Crayola Outdoor Colored Bubbles {Review & Giveaway}

I'm fairly certain that I've never met a child who doesn't love bubbles. There is just something about the light, magical way that the shiny clear bubbles waft into the air and float around that draws kids to reach and grab for each one.

Over the years we've played with bubbles at home, at the park, on vacation... there really isn't a place that these laughter-provoking, portable little puffs of science can't go. And each time the results are smiles, giggles, jumps, and all-out awe as my girls have enjoyed every minute of chasing or blowing the bubbles themselves.

Big Sister E, age 8 months

So, considering that my kids have never said no to bubbles, I had no doubt that they would be thrilled to see the next generation of bubbles in person: Crayola Outdoor Colored Bubbles. What better way to take an already much-loved outdoor activity and give it a surprising colorful and unique twist?

Crayola Outdoor Colored Bubbles aren't ordinary bubbles, as they contain color that results in a fun, messy time for all involved. After the initial launch, Crayola found that some parents loved the idea of bubbles in different colors, but were surprised at the temporary colorful marks left on skin, cotton and cotton-blend clothing and outdoor surfaces.

After receiving that feedback, Crayola created a new version that keeps all the fun for kids and makes clean up easier for parents. As my kids always love a mess that leaves me cringing, I was happy to hear that the color from these new bubbles magically rubs off skin, hoses off of many outdoor surfaces and washes out of cotton and cotton blend clothing. It was time to play!

Pulling the Outdoor Bubble Launcher and Outdoor Colored Bubbles 3-pack out of the packaging, we were all eager to see just how much fun these items could provide for the whole family.

It took only a few seconds to have the handle snapped into place on the Bubble Launcher (I was thrilled to see that Crayola allows users to select which side to install it on so that both right- and left-handed kids can use it easily) and we were ready to head outside.

Before heading out, we took a look at the simple tips that Crayola had included to make playing with their Outdoor Colored Bubbles even more enjoyable and fun:

• Dress for Mess. Wear washable play clothes and shoes. It's best to not wear suede, leather or any other material that can't be washed.
• Play Outside. An open grassy area is best away from new concrete, decks and porous surfaces like marble. Don't use at formal events like weddings.
• Rub skin to remove color.
• Launder clothes promptly with water and detergent. Repeat washing may be needed.
• Hose off outdoor surfaces like sidewalks and driveways to wash away color.

Easy enough!

After having the girls change into old clothes, we headed into the yard with our selection of bubble products. As the Bubble Launcher seemed to have the most appeal, I was appreciative to find that it was extremely easy to screw one of the bottles of colored bubbles right onto the end so that we were ready for play.

As the Bubble Launcher thankfully doesn't require batteries, all it takes is turning the crank to cause a stream of colorful bubbles to come flowing out - so it didn't take long before we were watching fuchsia bubbles come streaming out into the air and down onto the grass.

Big Sister E and Little Sister B were thrilled at seeing the pink bubbles and giggled uncontrollably as they ran after them to pop them with their hands or step on them with their feet.

Of course it didn't take long before they wanted a turn with the Launcher as well, and I was happy to see that they didn't have difficulty turning the crank and producing their own colorful display.

Between the Bubble Launcher and the individual Outdoor Colored Bubbles (which can be used with the included wand and blown like traditional bubbles), the girls had a great time with all of the fun colors and entertainment that these products provided.

When it came time to end the playtime for the day, I turned to see that these indeed did cause quite a bit more of a mess than our time outdoors usually provides. Just about everything was covered in the colorful bubble solution. From the Bubble Launcher...

...to our clothes, shoes, hands, faces and hair...

...we were clearly bubble-fied.

While I was slightly skeptical that there wouldn't be leftover spots and stains, I was shocked to find that by the time we had made it back inside that the majority of the bubble solution had already disappeared. A quick wipe of the girls' faces and hair really did remove the residual goo and they barely had to wash their hands for them to be clean.

Their clothes went into the wash just like normal and came out looking absolutely no different than they had prior to playing, and any tint of color on the grass evaporated (or washed off in the rain) right away. Cleaning out the Bubble Launcher was also fast and easy, as I simply removed the container of solution and cranked tap water through for a few minutes.

When it comes to bringing wonder and adventure to a day of outdoor active play, Crayola has come up with yet another unique, innovative way to do so. For any kids that enjoy creative, messy play (are there any that don't?), they'll be sure to watch in awe as the air becomes filled with bunches of brightly colored bubbles in Purple Pizzazz, Fuchsia and Unmellow Yellow varieties. Check out this great video from Crayola to see just how much kids love 'em!

Retailing for $19.99 for the Bubble Launcher (or slightly less on Amazon) and $17.99 for the Colored Bubbles 3-pack (also available on Amazon), Crayola Outdoor Colored Bubbles are a great addition to outdoor summer fun - particularly on a hot day when a swimming pool or sprinkler is involved! No cleanup required!

Thanks to the generosity of Crayola, one person is going to get to see just much laughter and mess these products are able to provide, because...

One lucky person will win a Crayola Bubble Launcher and a Crayola Outdoor Colored Bubbles 3-pack!

(Enter with the Rafflecopter form below - if you don't see the form, click here! If you have any problems entering, there is a video tutorial found here that can help.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A big thank you to Crayola for providing the product information and gift packs through MyBlogSpark. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.