Bath Bombs!

I absolutely recommend that you give these Bath Bombs a go! They were a massive hit with my class and made a memorable gift to send home to their loved one... In this case The Mammies! While this project was relatively easy to do in class, my first attempt went horribly wrong. ​​So before you attempt this activity with your class make sure you read this post to the end to see my tips and suggestions. ​So ​he​re's how I did them...

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Avoid my First Failed Attempt! 

*Tips!* 

• The first batch I made in the class went wrong. I think the problem was because I added too much liquid. I used caster oil which was too thick, so I suggest you use olive oil or coconut oil if you're happy the smell will compliment your scent.
• I also used red LIQUID food colouring which made them turn orange rather than pink. I also think that it added too much liquid to the recipe and it started to activate the mixture which expanded in the mould. The result was not so good! so make sure you USE GEL FOOD COLOURING! 
• These have to dry over night so be aware they won't be ready to go home on the same day.

I reckon this mould would work perfecty if the mixture was right. But instead they started to expand and bubble out of the mould! 😱

I tried to salvage the mixture by rolling them into balls and they did harden but looked not so pretty! 

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Lesson Tips!

Step 1: Before I started I set up the table with the projector so that all the children could see the demonstration. The objective of this lesson was to write a piece of procedure. I wanted to give the children something to write about. It also doubled as a Mother's day gift.

Before I started the demonstration we read through the procedure identifying the sequencing words and bossy verbs. Next we sorted the ingredient into wet and dry as shown below.

We measured and mixed the dry ingredients together 👇

Step 2: In a separate container we mixed the wet ingredients👇

Step 3: *This Is The Important Bit!*
Add the liquid using a pipette. You want to add the liquid a small bit at a time and mix quickly but avoid the mixture starting to fizz. 

I found the best way to mix was to rub the mixture between my hands as shown below.

Continue to mix and add, mix and add. If you're getting the children to make the mix I would have them take a turn each rubbing the mixture with their fingers but under the close supervision of an adult. Any child with sensitive skin should wear plastic gloves.

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Step Four: ​Drop a few sprinkles of your choice into the base of the mould and fill your mould so it's well heaped and then compress them tightly. I cut mine in half to make the mixture go further. Tap them out onto a piece of baking parchment using a spoon to gently tap them free (as you would a sand castle). I used moulds similar to these ones, but I have also heard people using cake pop moulds or similar. I suggest you use small one to make the mixture last if you have a large class.

Step 5: Leave them to dry over night. 

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Procedure Writing Activity

Following the demonstration the children went off to record the procedure in a writing activity. To simplify the instructions for some children we talk about choosing a simple sentence structure go Number/bossy verb/adverb/noun e.g. 👉 1. Mix dry ingredient.

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Gift Boxes Ideas

I picked up some watch boxes from ReCreate. The children decorated them, filled them with shredded paper and stuck in this poem! They also wrote a little message. 

Another simple way to present this as a gift is to drop them into a tub (I picked these up from recreate) or an ice-cream tub with some strips of coloured tissue paper would work. 

During Aistear the children made some extra little notes to throw into the gift box. It's nice to add a little personal touch! 

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Visit my MASH.IE Store! 

You can get your copy of the bath bomb writing template, the poem template and the recipe in PDF on my Mash.ie store.

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Curriculum Integration. 

This whole lesson integrated many curriculum learning outcomes including:
Literacy: reading, writing, oral language.
Art: craft and construction
Science: ​Myself: 5 Sneces. Materials and change (wet/dry) as well as exploring the reaction! 
Maths: measure
S.P.H.E: Myself: taking care of my body (bath time) 

Why not try this activity out for Mother's Day, Father's day, Valentines Day or just for fun! 

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I would like to thank the children who kindly consented to having their work samples and/or photographs used on this website. Infant Education was granted parental permission for the participation of their children on this website. ​​

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