Did you know that you can make your own GLOWING bubbles? SO COOL! This special bubble solution is easy to mix up with a few simple ingredients, and a black light (we’ll show you where to get one) will make the bubbles glow.
Glowing bubbles are so awesome and fun to watch! Plus, our bubble solution makes long-lasting bubbles, so you’ll really be able to enjoy them.
![How to Make Glowing Bubbles - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls (1) How to Make Glowing Bubbles - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls (1)](https://i0.wp.com/frugalfun4boys.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Glowing-Bubbles-Pin.jpg)
This project was sort of a rabbit trail from something else we were working on. We’re in the middle of creating a spy unit (coming very soon!), and while doing a quick Google search for things that glow under a black light, I found out that you can make bubbles glow by using the ink from a highlighter. Well, that sounded like it would be right up our alley!
This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase through the links, I will earn a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you.
![How to Make Glowing Bubbles - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls (2) How to Make Glowing Bubbles - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls (2)](https://i0.wp.com/frugalfun4boys.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Glowing-Bubbles-1-Edited.jpg)
The article I read did not provide an exact recipe for glowing bubble solution, but it sounded easy enough to figure out. And it was – my first try was a big success!
How to Make Glowing Bubbles
Bubble Solution Ingredients:
- A highlighter – I used 1 large yellow highlighter
- Bubble solution
- Dawn dish soap (washing up liquid)
- Glycerin
- A black light – we used this UV flashlight from Amazon.
Step 1: Soak the highlighter insides in water.
Use a knife to open the plastic case on the highlighter. This is an ADULT JOB! My husband took care of this step. He made a slit the length of the highlighter and then used a screwdriver to pop the white cap off the end. Pull out the felt inside that is soaked with highlighter ink. Place it in a small amount of water. We used a disposable plastic container for this step and added the amount of water shown.
![How to Make Glowing Bubbles - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls (3) How to Make Glowing Bubbles - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls (3)](https://i0.wp.com/frugalfun4boys.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Glowing-Bubbles-10-Edited.jpg)
Step 2: Add bubble solution to make a 50/50 mix.
Step 3: Test your bubble solution. If the bubbles aren’t strong enough, power it up by adding dish soap (washing up liquid, for my UK readers) and glycerin. Our 50/50 mix resulted in bubbles that broke instantly before we could even look at them. I added 1 Tablespoon of Dawn dish soap and 1 Tablespoon of glycerin.
The glycerin gives the bubbles their strength, and the dish soap makes the bubble solution more bubbly.
Another option is to just add more bubble solution. However, if you dilute the highlighter ink too much, your bubbles won’t glow. I added dish soap and glycerin because I had them on hand, and I already knew they work well to make a good bubble solution. Our bubbles were big, and many did not even pop on the grass. This gave us lots of time to examine them with the black light.
![How to Make Glowing Bubbles - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls (4) How to Make Glowing Bubbles - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls (4)](https://i0.wp.com/frugalfun4boys.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Glowing-Bubbles-11-Edited.jpg)
Your bubble solution can be used right away, but it works even better if you let it sit a couple hours. Then go blow some bubbles!
I would recommend doing this outside after dark. So much fun!
![How to Make Glowing Bubbles - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls (5) How to Make Glowing Bubbles - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls (5)](https://i0.wp.com/frugalfun4boys.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Glowing-Bubbles-3-Edited.jpg)
The bubble solution will make your skin glow if it lands on you, but it’s not visible without the black light. Still, we limited the actual bubble blowing to parents or teens (we have 2 teenagers now!) because we didn’t want it spilling all over the place. The younger kids got to hold the black lights (we bought 2).
![How to Make Glowing Bubbles - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls (6) How to Make Glowing Bubbles - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls (6)](https://i0.wp.com/frugalfun4boys.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Glowing-Bubbles-2-Edited.jpg)
Regular bubbles are cool enough, but the shapes and the intersections between bubbles are really clear with these glowing bubbles. They are fun to observe! We noticed that the bubbles that landed on the grass appeared to be slowly rotating.
![How to Make Glowing Bubbles - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls (7) How to Make Glowing Bubbles - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls (7)](https://i0.wp.com/frugalfun4boys.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Glowing-Bubbles-5-Edited.jpg)
One more photo… they’re just so cool!
![How to Make Glowing Bubbles - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls (8) How to Make Glowing Bubbles - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls (8)](https://i0.wp.com/frugalfun4boys.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Glowing-Bubbles-6-Edited.jpg)
The Science Behind It – Why Do these Bubbles Glow Under a Black Light?
Highlighter ink glows under a black light (UV radiation) because it fluoresces. Fluorescence is when a substance gives off radiation while being exposed to a source of external radiation. In the case of the highlighter ink, the ink absorbs UV rays (short wavelength) from the black light and then emits visible light waves (longer wavelength).
This is different from phosphorescence, where light is emitted even after the exposure to radiation ends, such glow-in-the-dark plastic stars or glow-in-the-dark stickers. Another example of phosphorescence is the light that comes from glow sticks.
There are many substances that fluoresce under a black light. Some examples are laundry soap, white paper, cotton balls, teeth, vaseline (petroleum jelly), honey, some types of flowers, and bodily fluids. A black light is very handy for finding pet urine in the carpet, but I don’t recommend shining it around the bathroom that your four boys share. Just saying. Eeek.
Want more awesome kids activities?
Here’s a collection of more than 50 Unplugged Activities for Tween Boys (ages 9 – 12)! I developed this list with boys in mind (because I have FOUR of them), but of course girls will enjoy these ideas too.
Find ideas for hobbies, projects, jobs, boredom busters, and more!
![How to Make Glowing Bubbles - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls (9) How to Make Glowing Bubbles - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls (9)](https://i0.wp.com/frugalfun4boys.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Tween-Activities-FB-Update.jpg)
We also have tons of Hands-On Science Experiments!
Make some Instant Hot “Ice” out of baking soda and vinegar. This is a fun science experiment with a big wow factor!
![How to Make Glowing Bubbles - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls (10) How to Make Glowing Bubbles - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls (10)](https://i0.wp.com/frugalfun4boys.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Hot-Ice-FB.jpg)
Build a Bottle Rocket that REALLY Soars! You probably have everything on hand to do this experiment, or if you are like us and don’t keep soda around, you might have to “sacrifice” for science and drink some. This rocket flew higher than our 2-story house!
![How to Make Glowing Bubbles - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls (11) How to Make Glowing Bubbles - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls (11)](https://i0.wp.com/frugalfun4boys.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Bottle-Rocket-FB.jpg)
![How to Make Glowing Bubbles - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls (12) How to Make Glowing Bubbles - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls (12)](https://i0.wp.com/frugalfun4boys.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Glowing-Bubbles-FB.jpg)
9 Comments
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Monica May 29, 2020
Very cool bubbles. But do we have to have that flashlight? Cant we see it in the dark?
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Sarah May 29, 2020
You'll need a black light (UV light) to make the bubbles glow. I think it would be hard to make true glow-in-the-dark bubbles. You could try mixing glow-in-the-dark paint with bubble solution, but I'd be concerned about it leaving stains when the bubbles land. This is so worth it though! Plus, there are a lot of fun things to do with a black light. I'll be sharing more of them next week!
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Jessica Jun 3, 2020
Do you think cutting open cheap glow-sticks would work in place of the highlighter? Then maybe a black light wouldn’t be needed?
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Rann Sep 4, 2020
Cheap glow sticks also use lye as part of their chemistry (they were never intended to be opened). I know if you put the liquid directly onto your skin it WILL cause chemical burns. While it will be diluted a bit in the soap solution, it still may be too strong.
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Jay Weiler Jun 18, 2020
Glow Sticks actually contain glass inside them. That is what you crack to activate them. Once opened the glass comes out of the glow stick so very dangerous. I would be very careful doing this.
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CASSANDRA RENZI Apr 16, 2022
Black lights are also good when teaching children about germs, or if you have young boys who are missing the toilet when they aim. If you shine a black light, they can see where they missed or where germs are so they can learn to clean up. I keep one in the bathroom for our son....lol
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Brenda May 29, 2020
Did you try a bubble recipe with the contents of a glow stick instead of the hilighter? I am thinking of letting my older kids experiment.
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Shannon Jun 11, 2020
Hi there! We are going to make this over the weekend. Our sons (ages 11 & 14) can't wait! Already bought the glycerin and UV light you recommended...thanks!!
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Linda Jul 16, 2021
Years ago, we bought a black-light bulb. It was shaped like a regular 60 watt bulb. For indoor Halloween parties we just screwed it into a table lamp without the shade. But for outdoor use, we screwed it into a trouble light we had in the garage, then hung it by its hook outdoors. If you can find a bulb like this, it might be easier to light the area in the yard to see the bubbles.
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Josine Shakespeare Jul 16, 2021
Such fun, frugal mum! Really impressed by this set of ideas you have vibe up with here! My little one is only four, but he loves a torch/headlamp & bubbles! He will enjoy all of these. And we may try these with friends on Wednesday.. now that we can spend time with them in the garden. Xx thanks again.
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Emily Aug 9, 2021
So cool!! I suppose it would work if we have the highlighter ink itself? Where I live I can get refillable highlighters that come with extra ink. And what about fluorescent paints?
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Debbie May 1, 2023
Love this. I am always looking for things to do with my grandkids.
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Karen Jun 3, 2023
Planning a cookout for the kids and want to make some glowing bubbles. If I mix the solution up a few days ahead of time and close the bottles of bubble solution, will the fluorescence fade or will it hold up? I don't want disappointed kids!
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Sarah Jun 25, 2023
I'm not sure because I haven't tried it! I would recommend testing it out ahead of time.
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Kitty Jun 29, 2023
Where do you get the glycerin?
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Sarah Aug 31, 2023
You can find glycerin in most drug stores!
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