How to Blow a Bubble with Bubblegum?

There's nothing quite like the fun of competing with friends to see who blows the giant bubble from their piece of bubble gum! That's most of the excitement! If you aren't a natural at this, fret not – there are quick ways to get there.

This tutorial provides a step-by-step guide to blowing the most perfect, giant bubble you can. So stock up on your favorite bubble gum, read this article, and impress your friends and family with a jumbo bubble.

Step 1 – Choose the Right Gum & the Right Amount

Not all gums are created equal! You must select bubble gum rather than chewing gum, especially those varieties meant for blowing bubbles. Chewing gum takes longer to become soft and makes smaller bubbles that pop quickly.

Lower-sugar gums are preferable because more sugar reduces the base elasticity. The more elasticity, like in bubble gum, the easier it is to shape. Always use brand-new pieces of gum because stale gum is harder and more brittle.

You don't necessarily need multiple pieces of gum to make giant bubbles. If you are a novice and just starting, one or two pieces are more than enough. You need to practice and become better before you stuff more gum in.

Step 2 – Chew on it!

In this part of the process, you have to sit back, relax, and chew away on your gum. Keep chewing until the gum is moist, springy, and juicy. You can chew until you get to this suitable consistency, usually until the sugar and flavor have melted away.

After a couple of minutes, the consistency begins to change again. You have to chew and use the gum within 30 minutes. After this, the gum becomes firm and loses a lot of its pliability.

Step 3 – Shaping the Bubblegum

Once you have the right consistency, close your mouth and clamp your teeth together. Push the gum onto the backside of your teeth, towards the roof of your mouth. Use this position to roll it around. It can be a simple circle, just round enough to form a shaped bubble. Press the gum against the back of your teeth to flatten it out. 

Step 4 – Expand the Gum

With your tongue, slowly start pushing the gum from the roof of your mouth toward your lips. Open your lips slightly to get a little air pocket outside so your bubble begins to form. The gum forms a skinny membrane or skin over your tongue. Try to push slowly. Otherwise, you will poke a hole in the gum layer.

Step 5 – Start Blowing

Once you've got the air pocket, start blowing air slowly and steadily. At first, you can blow a small amount through the opening of your lips. Then start deeper exhalations from within – use your abdomen to push out more air from your lungs rather than your mouth.

Step 6 – Keep Blowing

You'll see that your bubble slowly begins to expand. As it grows more extensive, you can gently take your tongue out of the bubble and back into your mouth. The bubble is held up by the sides of your lips and teeth. Now there is a broader space for air to flow through. Continue to exhale deeply or heave a heavy sigh to fill the gum with more air. The more consistent the breaths, the less the chance of breakage. During this, keep your lips in an 'O' shape to allow the bubble to form evenly in an oval/circular shape and not be lopsided.

Step 7 – Keeping the Bubble Safe

After all this hard work, you probably don't want that bubble to pop. To keep the bubble intact, carefully bring your lips together and close them to seal one end of the bubble. This technique stops air from escaping from the bubble and doesn't let any more air inside. You can take it out by pinching the segment between your lips with your thumb and forefinger or keep it in place if you want to try a bubble in a bubble.

If it seems that the bubble is about to explode, and you don't want gum spattering on your face, then pull back the bubble into your mouth and let it pop inside.

Step 8 – Keep Trying

Your bubble may pop at any stage between Steps 3 and 7. You may blow unevenly, stick your tongue through the gum or misshape it. In any case, the trick lies in practice. You need to keep repeatedly trying to master one step at a time.

It's not rocket science, and if you follow the steps exactly and repeat them sometimes, you must be able to get it down pat.

Conclusion

This is the most basic, simple way to get a round, shiny bubble from your bubble gum. Follow the basic tutorial first before you try layers and bubbles within bubbles. Don't expect immediate results, however. This skill needs to be learned not only mentally but also physically. Your tongue, jaws, mouth, and breathwork must become familiar with this knack. Your tongue and jaw muscles must get into a habit before making the best sphere of gum possible. 

Before you go, remember to practice blowing bubbles indoors. Any wind or air flow can pop the bubble prematurely, so parks or beaches aren't ideal. The gum becomes dense and inflexible too quickly if it's too cold. Snow, rain, and winters are not suitable environments. Nor is too much heat. So sweaty summers and heated interiors are also a no-no as they melt the gum and make it gooey and runny. Stick to indoor rooms with moderate room temperature and no cross-ventilation.

And finally, as apparent as this may seem, this entire article is to help you have fun! So choose gum flavors and brands you enjoy and take a swing!