Rainbow Soap Foam

Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links which I may earn a small commission from if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you.

DIY Rainbow soap foam is so easy to make! You probably already have all you need in your kitchen right now!

Within minutes, you can create beautiful rainbow soap foam or simply a couple of shades to create an engaging sensory play activity for your toddler. There is something exciting about a tray full of colourful bubbles!



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Rainbow Soap Foam Recipe Pin

Rainbow Soap Foam for Sensory Play

Sensory play engages the senses to create an activity that encourages your child to explore, discover and learn. We aren’t talking ABCs and 123s but other important valuable life lessons. Your child can learn about

While rainbow soap foam is simple to set up, this activity ticks all those boxes for meaningful sensory play.

Rainbow Soap Foam Play Tray

How to make foam for sensory play

This sensory play foam recipe is so easy to make! You can turn a squirt of dishwashing liquid and slosh of water into some serious play foam within minutes. Toddlers love to play with the bubbles. Running their fingers along the surface of the foam, before having their hands disappear beneath the foam and then rise up again is captivating!

Add some toys, scoops, ladles or even natural gumnuts and stones can easily level up this sensory experience too!

What you need to make Rainbow Soap Foam

  • Bowl
  • Electric beaters/ stick mixer / whisk / thermomix
  • 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid
  • 1/4 cup of water
  • Food colouring
  • 1/2 teaspoon corn flour (optional)
  • Play tray

For this rainbow soap foam recipe, we used these ratios for each colour created in our play tray. If you would like to make a rainbow of colours simply repeat the steps for each colour.

The cornflour is added to assist stabilise the bubbles so they stay fluffier for longer.

Tip: Cornflour can be replaced with cornstarch for those reading in the northern hemisphere of the world. You can omit it entirely however the bubbles are likely to not last for as long.

How to make Rainbow Soap Foam for toddlers

Making your homemade rainbow soap foam really is easy.

  1. Place your dishwashing liquid, food colouring and water into your bowl
  2. Mix or whisk until you have a lovely cloud of bubbles!
  3. Pour your bubbles into your play tray then make your next colour

Slide these carefully next to your other colour into your tray.

Perhaps you would like a gradient of colours. In that case, start adding your soap foam from one side of the tray and build from there.

Alternatively, pour the bubbles into the middle of the tray to watch them move as they level out with each new addition!

How long does the soap foam last?

Your soap foam needs to be made and played with straight away. The bubbles will start to pop straight away, however, remember you can add the cornflour to make the foam last that bit longer. As the bubbles pop, you are left with a slurry of coloured water. This is great to use for some more play ideas!

  • Scoop and pour
  • Create a swampy marsh for your toy crocodile
  • Freeze into a clock with toys for an icy play tray
  • Mix with some cornflour to make some oobleck
Rainbow Soap Foam green and yellow
Rainbow soap foam

Baby Safe Play Foam

Given that this recipe is based on dishwashing liquid bubbles, I would be hesitant to use it with children who are likely to put the foam into their mouths.

We have another fabulous homemade play foam recipe for mouthing babies and toddlers. It is totally taste safe, just as easy to make and by far our most popular recipe. Do you want to check it out don’t you?

Tap here to learn how to make taste safe Aquafaba Foam for babies and toddlers!

How to play with Rainbow Foam

There are endless possibilities to play with your Rainbow Foam.

  • Gently layer a piece of paper on top of the bubbles then allow it to dry to make your own wrapping paper
  • Hide laminated memory game cards under the foam
  • Turn your rainbow foam into seafoam by adding just a touch of green and blue colouring
  • Create your own rainbow soap foam car wash
  • Add duplo blocks and build a castle in the cloud of soap foam
  • Create new colours by mixing primary colours
  • Pretend it’s red lava in a sensory small world activity
  • Go crazy and have a messy foam party like in Yes Day!
Dinosaur play with rainbow soap foam

Comprehension Questions

Asking your toddler questions while they are playing is a great way to build their vocabulary, comprehension and extend the boundaries of their play.

  • Why did you put the crocodile under the bubbles?
  • What sound do the bubbles make?
  • How do you think the bubbles feel on your triceratops tummy?
  • If you were a dinosaur how would you play in a giant tub of bubbles?
  • What else do you think may enjoy playing in bubbles?
  • When was the last time you played with bubbles?
  • What happens when the different colours mix together?
  • Why is there a liquid at the bottom of the tray?
  • How do the bubbles feel on your hands?

Bubble Foam Sensory Play Benefits

Going back to those life skills I mentioned earlier, there is certainly a lot to be learnt and developed through play with Rainbow Foam. A few sensory play benefits that could be developed while playing with foam messy play include:

We would love to see what activities you create with our rainbow soap foam recipe! Please feel welcome to share your experience in our Play Inspired Mum Facebook community!

Happy playing x

Dani D x

Disclosure: This blog does contain affiliate links which I may earn a small commission from if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you.

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Dani is a busy mum, pre-service teacher and and founder of Play Inspired Mum. Her goal is to inspire creative play ideas, encourage the love of reading, offer tips to make your household eco friendly and remind you that you are not alone on this wild rollercoaster of a journey known as parenting! She loves houseplants, giant chunky cookies and all things play based, incorporating learning experiences into every day!