Making bath bombs for kids is a great way to add a little fun to your nightly routine. And if you happen to have some kids hanging around, making bath bombs with kids, is a great project to work on together. This tutorial will show you how to make homemade bath bombs your kids will love to make and use.
Why make your own bath bombs?
Commercial bath bombs often have ingredients that are not good for you or the environment. According to ConsumerSafety.org commercial bath bombs often have synthetic fragrances and dyes in them. The term “fragrance” on the label may describe as many as 3000 unlisted toxins. The point is, you just don’t know what is the bath bomb.
Some commercial bath bombs are glitter bombs and have glitter in them. These are certainly fun to see floating in the water, but they are terrible for our water supply system. The glitter is plastic that does not break down.
There are some natural skin care companies that are making bath bombs with safe ingredients, but they are pricey.
By making your own, you’ll know exactly what is in kid’s bath bombs. Plus it really is a fun and inexpensive activity to do with your children or grandchildren.
Ingredients for Kid’s Bath Bombs
To make bath bombs you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Baking Soda
- Citric Acid
- Fine Sea Salt
- Coconut oil (or other oil such as sunflower or olive oil)
- Essential oil (optional)
- Small flower petals or herbs for decorating (optional)
- Small treasures such as a charm or small Legos to hide inside (optional)
- Witch Hazel
Supplies for Kid’s Bath Bombs
You probably already have most of the supplies for making bath bombs in your kitchen. Unlike when you make soap, you don’t need to have dedicated supplies for making bath bombs. The following supplies will make your bath bomb making experience easier.
- Medium mixing bowl
- Small mixing bowl
- Mixing spoon
- Small spray bottle (for witch hazel)
- Plastic wrap
- Clear tape
- Wax or parchment paper and twine (optional)
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Bath bomb molds – you can use small measuring cups, silicone candy molds, small silicone muffin tins, plastic Easter eggs, etc.
Creating a Workspace
Whenever you craft with kids, I think it’s important to create a workspace to work in. This helps keep the mess to a minimum. When I make bath bombs with our youngest daughter or grandson, I lay a tablecloth on one end of our dinning table, and everything stays on that tablecloth.
I like to have a variety of dried flowers or herbs and a variety of molds for them to chose from. All of these are just things I gather up from around the house. Sometimes, I’ll include a small Lego or charm in the supplies that they can hide in the bath bomb.
When making bath bombs with kids, it’s important to keep the real goal in mind – for me, the real goal is having a fun, shared experience with them. It’s a bonus if all the bath bombs turn out “right.”
What to do with homemade bath bombs?
Bath bombs aren’t something our family uses regularly, they are a treat. And since homemade bath bombs can loose their fizzy over time (especially if you life in a humid climate), we usually make bath bombs to share.
This a fun project that even small kids can help make and then give as gifts for Mother’s Day, as a Teacher Appreciation Gift, or a Christmas Gift. The beauty of giving homemade bath bombs as gifts is that they are consumable and don’t cause clutter.
Homemade bath bombs also make a fun non-edible gift for holidays such as Valentine’s Day or Easter. You can attach a small card with instructions and give them instead of candy to each child in the class.
Fill your bathtub with warm (hot) water, this will help the coconut oil dissolve.
When the tub is full, unwrap the bath bomb and drop it into the tub, it will start fizzing – now, it won’t fizz as much as commercial bath bombs, but it will fizz and if you hid a treasure it will be revealed.
If it doesn’t fizz, here are some tips to help you make better homemade bath bombs.
Soak (or play, in the case of children) in the bathtub for 20 minutes.
When you get out of the tub, be careful because the coconut oil can make it slippery. Once the tub is drained, rinse it out so it’s not slippery for the next person.
Storing Bath Bombs
Bath bombs should be stored in an airtight container. I wrap them in plastic wrap and then tape the bottom and then put them in an airtight container for storing.
If you’re making bath bombs to give as a gift you’ll want wrap them in plastic and label them. Sometimes I’ll put them in another plastic gift bag with ribbon. If I’ve used measuring cups for my molds and the bath bombs are flat, I’ll wrap them in parchment paper and use twine.
Making Bath Bombs
This recipe is adapted from The Big Book of Homemade Products For Your Skin, Health, and Home by Jan Berry. This is my favorite basic book for homemade herbal type products. Jan does a fantastic job of laying out the basics and teaching the “why” behind them. This way, you can decide where to make changes based on your family’s needs and resources.
I love that all the recipes contain easy to find ingredients, many of which you can grow yourself. These ingredients are all safe and cost effective.
Materials
Equipment
Method
- In a medium bowl, mix the baking soda, citric acid, and sea salt. If there are any clumps, break them up.
- In a small bowl, melt the coconut oil (either in the microwave for a few seconds or in a double boiler)
- Add the essential oils (if using) to the melted coconut oil.
- Slowly pour the coconut oil mixture into the dry mixture and mix well,
- You should start to notice that the mixture will start to stick together.
- When you think the coconut oil is mixed throughout, squeeze the mixture in your hand to see if it will stick together.
- If it's not sticking together well, spritz it with witch hazel. Just one squirt at a time as too much moisture will cause the baking soda and citric acid to start reacting.
- Pack the mixture into the bath bomb mold. I just use a 1/2 cup measuring cup. I find this is the easiest way to form them and get them out.
- If you want to have some dried herbs for decorations on the outside of the bath bomb, put a bit in the mold before packing the bath bomb mixture in it.
- If you are hiding a small treasure in the bath bomb, pack it in the center of the bath bomb.
- Once the mixture is packed tightly, turn it out onto a piece of wax paper or parchment paper..
- Allow the bath bombs to dry for several hours.
- Wrap the bath bomb in cling wrap and tape closed. You can also use wax or parchment paper and twine or string to wrap them a second time.
- Store bath bombs in an air tight jar.
Notes
Made this project?
Leave a comment below!
How much dried milk powder? Thank you
Thanks for asking, the instructions should say sea salt not milk powder. I’ve corrected it.
In some of the pictures, the Bath Bombs are coloured. But in the ingredients, I can’t see anything which would colour them?
Based on these instructions, does the finished product have colour?
I’m a Cub Scout Leader and plan to make these with my Cubs for Mother Day. I know they’ll ask, so want to be forearmed and forewarned with the answer!
You can purchase colorants, but you can also use various herbs to naturally color the bath bombs. Here are a few to consider, turmeric for a golden yellow, madder root powder for pink, blueberry for blue/purple, spirulina for blue/green and ratanjot for purple
@Scott, you could use food colouring
Thanks so much for this! Do you think the sea salt can be subbed for Epsom salt?
No, Epsom salt and sea salt are two totally different things. Epsom salt is magnesium and and sulfate, while sea salt is sodium chloride.
I’m making this with a first grade class as part of the spring cleaning theme of Spring Equinox celebration. If we used plastic Easter eggs as our molds, how many (approx) would you say you could make with the quantities you list here? Buying materials and try to make the math work…
Honestly, I have no idea as I’ve never used Easter eggs as molds. I would suggest making a trial batch and counting the eggs.
@Drea, Hi were you able to figure out how much materials was needed? I am making this with my second graders as a mothers day present!
Can I use water instead of witch hazel?
No, witch hazel will help keep things dry, adding more water won’t help it all stick togehter in a nice way.