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Bubbly Maths Week
Bubbles with enthusiasm!

Bubblz finds the game with maths. Her props are a little
unusual....... she uses balloons and giant bubbles!
Her aim is to infect every school she goes to with her bubbly
enthusiasm for Maths:

Testimonials:
“The children were enthralled and enjoyed learning about shapes during our Maths Week. Activities were pitched just right for every year group (Nursery to Year 6), teachers have written many positive
comments. Thank you for giving us back some enjoyment in our curriculum. We will call
on you again!”
Maxine Pattison, Head Teacher, Ferry Lane Primary School, Tottenham.

“Brilliant, very early years, more please”
Terry Sullivan, Reception, Oak class, Ferry Lane Primary School, Tottenham

“A fantastic presentation. The boys were enthralled. They had great fun and did lots of Maths. Thank you.”
M. Willcok, St. Columba's (Foundation to Y6), St Albans

Educators (teachers) benefit as much as the learners (students) from her performances. The concepts and memory anchors Bubblz introduces in her shape and space show using soap bubbles and giant balloons, are a trigger for continued reference in the classroom where household items can be used during the mathematically rich follow-up activities introduced in the resource pack are provided to each school after Bubblz' Maths Week visit.

Foundation, KS1 & KS2 (Reception to year 6) are all covered in the pack and there is a special performance designed for nursery.

The animated Maths Week sessions incorporate measurement, shapes and thinking, numbers are a natural part of the conversations. The same engaging activities span the age groups by varying the vocabulary and difficulty levels used.

Bubblz encourages participation from all the educators (teachers and TAs) and learners
(students) during each session to maximise the benefit of the experience.
A typical day would ideally start with a whole school assembly (desirable but not essential) as an introduction, followed by 50 or 60 minute performances with 10 minute breaks between performances. Nursery sessions are usually 20 minutes, in the nursery.
Whenever possible, each session should consist of one year group and schools covering Nursery to year 6 would take two days for maximum benefit.

PERFORMANCE CONTENT:
All sessions end with a short bubbly sphere show.
Bubblz uses string to make bubbly spheres, demonstrating length, volume and scale.

NURSERY: A special, gentle performance, usually given in the nursery for 20 to 30 minutes. Bubblz starts with some bubbles, followed by some fun with balloons. Including counting up, counting down and the “I wonder what I’m making” shape game, where Bubblz makes a shape out of balloons (a cube) and the children call out the shapes they can see and try to guess what the final shape is going to be. The session ends with a final climactic countdown – the cube is transformed to...??

Sessions with RECEPTION to YEAR 6 (ages 4 to 11) might include:
(vocabulary and details will vary according to the age group)
1. Introduction of clown language, which includes some control words and some useful
mathematical words like sphere and 1 metre.
2. Helping Bubblz inflate balloons to a 1 metre length (when is it the right length?)
3. Estimating the amount of balloons in a basket.
4. Estimating and measuring the hall in metres using the 1 metre long balloons
5. Making a shape out of balloons – a cubic metre and/or an octahedron
6. Soap bubble show using a 1 metre length (a 2 metre loop of string). We examine the
length of the string that is used to make the bubbles and introduce concepts for gauging
a 1 metre length for year 1 and up. Reception are told it is a 1 metre string. However, the
string may not be quite what it appears (it is ACTUALLY 2 metres long – year 2 and up
are encouraged to spot this). Observation and lateral thinking is required.
7. Production of bubbles from the string of ever increasing size, leading to amazing giant
bubbles. Younger children are encouraged to use size words, Year 1 and year 2 learners
will be looking at a “metre sphere” and older children might discuss volume and the
length of the string in greater detail, time permitting.
8. Examination of a cube (and other shapes – time permitting) which is then dipped in
“bubble juice”, a thin film forms and a bubble is caught within the cube (a “Cubic Bubble”).
The session ends with a magical moment when the cubic bubble is released from the
shape to become a sphere.

Workshop possibilities for small groups (up to 30 participants):
1. Area and perimeter explorations.
2. A mathematical thinking exercise based on the Konigsberg’s Bridge problem is
introduced whenever possible, starting with year 3.
3. Measuring challenges.
4. Giant balloon workshops – groups are given different shapes to make, the complexity
varies according to age and attainment levels.
5. Teacher’s Workshop/Maths INSET - A one hour workshop can be added at the end of the day or Bubblz can offer standalone CPD sessions which would include workshops with bubbles and balloons, as well as activities using household items.

“I perform maths clowning. I interact with the learners and educators throughout the show to ensure the greatest benefit. I am not a teacher, I am a Maths Clown and will behave accordingly!”
Bubblz the Mathematical Clown