"Bubble-ologists" have fun with science

"Bubble-ologists" will take over Bloomington Frank Southern Ice Arena Friday.\nBloomington's hands-on science museum, WonderLab, and Bloomington Parks and Recreation have teamed up for the 11th consecutive year to create the day-long BubbleFest, which is dedicated to the science and fun of bubbles.\nThis annual, Bloomington-exclusive event invites people of all ages to become Bubble-ologists through the experiments and activities WonderLab will present. More than 20 different bubble-related activities will be set up in the arena for discovery and hands-on learning. More than 180 WonderLab volunteers have signed up to assist visitors and the WonderLab staff.\nExamples of activities are giant body bubbles, where participants can encase someone entirely inside of a bubble; vapor balls, where bubbles are filled with a swirling fog; and bubble measurements, where participants create the largest bubble they can and measure to find the size.\nThis year brings two new activities to BubbleFest. Bubble foam art invites everyone to make art from foamy bubbles, and bubble bridges explores the stretchiness of bubbles, asking bubble-ologists to connect and stretch bubbles.\nBubbleFest began when a local early-childhood educator, Mary Jane Van Hook, stumbled upon the idea for a day of learning about bubbles in a classroom guide, "Great Explorations in Math and Science," according to WonderLab Associate Executive Director Karen Jepson-Innes.\nAlthough it began as an event for children and has specific activities for toddlers and pre-school-aged children, Jepson-Innes noted it is an event for everyone - young and old.\n"It's an opportunity for children and parents to explore science together in a playful environment," she said. "We offer activities for all ages."\nStaci Radford-Vincent, WonderLab program coordinator, agrees and believes all community members will enjoy the day's activities.\n"Everyone loves bubbles!" she said. "Bubbles speak to our inner child and fill us with wonder at their shapes, swirling colors and the way they float through the air."\nBloomington Parks and Recreation has sponsored the event every year and assists in its production, including allowing use of the ice arena and handling registration.\n"I'm happy that Parks and Recreation and WonderLab can partner together for the community," Sarah Nix, community events specialist for Bloomington Parks and Recreation said. "We have wonderful things to offer, such as the facility and handling large crowds. It's the best of both worlds, where we (and WonderLab) can both do what we are good at."\nRadford-Vincent warned that people coming to BubbleFest should be prepared to get messy, as the bubble solution ends up on clothing during experiments. She recommends participants wear old shoes they won't mind getting wet. In addition, this popular event draws large crowds, so she recommends attending BubbleFest later in the day.\n"BubbleFest provides a great opportunity to unwind and feel like a kid again," Radford-Vincent said. "Not only do you get to enjoy messing around with bubbles, but you also get to experience the joy of watching the surprise and wonder on the faces of young visitors as they explore all that being a bubble-ologist has to offer."\nBubbleFest will be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday at the Frank Southern Ice Arena located at 1965 S. Henderson St. Admission is $2 per person and includes a personal take-home bubble-blower. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more.\nAlthough BubbleFest has no remaining volunteer positions open for this year's event, Jepson-Innes and Radford-Vincent encourage interested people to volunteer at WonderLab throughout the year. Their volunteer department can be contacted at 337-1337, ext. 20 or by visiting the Web site at www.wonderlab.org.