Bubbles are more than meets the eye

Lawrence Welk had one thing right -- dancing through bubbles can be the best way to end a day.

When I first began serving in nursery, I chuckled at the veteran women who resisted crumpling at 10 minutes to the hour. It was a simple application of the scripture's adage to "endure to the end" of a tough situation.

"The last 10 minutes of nursery are the longest 10 minutes of your life," one used to say every week through a frozen, clenched-teeth smile. The ladies' favorite coping mechanism was a battery-powered bubble blower that shot a stream of small bubbles above the reaching fingers of the nursery crowd.

The bubble operator stood in the center of the little ones keeping them entertained while the other adult helpers cleaned the room, set out items to be taken home and gathered scattered shoes. The goal was to keep the bubble euphoria as engaging as possible until parents arrived at the door.

While visiting another ward's nursery recently, I found a similar crew of dedicated bubble blowers. By the end of the two hours, the sun's afternoon heat overtook the capacity of the building's air conditioning and nursery was stuffy.

To circulate the air as well as mechanize bubble-time, the nursery leader brought a small, portable fan and set it on top of a waist-high cupboard. The fresh air did wonders to liven the spirits of teachers and kids alike and the wand dipped in soapy solution filled the air with hundreds of spectacularly iridescent bubbles.

While most children enjoy the fanciful play that bubbles provide (as long as they don't get soap in their eyes), the activity can do much to help develop the sensory capabilities of young ones as well.

In the book "The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun," by Carol Stock Kranowitz, bubbles are considered one of the best old-fashioned methods of improving a wide array of sensory development. With 300-plus pages of activities designed to help those with sensory integration disorders (experienced singularly or in connection with autism, Aspergers, ADHD, etc.), the book lists the benefits of clapping at bubbles as:

    * Stretching and reaching in different directions to clap bubbles with both hands strengthens bilateral integration and midline crossing.
    * Clapping improves balance, gross motor control, grading of movement and motor planning.
    * Focusing on the floating bubbles improves visual processing.
    * Tipping from side to side ... (as a toddler reaches for bubbles) gets both sides of the brain "talking" to each other and calms and organizes the vestibular system. One positive end-result may be increased speech and language output.
    * Clapping bubbles is messy play that the child with tactile defensiveness may tolerate.

Most developmental delays or sensory obstacles haven't yet been identified in nursery-age children. If a child is uncomfortable, he or she might be nonchalantly labeled as a fussy, terrible 2-year-old. So it doesn't hurt to include nursery activities that may help in the development of those "out-of-sync" children.

After years of working to improve the sensory integration of my own son, my heart goes out to all children whose bodies may be "out-of-sync," causing everyday activities to be a frustrating and sad struggle. Understanding this latter-day identified trial of faith and patience helps us appreciate health and vitality even more.

With the right help and knowledge, there's no reason why children with sensory processing obstacles can't learn to successfully battle the natural man and all the trials that come with this set of disabilities.

Plus, it is pure joy to see them (finally) have fun.

I've recently had to replace our nursery's well-used plastic bubble blower with a new-fangled tiger-shaped blower that opens its mouth and sends bubbles in a stream when you clench the trigger.

The kids are delighted, the leaders are appreciative and deep down I hope the fanciful activity has long-term developmental benefits for all the children we serve.

Here's a simple recipe for bubbles if you want to make a batch at home and don't have glycerin handy:

4 cups water
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups dishwashing liquid
(let the mixture settle for several hours before using)

Title: Bubbles are more than meets the eye
Author: By Stacie Duce
URL: http://mormontimes.com/mormon_voices/stacie_duce/?id=10524
Date Accessed: September 16, 2009

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http://www.sensoryinterventions.com/The-OutofSync-Child-Recognizing-and-Coping/A/0399531653.htm