How to Make Soap with Kids

Kids can make their own soap for bath time.

If you have ever had trouble getting your children to take a bath, you can help them make their own soap. Once the children have completed their soap, they will want to use it. That means no more kicking and screaming to get clean. Making soap with your kids is also a great way to spend some quality time together. These are the sorts of activities your kids will remember for a long time to come.

Things You'll Need

• Glycerin soap
• Knife
• Glass measuring cup
• Spoon
• Soap dye
• Fragrance oil
• Soap molds
• Popsicle stick
• Wax paper

Instructions

1. Take one bar of glycerin soap and cut it into chunks. Three chunks is okay, but the smaller the pieces, the easier it is to melt. Adults should do the cutting. The children can gather the pieces together after they are cut.

2. Place the glycerin soap chunks into a glass measuring cup and set it in the microwave for 20 seconds. Stir, and then continue to microwave in 10-second increments until the entire bar of glycerin soap has been liquified. Children can set the timer on the microwave, but younger children should not handle the measuring cup once it becomes hot.

3. Give children a choice as to what color they want the soap to be. Then allow them to place 5 to 10 drops of that color soap dye in the measuring cup. Let the children experiment by putting one drop at a time in the cup, so they see that the more drops they use, the darker the shade will be. Let them mix the sop and dye together.

4. Take out some fragrance oils and allow children to smell each one. Then have the children add five drops of their favorite fragrance oil to the melted soap. Some kid-friendly scents include vanilla and cinnamon. Mix together.

5. Let the children choose which soap molds they want to use. They could use a butterfly mold, sea shell mold, or other fun shaped mold. Pour the liquid soap into your soap molds. Younger children should allow parents to do this part, as the soap is still hot. Let the soap harden over the next hour before removing it from the molds.

6. Wrap the soap individually in wax paper. The kids can help with this part. Let them choose one bar at a time to use in the bathtub.

Tips & Warnings

• Soap-making supplies can be purchased at craft stores.

• Melted glycerin soap is very hot. Be careful you do not get burned.

References

• Kaboose: Easy Homemade Soap Making