Fun with Bubble Wrap

I know, playing with bubble wrap is far from a new idea, but that is exactly why these activities are so much fun for kids - Bubble Wrap is awesome.  Of course you will want to be aware of safety concerns - watch your kids with the wrap and only do these activities with kids that won't attempt chewing on the wrap or wrapping it around their heads or faces..

For the Jumper:
Lay out a long piece of bubble wrap and then do the bunny hop on it.  Make sure the bubble wrap is securely fastened to the floor so it doesn't slip underneath you (ouch!)

Strange Sensation:
Squirt Shaving cream onto a large sheet of bubble wrap and then push the cream around on it.  Pop a bubble now and then while you're at it.  You can also try popping the bubbles with feet at the shallow end of a pool for a very different sensation.

For the Artist: 
Paint right onto a "page" of bubble wrap and then use it like a giant stamp or print to transfer a textured version of your child's artwork onto paper. These wind up looking really cool and you can make multiple "copies" if the paint is heavy enough to begin with.

 You can also mix this and "Strange Sensation." by dropping a little paint into the shaving cream and folding the color in gently in separate bowls for each color.  Have your child use the shaving cream as though it is finger paint on the bubble wrap and then "stamp" the art onto paper to dry.
 
For the Story-Teller:
Imagine a long sheet of bubble wrap is a road that takes you through another world and walk down the road together.  While you walk, encourage your child to tell you what he/she sees in this "other world."  Again, make sure the bubble wrap is securely fastened to the floor so it doesn't slip underneath you (again, ouch!).

For the Scientist:
Compare bubble wraps of two different sizes.  Drop plastic eggs (the kind that open) filled with m&m's or gumdrops or other small candy on both bubble wraps  (one with really big bubbles and one with smaller bubbles).  Do this over and over again and record how many times the egg pops open on each vs. how many times the egg stays closed.  Does either wrap better prevent the egg from popping open?

You can also use differently sized bubble wraps as a "lens" and look at how light bends through the bubble wrap.  Start with a poster board with the child's name written in large block letters and bubble wrap with fairly large bubbles on it.  Have the child hold the wrap over the letters and see how it changes their look.