Sure, you can always chase each other around blowing bubbles and trying to pop each other’s bubbles, but there is no mess involved in playing this game. No mixing of soap and water, no spilled bottles of bubbles, and no bubble wands needed. You can play it indoors, and in fact, can play it nearly anywhere.
This game is similar to the old favorite Battle Ship, but you can play it with just paper and markers, crayons, or colored pens or pencils. Mark off a grid, eight squares up and down and eight squares across on each of four separate sheets of paper. Mark each square along the top with letters, and each down the side with numbers.
You can use stickers for bubbles or simply draw circles. Each player will place bubbles on one page, reserving the other page to mark pops and misses.
Flip a coin to see who goes first. Players will take turns trying to guess the locations of six bubbles, calling out a letter and number sequence, such as D-7. The other player will check his or her master sheet. If it’s a “pop” that player will put an X through the bubble.
Each guess, whether a pop or a miss, should be marked on the extra grid sheet to help players keep track of guesses. Players should mark opponent’s guesses in one color and their own guesses in another color. When the last balloon is popped, the game is over.
Popping Bubbles is a great anytime game, travel game, or a great game to keep kids entertained while waiting for long periods of time. Keep a couple grid sheets in the car or in your bag so you’ll always have them handy. If you don’t have grid sheets, draw up some grids quickly on plain paper. No colored writing instruments handy? Not to worry. Players can make X’s through the spaces they guess and fill in the spaces that the opponent guesses.