Create a fun and engaging bubble butterfly craft for toddlers using dish soap and paint—perfect for toddlers and preschoolers! This colorful spring activity is easy, sensory-filled, and great for little hands to explore creativity. My toddlers loved popping the bubbles right on the paper, making the experience extra exciting and interactive. It’s a playful, hands-on craft that combines art and sensory fun for little learners.
This post may contain affiliate links in which I earn a small commission to help support my family. All activities and crafts should be supervised by an adult.
Why You’ll Love This Craft:
– Easy setup: Uses simple household materials like dish soap and paint, making it quick to prepare.
– Sensory Fun: Combines art and sensory play to keep toddlers and preschoolers engaged longer.
– Beautiful Spring Craft: Creates bright, colorful butterflies that are perfect for celebrating the spring season.
If you’re interested in other butterfly or spring crafts, check out these posts: Sponge butterflies, Fork Tulip Painting, Paper Plate Flowers, Flower Planting Sensory Bin
Materials:
- Dish soap: Any dish soap you have at home will work for this craft, as long as it blends well with your chosen paint color. Using a clear dish soap can make things easier, since you won’t have to worry about the soap affecting the final color.
- Acrylic paint: I opted for acrylic paint here as it tends to be more vibrant than washable paint. However, if you know your little one will get dirty (or refuses to wear a smock) washable paint works for this craft as well.
- Cardstock: Cardstock is recommended for this craft, as the bubble and paint mixture creates a thick layer that can easily soak through regular construction paper.
- Heart cookie cut outs: You will use these to make the wings of the butterfly. I chose a smaller cookie cut out in order to fit more butterflies on the page. You can use any size you wish.
- Acrylic marker: This will be used to draw the butterfly’s body and antenna. I chose acrylic markers for a brighter, more vibrant pop of color.
- Bowl: Any bowl you have at home will work— it will just be used to mix the soap and paint together.
Instructions:
1. Mix an equal amount of each dish soap and paint in a bowl. Blend with a spoon until incorporated together.
2. Take the heart cookie cut out and place into the soap-paint mixture. Swish the cookie cut out around in the bowl to ensure the mixture sticks to the cut out.
3. When removing it from the bowl, the bottom of the cookie cut out should look like this. This side will go face down on the cardstock.
4. Press the heart-shaped cookie cut out onto the cardstock, then stamp a second heart with the pointed ends touching to create a butterfly shape. My toddler had fun at this step popping all the bubbles!
5. Once the paint has dried completely, use an acrylic marker to draw the butterfly bodies and antennae.
This bubble butterfly craft is a fun and simple way to bring a little spring magic into your day. With its mix of sensory play and creativity, it’s a great activity for toddlers and preschoolers to explore colors, textures, and imagination. Plus, those bubbly prints turn into the most beautiful butterflies—perfect for displaying or gifting. We had so much fun with this one, and I hope your little ones love it just as much!
