Summer Camp-Homemade Soap!

Making Your Own Soap

Want a fun way to help your children to remember to wash their hands? What better way than with their very own homemade soap! Making soap is an easy activity for kids of all ages. The process is fun and the results can also be used as gifts, perfect for parents, grandparents and even teachers.  With the holidays right around the corner, it’s never too early to get a jump on things. Let’s get started!

MATERIALS:

·      Plastic soap molds (plastic cups or plastic ice trays work as well)

·      Vegetable cooking spray or petroleum jelly for coating the molds

·      Pure glycerin soap (sold in blocks or cubes at any craft store)

·      Red, yellow and blue soap dyes (also found at craft stores)

·      Microwave measuring cups with handle for melting the soap

·      Small plastic treasures or trinkets

·      Popsicle stick or chopstick to use to stir

PROCEDURE:

1)        Prepare the molds by spraying the inside of the plastic molds with the vegetable spray, making sure to cover the entire interior.  Just use enough to lightly cover the surface.

2)       Melt the glycerin soap.  The size of your molds will determine how much soap you’ll need to begin with.  Start by melting smaller amounts, as it is much easier to add more later. To melt. Place the cubes of glycerin soap into the measuring cup and microwave on high for 30 seconds. If not all of the soap is melted, microwave at 10 second intervals until all the soap is melted but not boiling.  Have an adult remove the soap from the microwave as THE SOAP IS HOT!

3)       Add a drop or two of liquid soap dye to the melted soap. The more drops you add, the darker your soap will be.  It’s best not to overdo the color and again, it is easier to add more later. Part of the fun is mixing the colors together until you get your desired shade.  It’s also a great way to bring out the educational side of the project by helping children see that blue and yellow make green and red and blue make purple and so on. Use the popsicle stick or chopstick to mix the colors into the soap.

4)       Partially fill the molds by pouring the hot soap into the molds until they are about one third of the way filled. Let the soap cool for about 20 minutes and then carefully add the plastic treasure or trinket that you want to use to personalize your soap to the harden soap.

5)       To finish the soap. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to melt and color the remaining soap. Pour a second layer of the melted soap into the mold, totally covering your plastic treasure or trinket. 

6)       Let your soap cool and harden for at least 2 hours.  Once cool, turn the mold upside down and pop the soap out.  To clean the molds, just use soap and hot water-it should easily clean right up.

7)       You can also make the soap without using the plastic treasures and trinkets.  You can achieve a beautiful rainbow look by pouring a smaller amount into the mold, and allowing it to harden and the adding other layers.  This is a great way to teach children about patterning.

8)       To make scented soaps, simply add a drop or two of essential oils, or natural elements such as poppy seed or citrus peels.

Clean up is a breeze you can even use your homemade soap to wash your hands. Now the only question left to answer is who will you give your first bar of soap to!

Looking for the links on previous Summer Camps so you can relive the fun one last time? It’s not too late to have some Summer Camp fun!

Summer Camp Grows Seeds

Summer Camp Makes Ice Cream

Summer Camp Lowe's Build and Grow Field Trip

Summer Camp Tie Dye Mickey Head Tee Shirts

Summer Camp Flubber

Summer Camp Oobleck

Summer Camp Handprint Calendars

Summer Camp Play Dough

Summer Camp Sidewalk Chalk

Gayle is a Disney Gal that loves churros for breakfast, still gets giddy with delight at the first sight of the “Disneyland next exit sign”, loves the overwhelming emotions and memories that come with each and every return to the Happiest Place on Earth and dreams of one day being the Captain of the Jungle Boat. To learn more about Gayle, click here