# Anyone have an easy recipe for kids to try



## highlandview (Feb 15, 2007)

I'm homeschooling this year and two of my children are reading books set in a time period that people made their own soap. I would like to do an extension activity with them in soap making. I am looking for something simple, kid friendly and not too expensive.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

As you know lye is caustic and very dangerous. If it were me, I would use melt and pour for a kid's project.


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## lathermaker (May 7, 2010)

Kids and lye are a dangerous combination. This gives me the heebie jeebies just thinking about it and I'm a full time soapmaker! Lye can burn you, blind you and kill you if not used properly with safety equipment. I will not teach a kid to make real soap. They'll try it once, then think that they can do it on their own. Your best bet is to either demonstrate it to them yourself, or go the melt & pour route.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Years and years ago, I found a fun recipe using melt & pour and cornstarch. i can't remember the ratios, but it went something like this:

melt the M&P, add cornstarch, let cool. It makes a 'play-dough' type consistancy that they can use in the tub


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## highlandview (Feb 15, 2007)

Definitely won't be using lye. Is melt and pour glycerin?


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Melt & Pour (or M&P) is usually glycerin and detergents ... most are not soap at all


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Found a link with the method I was talking about earler:

http://soap-queen.blogspot.com/2008/07/making-play-dough-soap.html


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

What a cute idea!


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## highlandview (Feb 15, 2007)

MullersLaneFarm said:


> Found a link with the method I was talking about earler:
> 
> http://soap-queen.blogspot.com/2008/07/making-play-dough-soap.html


Thank you that is a great idea!


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## NostalgicGranny (Aug 22, 2007)

Just so you know that while melt and pour is glycerin soap it isn't the same as most store bought glycerin soaps. I taught my granddaughters how to do melt and pour and one of them decided to try it with regular glycerin soap at her friends house. It exploded in the nuke machine and they had a very hot mess to clean up. :-O
Melt and pour is made to melt easily.


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## catinhat (Aug 26, 2010)

When I used to teach preschool, we would get a box of ivory soap powder (the boxed stuff, like dreft? for washing baby clothes and diapers) and make soap balls. It's just ivory soap in powder form. We would add a bit of water to some and the kids molded it into 'snowballs' with their hands, then let them dry. Easy, peasy. It can also be tinted with a bit of food coloring if you like.

Another project with the same product is 'snowmen'. My mom did it with us when we were kids. She took 3 styro balls and used dowels to connect them (think snowman). Then she took the ivory soap powder and some water and the mixer and whipped it until it was like frosting (this takes more water than the soap balls project). She set the snowman on a piece of cardboard or something and we 'frosted' the styro balls, then added buttons for eyes and a smile, etc. I think she crocheted a hat for it too. It was a long time ago, hee hee. 

Both of these would be pretty safe and fun, and the cleanup wouldn't be too bad. The soap balls are nice because they can give them as gifts.

You can also shred up any type of soap, use a bit of water and make soap balls. 

I hope this is helpful.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Being from Texas, we carved a large bar of Ivory soap into the Alamo. Used the left over shavings for one of those snowmen, Catinhat mentioned. Both projects were pretty cool!!!


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

catinhat said:


> When I used to teach preschool, we would get a box of ivory soap powder (the boxed stuff, like dreft?


Just as a FYI , Dreft is a detergent where Ivory Soap Powder is a ground soap.

The rest of the ideas sound so cute!!!!


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