Crazy Messy Fun: Crayola Colored Bubbles

Are they fun? Are you kidding me??  It’s like a crude combination of paintball and the ever classic: bubble machine.  First of all, who doesn’t love bubbles?  They are mysterious and beautiful.  They use them at weddings and parties…even my dog likes them! However, these bubbles are “a horse of a different color”.

Are they washable? Well…."Keep away from brick, vinyl, finished and unfinished wood, wallpaper, painted walls, carpeting, draperies, and other materials that cannot be laundered...etc." These colored bubbles are truly a play-at-your-own-risk kind of toy...and I don't see anything wrong with that! 

If you haven't seen or heard the reviews they’ve been given by parents ranting about their stained carpets, ruined clothes, and the misleading title: “washable”, let me fill you in: They're quite "colorful" in their word usage. They even aired a news story where parents demanded Crayola  recall the product and change the formula.   Which seems reasonable…until you actually read the reviews. In reading these sob stories you will quickly find that many of the reviews were from parents who handed the bubbles to their 3, 4, and 5 year olds and sent them outside - alone. Really, people??  These must be the parents who believe Color Wonder paper eliminates the need for actual parenting.   Not only does leaving a 4 year old unsupervised with colored bubbles sound like a disaster waiting to happen, but it is also a missed opportunity to see your child enjoy a truly unique experience. I mean, my daughter was neon orange…how awesome is that!  So, after testing the bubbles myself, my plea is not for Crayola to change their formula, but for parents to engage with their children.

My review: We enjoyed the wonder of Crayola Colored Bubbles last week during our stay in California with my husband’s parents. They bought the hand crank bubble machine and 3 colors of bubbles for our 2 year old.  After a cautious pause, my husband ripped the package open, loaded the orange bottle, and took it out in the yard.  We stripped our daughter down to her diaper and started it up.  We were amazed at the intensity of the color and were all giggling like schoolgirls as they popped.  When my daughter was thoroughly covered in the neon goo, my husband said, “Go give Mommy hugs!” which resulted in a game of duck and dodge until I could get to the hose.  The water hit her head and streams of orange came down her face.  We started to question the “washable” tag on the box and laughed at the thought of a permanently tangerine colored child.   But, it rinsed right out of her hair and skin…. can’t say the same for my father-in-law’s lawn. Oops.