pomegranate and honey washing up liquid which is red, and mixed with the cornstarch went this lovely bubblegum pink! 
Bubble Dough | Creative Playhouse
 The dough is malleable and mouldable.
Bubble Dough | Creative Playhouse
 The cornstarch in it makes it break with force cleanly.
Bubble Dough | Creative Playhouse
 And if you handle it gently and hold it from a height it kinda goes goopy and drips down (with no mess!). A bit like putty, I guess.
Bubble Dough | Creative Playhouse
 Its amazing!
Bubble Dough | Creative Playhouse
 It also works with regular liquid hand soap:
Bubble Dough | Creative Playhouse
 Jake loved its squishiness!
Bubble Dough | Creative Playhouse
 He told me it felt soft and light and nice.
 Love how much he concentrates when he is enjoying something...
And it smells lush! You could add smell to it of course, but you dont really need to because the soap smells nice already.
I could not stop playing with it. It is not sticky or messy at all, and feels soft and lovely on your hands, and it doesn't dry your hands out like playdough can. Also its SUPER easy to clean, it is made from soap after all. The little residue that is left on your hands just turns into soap when you wash your hands and bam, its all cleaned up. Really love this so much, we will be playing with it lots!

THE RECIPE: I used aprox 1 cup of cornflour to 1/4 cup of washing up liquid, but it wasn't exact. Its best to add the liquid slowly until you get the desired consistency. 

Be sure to check out our one minute playdough too:



Stay connected with us for all our latest posts, pictures and updates! 
gpluscph

74 comments:

  1. Lina Staub2 February 2013 at 01:33

    Is it made with corn flour or corn starch?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown2 February 2013 at 04:40

      i used cornstarch and it worked the same

      Delete
    2. Kat2 February 2013 at 07:41

      Cornflour is the English word for cornstarch
      :)

      Delete
    3. Just Sayin'4 February 2013 at 05:26

      Cornflour is Cornstarch, just depends on where you are. Always check the origins of a recipe so you understand the terms used before you commit to an ingredient. This is a must if dealing with British vs American English...or even Australian or Canadian.
      Bangers= sausage.
      Chips= french fries.
      Crisps= Potato Chips
      Biscuits= Cookies
      Bun= Cupcake
      Mince= Ground beef. While, IME, Mince Meat could be any ground meat.
      Jam= Jelly
      Jelly= Jello/gelatin

      BTW, not all of America uses the same terms either! If you want a cola in Boston you'd better say Tonic, if you want what others consider a Tonic you'd better request quinine....meanwhile in Florida use soda (not pop)...etc.

      Delete
    4. Unknown5 July 2013 at 17:59

      i used corn flour and it didnt work for me....im in pa and they sell corn flour and corn strach in two different place were i shop so im gonna go pick some corn starch up and try again

      Delete
  2. Unknown2 February 2013 at 02:41

    Very Cool! Can't wait to try it!
    P.S. I love my son's look of concentration when he's really into something too. :)
    -Ann @ My Nearest and Dearest

    ReplyDelete
  3. fdkljsdflkgj2 February 2013 at 03:37

    SERIOUSLY COOL! Thanks so much for the mention as well :) I cannot wait to try this! (www.playcreateexplore.com)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kat2 February 2013 at 07:42

      Thanks Jessie! Your Ice cream dough is amazing!

      Delete
  4. Unknown2 February 2013 at 04:01

    Wow...this looks like another thing I really want to try. I'm going to pin it to my Pinterest boards to make later.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sheila2 February 2013 at 06:05

    Was it equal parts of cornstarch and soap?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kat2 February 2013 at 07:43

      Less soap than cornstarch, add it slowly and it'll go crumbly at first, then add a bit more and keep mixing until you have dough

      Delete
  6. jackie2 February 2013 at 23:15

    This is very, very cool, Kat! I'm loving all of these homemade doughs that people are experimenting with and discovering right now!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kat2 February 2013 at 23:47

      Thanks Jackie :) It was so fun!
      Might add glitter next time we do it... (Im sorry I just cant resist... ;) )

      Delete
  7. Kids Creative Chaos/Lora3 February 2013 at 00:45

    Thanks for linking up! I saw this on Pinterest and meant to get back to it! Reminds me of silly putty. I can't wait to try it with kids!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous3 February 2013 at 06:13

    Hi Kat! Love this great idea! I'm always on the lookout for something new in the "dough" category & this sounds fabulous. I am excited to make it for my kiddies - I'm just wondering about how much dishsoap & cornstarch you used (a loose recipe?)

    I'm a mom and an ECE and I'm loving so many of your ideas - and those of other Kid Bloggers. I just stumbled onto your sites recently through Pinterest and I'm absolutely addicted! You could follow all of the links around forever :)
    Thanks to you all for sharing!!! Amanda in Canada

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kat3 February 2013 at 12:10

      Hi Amanda, thanks for your comments. I used about a cup of cornstarch/flour and a good generous squeeze of dish soap, then a little bit more... Add it gradually until you get the required consistency.

      Delete
  9. Debs3 February 2013 at 11:16

    We have just made some grapefruit and strawberry doughs, great fun :-) and he was pleased to find it makes bubbles when you wash up afterwards!

    ReplyDelete
  10. pricklymom3 February 2013 at 13:05

    I'm SO making this!

    Have you experimented with making a dough with lotion, vaseline, or hair conditioner? We have dry skin and eczema here, and I've been wondering if any of those liquids would work.

    Love your blog!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kat4 February 2013 at 09:14

      Thanks Pricklymom - am planning on experimenting with oils and lotions. :)

      Delete
  11. Sarah3 February 2013 at 13:12

    I made it this morning for my preschooler and toddler - what a hit! It is such a neat material, thanks for sharing! Looking forward to trying with flour next. Great ideas!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Dominika @ Montessaurus3 February 2013 at 15:57

    This is such a great idea! I cannot wait to make it and engage the little one to find all sorts of liquids that we have around the house. I can only imagine all the beautiful scents and colors resulting from this project! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Katie @ Gift of Curiosity3 February 2013 at 18:26

    How wonderful that your experimenting hit upon something so great. We'll definitely have to try this out. Pinning now!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Kat4 February 2013 at 09:15

    Thanks Dominika and Katie :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Fromemaid4 February 2013 at 11:41

    Back to the shop for 2 items before school pick up!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Aleacia4 February 2013 at 13:40

    We'll definitely be trying this! Now to find the perfect scent of dish soap! Thanks for sharing :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous4 February 2013 at 17:17

    I tried it out today using bubble bath....it turned out really good!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Vicky @ Mess For Less5 February 2013 at 02:17

    This is a great idea! Is there a perfect amount of soap and corn starch to use? Off to pin this!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kat21 February 2013 at 09:37

      I think it depends on the brand of dish soap Vicky, but I would say about 1 cup of corn starch to 1/4 cup of soap

      Delete
  19. Megan6 February 2013 at 05:17

    Wondering what kind of dish soap you used? I tried it tonight and it didn't do all the cool stuff yours did....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heather P28 August 2013 at 15:05

      Mine didn't come out the same either. I used palmolive cuz its all I had. However the kids have still been playing with it for the last hour and still going... It kind of like playdoh, only softer and silkier feeling. But mine didn't do the same cool stuff either. We loved experimenting either way.

      Delete
  20. Vanessa7 February 2013 at 06:34

    This is brilliant I might have to do this in the morning with my son!

    ReplyDelete
  21. kafrin7 February 2013 at 21:47

    hi, Can you add food colouring to change its colour?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kat21 February 2013 at 09:37

      Yep! Or use a different colour dish soap!

      Delete
  22. Melissa7 February 2013 at 22:12

    We just made some! Used 7th Generation Free & Clear and it worked like a charm. The boys are calling it "Marshmallow Dough!" LOL :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Melissa7 February 2013 at 22:16

    PS. Adding water to it makes it a slippery mess!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heather P28 August 2013 at 15:06

      lol! I was wondering if that would work. Thanks for the heads up.

      Delete
  24. Unknown8 February 2013 at 03:32

    I have only ever used corn flour to made gloop, this is one step better (as it is more mailable) and very cool :)

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous8 February 2013 at 21:54

    We made this this morning, such great stuff!!! Thank you for sharing :) My two were calling it Marshmallow Dough too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deborah21 February 2013 at 03:54

      That's a great name for it - it does have a marshmallowy type texture!

      Delete
    2. Kat21 February 2013 at 09:36

      that is a good name for it! But I thought people might think it was made with marshmallows if called it that :)

      Delete
  26. Erin10 February 2013 at 22:58

    We made this and it was awesome!! And it smelled so nice! I accidentally left it out overnight, so it was a one time use, but we will be making it again!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kat21 February 2013 at 09:35

      Yeah it doesn't last a particularly long time, even stored away, but its still awesome :)

      Delete
  27. Unknown13 February 2013 at 17:10

    Thank you for the great idea! I can't wait to try it with my kids, my middle son especially!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Nikki16 February 2013 at 20:14

    This looks so neat! I am so glad you linked it on our February Play to Learn Blog Hop. I think we will try this later on today or maybe tomorrow. My toddler will love it.

    Make sure to stop by on the first Saturday of March for the next play based learning hop!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Deborah21 February 2013 at 03:53

    I made it love it! Going to introduce it to my class coming up soon!!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Emma @sciencesparks21 February 2013 at 21:26

    That looks like it has a lovely texture!

    Thanks for linking up. x

    ReplyDelete
  31. glitter princess25 February 2013 at 01:34

    Sensational! I will add glitter to your fabulous recipe. Thank you for sharing your creative ideas!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Unknown25 February 2013 at 14:49

    I made this. Mine turned out kind of sticky. Not sure what I did wrong:(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heather P28 August 2013 at 15:08

      mine was sticky too, first it was too crumbly, then too sticky - i dipped the sticky ball in my hand into more conrnstarch and mixed and mixed. it eventually came out right, but it was a process. I used palmolive and used way more than a cup of soap per cup of cornstarch... so I think it depends on the soap.

      Delete
  33. Kristen@CountryFitFamily28 February 2013 at 15:01

    Wow, this sounds awesome. Off to make it right now!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Kimira7 March 2013 at 00:23

    We did it sometimes ago, and it was fun on the first day to play. the girls were at it for about half an hour and it was giggles all the way. Then i stored it in a tupperware. However, the next time I took it out it had hardened and adding more soap made it sticky. Any ideas on the storage of this stuff?

    ReplyDelete
  35. Hinterland Mama14 March 2013 at 10:48

    Incredible discovery. It looks like loads of fun!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Rebecca B18 March 2013 at 21:04

    Boys are playing with it right now. We probably won't try to store it. I only made a small amount to try it. The boys tend to scatter bits and pieces around. Any kind of dough usually requires some vacuuming after. Oh well, they like to vacuum too:)

    ReplyDelete
  37. Ashley21 March 2013 at 19:28

    Awesome! We'll have to try it!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Susan Syddall9 April 2013 at 23:22

    Just wanted to let you know that we made this and had a ball! Thanks so much for sharing.
    http://storiesandchildren.com/bubble-dough/

    ReplyDelete
  39. Cover me! I'm going in!11 April 2013 at 04:36

    I didn't even get to the end of this article before jumping up to try it out. A bit of cornflour from the pantry + three different coloured liquid soaps = great school holiday fun. Worked perfectly!

    ReplyDelete
  40. ~ Birdie ~24 April 2013 at 01:43

    I didn't have enough dish soap, so we used hot pink strawberry scented bubble bath and it worked great! My daughter loved the color and scent and we played with it for hours this morning. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  41. j. wilson28 April 2013 at 16:24

    fantastic! i have a box of old liquids i have been wanting to mix with stuff to see what happens once i have the time...you are brilliant! what is the lasting power of this..a couple of days? a week?

    ReplyDelete
  42. Unknown18 May 2013 at 01:25

    Another great one - have also featured it in my 50 Wonderful Ways with Play Dough post, Alice @ Mums Make Lists

    ReplyDelete
  43. Unknown21 May 2013 at 14:16

    And also featured this at this week's Empty Your Archive party - thank you so much for linking up, Alice @ Mums Make Lists x

    ReplyDelete
  44. Anonymous21 May 2013 at 22:59

    What a great idea. I think my girls are going to love this!

    ReplyDelete
  45. Christals Creations12 June 2013 at 15:24

    You can do a similar thing with food colouring in water and cornflower. My boy just did it and loved it. Need more cornflower now as that was the last of the packet. :)

    ReplyDelete
  46. MommaByrnes22 June 2013 at 02:22

    Just a quick question.....would it burn eyes if little eyes were rubbed?? My 4 year old has a habit of rubbing his face and eyes when he is playing. We did the Ivory soap in microwave thing and kids loved smashing it and playing UNTIL Mr Z rubbed his eyes......

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heather P28 August 2013 at 15:10

      i would say yes. It's soap - so it's gonna sting. I had a daycare child constantly touching the eyes too - I got him super cool sunglasses to wear inside the house - esp during projects like fingerpaint or glitter. Of course, then I had to get all the daycare children sunglasses to wear in the house, but hey, it worked. Give it a try.

      Delete
  47. Unknown28 June 2013 at 17:56

    Too much fun.... we used baby shampoo

    ReplyDelete
  48. lalamcphee29 July 2013 at 18:41

    Don't use dawn dish soap, it just makes crumbles. I added liquid hand soap (equate milk & honey) and it smoothed out nicely. I had to add extra cornstarch and it isn't sticky but it does get stick. So it's not sticky like gum, but chunks do adhere to your skin, table, but comes off easily. Leaves a floury residue, but cleans up. My 4 year old has been playing with it for the last 20 minutes and my 1 year old comes and goes. Fun and interesting texture. Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  49. Amy S13 September 2013 at 23:37

    This was fun but it didn't turn out quite like the original. It wasn't quite as pliable looking, no oozing down when help at a height, for example. I am going to try a different soap and see if that helps. A very cool idea and my son played with it for over an hour. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
09 10