I first observed the bubble gun walks a couple of years back. A neighborhood grandpa watched his grandsons (about 2 and 3.5 years old) in the afternoons, three or four days a week. For three solid weeks, their slow neighborhood strolls featured bubble guns just like the one pictured above. Grandpa had picked them up because he figured they’d be fun—and he was spot on.

As they ambled along, the boys generously sprayed bubbles at passing cars, flowering shrubs, confused or excited pets, and pretty much anything else that caught their eye.

Grandpa hadn’t quite anticipated the rate of bubble-solution consumption. After the first day, he started carrying refills in his pocket.

Then one day, the bubble gun walks simply stopped. The boys had moved on.

Bubble Gun Walks Wrap Up

Children’s interests in play scenarios and playthings naturally ebb, flow, and fade over time. At first, the bubble guns were shiny new objects begging to be explored and experimented with. Over those few weeks, the boys used them indoors and out; tried them in rain, sun, and wind; blew bubbles up, down, and in circles; watched them form, float, and pop. They’d exhausted every bubble experience they craved—and then they were ready for the next thing.

Sometimes a child’s fascination fades almost as quickly as the bubbles themselves. Other times, play around a particular topic lasts a lifetime—there are plenty of adults whose childhood love of video games or LEGO bricks is still going strong today.

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