Soap bubbles are a great way to help your little one develop visual skills. We are not born with the visual skills required for learning, including the skills of capturing, following, tracing, focusing, convergence, divergence, and so on. These skills need to be developed over time. How well your child develops their visual skills from the first months of life will help them learn now, as well as later in school.

Because bubbles are both attention-grabbing and slow-moving, they are a great way to help your little one learn to use their eyes and develop those skills. For young children, bubbles are fun tummy time, and every happy time helps development! In this position, the bubbles also encourage head turning—right, left, up, and down—movements that are necessary to control the primitive reflexes so important for future fluid, coordinated movement and learning. As soon as your baby gets stronger on the tummy, he will begin to reach for the bubbles.

Think of all the muscle strengthening and balance development as he tries to do this! Bubbles also motivate to move. I’ve seen a lot of babies making their first forward steps, determined to get to that bubble on the floor. As your growing baby begins to crawl, crawl and fly, he will have great fun chasing bubbles. Crawling over, under, or over obstacles to reach bubbles further develops muscle tone, body and space awareness, and problem solving for your child.