The Bubbles Are Coming! The Bubbles Are Coming! 3 Bubbles can makenearly any day more fun. (NAPSA)—From the 17th cen- tury, we’ve seen paintings that portray children blowing bubbles with clay pipes. And since the 18th and 19th centuries, it has been com- monplace for mothers to give their children leftover washing soap to blow bubbles for fun. Moving into the Machine Age during the 20th century, street peddlers were amongthefirst to sell bubbles as a toy. These days, bubbles are massproduced by companies such as Funrise Toys and more, and rein- troduced each year on shelves during the spring. Today, bubble solution is the best-selling toy in the world, year after year, with hundredsof millions of bottles sold. Despite what the thermometer says, for many in the country, spring is just around the corner. And with spring comes flowers, warmer weather and children playing outside. National Bubble Week bursts onto our calendars each year in March, kicking off the “BUBBLE SEASON,” which goes all summer. So how can you celebrate the season of bubbles? First: GET SOME BUBBLES! Premier bubble maker Funrise Toys makes Gazillion Bubbles, whose bubble solutions are made right here in the U.S.A. On shelves at all major retailers, Gazillion Bubbles are the biggest, brightest and most colorful bubbles on the market, hands down. And you can ramp it up with their awesome bubble toys and accessories, such as the Gazillion Bubble Monsoon (SRP: $24.99), the Gazillion Bump & Go Bubble Car (SRP: $19.99) and the Gazillion Bubble Hurricane (SRP: $16.99), all available at Toys ‘R’ Us. Next: TRY OUT SOME BUBBLE TRICKS! The Bubble Snake: Cut the bottom off of a plastic bottle. Slip a sock over the cut end of the bottle. (If you like, you can secure it with a rubber band.) Squirt dishwashing liquid into a bowlor plate. Pour some bubble solution onto a plate. Dip the sock end of the bottle into the solution. Blow through the mouth of the bottle to make a bubble snake! Want to make a bubble rainbow? Stripe the sock with food coloring and repeat the trick! *The Unpoppable Bubble: Put a container lid on the table face up. Pour in your bubble solution (Gazillion Bubbles have the reputation of being the strongest on the market) and dip in a straw so that it’s wet halfway up the straw. Touch the straw to the lid and blow a bubble on the lid. Slowly pull the straw all the way out of the bubble. Now, poke the scissors through the wall of your bubble. What happens? The Square Bubble: Take four pipe cleaners and form them into a square with a wand. Dip the wand in your bubble solution and see what happens! Finally: TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND BECOME A BUBBLE MASTER! *How a Bubble Gets Its Color: As waves of light pass through the bubble, they get distorted by reflecting off different layers of soap film and are called iridescence. (Gazillion Bubbles is also known to have the most colorful and beautiful bubbles available.) Can You Freeze a Bubble? A bubble’s shell is composed of a layer of water molecules surrounded by two thin layers of soap. Technically, a bubble will freeze below 32 degrees Fahrenheit like all water. The only problem is that bubbles tend to burst after a few seconds, so in order to truly see a bubble freeze, the temperature needsto fall to about 23 degrees for bubble staying power. *Why Do Bubbles Burst? Anything that fractures the tenuous layer of water molecules can cause a bubble to burst. For example, a gust of wind or an object (like your finger) will easily cause a bubble to burst. Bubbles also burst by simply drying out. Moisture within a bubble causes the molecules to draw closer together, enabling the bubble to stay formed for a longer period of time. This is why bubbles tend to work best in high-humidity environments. Essentially, bubbles are loved the world over by people of all ages. There are even university studies focused on them. For kids, bubbles are pure fun for spring and summer outdoor frolic. For adults (where you'll find them at events such as proms, weddings and more), they symbolize peace, harmony and beauty. Our suggestion: Start BUBBLE SEASON right, and pop into a store today to stock up. And don’t forget to share your bubble memories and enter the annual Gazillion Bubbles annual photo contest, with prizes monthly through August 30, 2015 at www.facebook. com/funrisetoys.
