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If you are hosting a backyard barbecue, birthday party, baby shower, Memorial Day cookout, Fourth of July gathering, or summer playdate this year, a simple bubble station is an easy way to keep kids entertained without spending a ton of money.
The biggest problem with bubbles at parties is usually the mess- tiny bottles, lids everywhere but where they should be and younger kids constantly need help opening or refilling containers. That is where the idea for the drink dispenser idea came in! Instead of setting out several small bottles, I filled a drink dispenser with bubble solution so older kids could refill the bubble trays themselves. I also placed a shallow aluminum tray underneath the dispenser to catch drips and overflow, which helped keep the setup much cleaner during outdoor use.
The bubble wand kit I used already included two large dipping circles for giant bubbles, so adding shallow trays made it easy for kids to dip the wands without dumping solution everywhere. A quick note about the bubble wand kit I used. It was overall pretty good. I wished the handles were a little longer on the big wands however, the rope wands that did have longer handles were multiple pieces designed to come apart. If you’ve spend any time with 2 & 3 year olds you know that as soon as they discovered they can pull something apart, it will never be put together again! So, now I have lost handles for my rope wands. Other than that, it’s a cute little set.
I also learned quickly that tablecloths and windy days do not mix very well. To keep the plastic tablecloth from blowing around, I used small double-sided Velcro tabs underneath the tablecloth to help hold everything in place. It worked well and made the whole setup feel less chaotic outside. One thing I really liked for this setup was using a small adjustable folding table. The height can be lowered for younger kids or raised for party use, which makes it useful beyond just bubble stations. We use ours for outdoor snacks, crafts, summer activities, and backyard play setups throughout the year. If you want to make the station even more fun, adding a bubble machine nearby creates a constant stream of bubbles around the activity area. It makes the whole setup feel more festive for parties and gives younger kids something entertaining even if they are not using the larger bubble wands yet. The setup itself is very simple:
- adjustable folding table - plastic tablecloth - bubble wand kit - shallow aluminum trays - drink dispenser filled with bubble solution - Velcro adhesive tabs - optional bubble machine One thing I highly recommend is making your own bubble solution instead of buying multiple tiny bottles from the store. Kids go through bubble solution very quickly, especially at parties, and homemade bubble solution is usually much more affordable for larger setups like this. That said, I have tried quite a few store-bought bubble solutions over the years, and I still think the Target bubble solution works better than most of the tiny party favor bottles. The bubbles seem to last longer, work better with larger wands, and are usually affordable enough for bigger summer setups. If you’re a bubble purist however, I would suggest your own solution or this “cleaner” bubble solution made in the USA called Fubbles. If you are planning a large party or cookout, though, homemade bubble solution is still usually the cheapest option overall. You can find my DIY bubble solution recipe here: DIY Bubble Solution
Best of Luck with your Bubble Station!