A better recipe for bubble solution is to use the following:.
Mix No Tears Shampoo with sugar and water or use corn syrup in place of sugar.  The sugar increases the surface tension so the bubbles form. The no tears formula is great for little children, who will invariable rub their eyes after getting hands soapy. You can also add glycerin which seems to help with keeping the bubble solution over time if you have some left over. I usually just mix up enough for one times play. You can use a standard recipe but it really isn't necessary. Just experiment with the proportions to see which works best. This is good for older kids to experiment and learn to make their own solution.  Stir and use a variety of tools to make bubbles. The green berry baskets work great but any kitchen tool with holes in it will work. Pipe cleaners molded to make squares,triangles, etc.can help children learn shapes.  If you live where it can get freezing cold in the winter take your bubble solution outside and make frozen bubbles. It can be quite interesting when they freeze and shatter.  Take it from a preschool teacher no need to buy the comercial stuff unless you don't want the mess. But what fun or learning is there if there isn't a little mess?