I learn from my kids all the time. They live in the moment and find so much joy in the little things – something that I needed to remember as I planned my daughter’s 5th birthday. The thing is, with these parties, there’s a bit of pressure there. They’re getting older and you want to make it a day that they’ll remember always. We can get get caught up in wanting to create something perfect, spending lots of money buying cakes, presents, decorations and all the extras. So I feel very lucky that with my kids, I’m constantly reminded – happiness is not found in those things.

All that kids really want is the opportunity to to do what they best – be creative and play! They want parents who play make-believe with them, who laugh, jump in the pool and get their hair wet. It’s never about the toy, it’s about the experience.  So, in that spirit, I invited my daughter’s school friends over… and gave them each an empty plastic bottle.

This is a DIY kit that I made for the kids to create these bubble snakes with. Which eventually became more like bubble mountains. (I may have added a bit too much soap!) They loved it and never cared that they were playing with an old plastic bottle! We all had a blast and I got to share a fun way of recycling materials.

Here’s how you do it:

Cut the bottom off of a plastic bottle. Then take an old rag, towel or t-shirt and cut into a circle, large enough to cover the bottom of the bottle completely. Give the children the bottle, the pre-cut cloth and a few rubberbands to attach it on.

For the bubbles, I made my own mixture. I filled a big shallow tub (a kiddie pool would have been great!) with water and added a few too many squirts of my dish soap. I also added a few squirts of corn syrup to produce better bubbles, but to be honest I don’t think it needed it. We called it the Snake Pit, to go with our safari theme.

As the guest arrived, they each were given a welcome bag with the craft inside. It served a good icebreaker – something for the kids to do right away and set the mood for fun! I think adult parties could use this too!

So that’s how you make bubble snakes. If you have kids, or like acting like a kid, try this one – it’s great fun!

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