Soap Making Activity

Introduction

Pre-school aged children will love making an everyday item they can actually use, and this unusual craft is certain to keep their attention! The process of soap-making is excellent for each child’s development, and the finished soaps make great gifts for parents or family members. This article includes how to make soap for preschool, ways to change the look of the soap and ideas for expanding on the topic.

Circle Time

Ask the children how they clean themselves. Wait until someone suggests baths or showers, and see if soap is mentioned. Consider having a sealed soap to show the children, and ask who uses soap. Find out what the children think about soap, and what they think it is made of. You could read a book on washing, such as “Washing” in the Small World series by Gwenyth Swain. Ask the children why they think we need to wash.

Making Soaps

Tell the parents you are going to teach how to make soaps for preschool. Ask if any children have allergies or sensitivities to normal soap. Ensure you have aprons and gloves for every child.

You Will Need:

Soap Flakes

Vegetable Oil

Warm Water

Extracts or colorings

Molds – chocolate or jelly molds will work well

Sit the children down, and ask them if they would like to make soap. Tell them that they must be good, and that the soap is not edible. If the class is large, you may find it easier to split the group into smaller, more manageable groups of three or four. Extra supervision may also be necessary for this activity.

Cover the table in newspaper or construction paper, to prevent it from getting dirty. Allow the children to pour some soap flakes into a bowl, and mix in some vegetable oil. Add drops of warm water as necessary, until the mixture is dough-like. If you are planning to add extracts or colorings, add a few drops now. Be careful to wear gloves, or you may stain your skin. You could also add seeds or citrus peel, as this will set into the soap. Split the dough between the children, and encourage them to choose moulds and layer the dough into them. Use a rounded butter knife to smooth the dough, and cover with a sheet of paper or cloth. Allow to set for a week. The soaps should then press out of the molds.

Themed Activities

You could use set molds and colors for different events. Pastel colored flower shaped soaps make great Mothers Day gifts, and blue and silver boats or cars are great for Dad’s. For Easter, try using chicks or rabbits, or egg shapes, and green Christmas trees will always be popular.

To wrap the soaps, cut a small circle of fabric, and stack the soaps in the middle. Tie the parcel with ribbon, and a tag with the child’s name on it.

Learning how to make soap for preschool students is an activity you can use several times during the year. Your kids will bubble with excitement!