Lockdown seems to have fuelled a mad increase in online shopping. I suspect that’s why swathes of bubble wrap have turned up in my school artroom recently, donated (I’m guessing) by colleagues who’ve recently been unwrapping the spoils of their online shopping sprees and don’t know what to do with all the bubbly plastic that surrounds them.

It’s funny stuff, bubble wrap. Invented in the 60s it’s basically two plastic sheets sealed to trap air into bubbles that provide cushioning for fragile objects. Once it seemed a novelty, and I remember my kids gleefully jumping on it to snap the bubbles, and chanting a rhyme by Elizabeth Honey that goes “Snap pop pop / Pop pop snap / Dancing on / the bubble wrap . . . ”

Now bubble wrap seems to be everywhere. It’s a product that comes with challenges – like all plastics it has consequences for the environment and breaks down very slowly. In addition, it’s structure makes it tricky to recycle and yet it’s bulky to store for reuse. The Geelong council website www.geelongaustralia.com.au › recycling › guide addresses this issue as follows:

Bubble wrap can not be recycled in your yellow lid recycling bin. Bubble wrap (large sheets cut into A3 size pieces) can be recycled at specially marked bins at participating Coles supermarkets.

Clearly this is not a product to purchase for artmaking… but the next time some comes your way, save a section for the kids to use on some fun painting ideas. Its unique structure also makes it a quirky and unique tool for an easy printmaking activity to try with kids. A layer of paint on those bubbles makes a printing surface that creates a fun polka dotted pattern.

Here are some easy ways to get creative with bubble wrap, paper and some paint:

• Tape a piece of bubble wrap (A4 size is fine) to a table then add paint directly onto it with brush or roller. Place paper on top, rub on the back with your hands, then quickly peel back the paper to reveal a print. Repeat until paint is used, then recoat the bubble wrap and try again and again. Experiment with colours.

• Wrap some bubble wrap around a rolling pin and fasten it with tape. Add paint and roll it across a sheet of paper.

• Attach a section of bubble wrap to the end of a plastic cup and fasten with a rubber band or tape. Coat with paint and use to stamp onto paper. Circles within circles.

• A piece of bubble wrap can be used for printing over and over, and the thin layer of paint dries quickly. Encourage the kids to explore, experiment… and most importantly, have fun!