It’s no secret that kids are fascinated with bubbles. Hell, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say most adults are fascinated with bubbles. They’re beautiful and unpredictable and sometimes even frustrating, but those are qualities most people end up marrying, which kind of explains the appeal. Bubbles are like a magic trick that doesn’t lose its excitement even when you know how it’s done.
For this reason, there are a shit-ton of bubble-making products out on the market, from the simple blowable wand-in-bottle to more elaborate setups. And of course Dollar (Twenty Five) Tree is offering plenty of their own bubble-themed products to help keep kids entertained throughout the summer months for a nominal fee. What would we do without them?
Today we’re looking at a bubble blower, which in this case is a gun-shaped device that – as the name suggests – blows bubbles. Or, that at least is supposed to. I mean, after all this is Dollar (Twenty Five) Tree, and while their products have improved over the years, there are still plenty that aren’t even worth their small investment.
Out of all the bubble-related products out there, DT’s is notable in one way: It doesn’t require batteries. Many other “bubble guns” do. Of course, the tradeoff is that it doesn’t light up, or make sounds, or have any other “cool” features of the battery-powered ones. But hey, you get what you pay for, right?
Using it is super-simple: Dip the tip of the gun – which looks like the end of a typical bubble wand – into the included bubble solution, and then squeeze the trigger. The theory is that the gun will magically shoot a steady stream of bubbles out into the atmosphere, providing lots of fun for simple-minded folk who like to watch and/or pop bubbles. (Hey, that’s not a knock: I’m one of them.)
I would say this is definitely a product more geared toward parents and older children. At first, I thought it was defective; just another DT product that was horribly designed. This opinion was mostly based on watching two five-year-olds struggle to operate two different bubble blowers. Then I jumped in, and also struggled at first…until I realized the trick was something that most five-year-olds are unable to do: be gentle.
In order to maximize its usefulness, you have to pull the trigger somewhat lightly, allowing the bubbles to form and then release. The average bubble size is “small” by default, but the lighter you squeeze, the greater the chance you can get larger ones. It does take some practice to get just right, which is odd because most of these toys don’t really have a learning curve. However, with enough practice, you’ll get bubbles more often than not.
As with most DT products, longevity will most likely be an issue. It’s made of a plastic that feels pretty lightweight and somewhat cheap. I watched one five-year-old carelessly toss his aside onto blacktop a couple of times, and it still worked afterward; I wouldn’t expect it to last many more careless drops beyond that. That is another concern with letting younger kids play with it, as they are typically rough with their toys.
Oh, and in this day and age, you can never be too safe: I don’t just watch random young children play with toys. One of the five-year-olds was our son (and the other was his cousin).
Overall: 5.5/10. This bubble blower requires no batteries – but substitutes that with a slight learning curve. The trick to producing bubbles on a consistent basis is to be somewhat gentle; getting just the right amount of pressure on the trigger is crucial to successful “shots”. This means many younger children might struggle with this idea, especially boys, who like to tear up everything. Also, it’s made of a low-to-mid grade plastic that doesn’t feel super-cheap, but definitely isn’t made to last forever. In the end, you get a gun-shaped device that does what its title insinuates, but with the potential for headaches.
