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Bike Shop 3-5 / Week 10 / Bike Shop Day
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Week 10 · Fixing a Flat

Bike Shop Day

Bike Shop Day: The Bubble Hunt
// Leak detectives at work
⏱ about 15 min

Bike Shop Day: The Bubble Hunt

Rocket sets a bowl of water on the table. "Today the whole family hunts for leaks!"

Raven holds up a balloon. "What do you notice when air sneaks out underwater?"

Nova hovers over the bowl. "Watch closely," she says. "Bubbles always tell the truth."

Everyone leans in. The bubble hunt begins!

  1. A flat tire has lost air through a hole called a puncture.
  2. To find the hole: listen, feel, then dunk in water and watch for bubbles.
  3. A grown-up checks the tire for glass, nails or sharp points.
  4. A grown-up sands, glues, lets it dry, then presses the patch on firmly.
  5. Testing the fix shows if it worked or needs more work.
◇ THE BUBBLE HUNT
Choose one path.
Path 1: watch a grown-up find and patch a hole in an old bike tube.
Path 2: a grown-up blows up a balloon and pinches the neck closed.
They hold the balloon just under the water in a bowl.
They let the neck open a tiny bit. Watch where the bubbles come from.
Path 3: no balloon? Push an empty plastic bottle under water. Watch the bubbles.
Talk about it: how do bubbles help a leak detective?
Safety first
A grown-up blows up and holds the balloon.
Keep balloons and balloon pieces away from little kids.
Skip the balloon if anyone has a latex allergy. Use the bottle path.
Wipe up spilled water so nobody slips.
A grown-up handles any bike tools, glue and tubes.
For a grown-up
Let your child predict where bubbles will appear before each try.
Praise careful watching more than speed.
TryWhere I thought bubbles would come outWhere they really came out
1
2
3
BUBBLE HUNT CHECK
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Bubbles rise from one spot. What does that spot show?
Who handles the patch glue and tools?
What rises in the water to show a leak?
WHY THIS EXERCISEAir escaping under water makes bubbles right at the leak.

Brilliant bubble work! Next week we build a quick check to use before every ride.

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