Don’t children have just the cutest hands? They’re so small and so soft; it’s hard to imagine those adorable little hands are most likely covered in tiny living invaders — germs! Despite being such an easy thing to do, many kids simply do not want to take the time to wash their hands properly. And so those germ-ridden hands live on, touching everything and everyone and spreading like wildfire!
So what can we do to make washing hands a little more worthwhile for young, curious minds? Make it fun! Add some color, a great smell, and an incentive for all that scrubbing they’re going to want to start doing! Check out this recipe for a DIY Hand Soap Surprise that will add a little excitement to a very important activity…
DIY Hand Soap Surprise
What you’ll need:
- 1 lb clear glycerin melt and pour base
- Soap coloring
- Soap mold
- Rubbing Alcohol (at least 91% alcohol to help reduce bubbling)
- Spray Bottle
- Small plastic toys that fit in the soap mold.
- 25 drops Bergamot (or other KidSafe single oil or KidSafe synergy of your choice)
What you’ll do:
- Fill spray bottle with rubbing alcohol.
- Melt the melt and pour soap base in a microwave-safe bowl in increments of 20 seconds, stirring each time, until melted.
- Add coloring and essential oils, and mix.
- Spray silicone mold with rubbing alcohol.
- Pour soap into molds and spray tops of soap again with alcohol.
- Let set for a few hours before removing from mold. The number of soaps will depend on the size of the mold.
*Once the soap is melted you have to work quickly to transfer it into the molds before it starts solidifying again. Waiting to fill the spray bottle after the soap is melted can end up causing a “chunky” soap.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, proper hand-washing is one of the best – and easiest – ways to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Unfortunately, hand washing is not an innate human skill — it needs to be taught! Teach your children why washing their hands matters. Explain what germs are and how they spread. Help them make the connection of how what they have on their hands can directly affect their health and the health of others.
Don’t underestimate the power of handwashing! Twenty seconds spent at the sink could save you many trips to the doctor’s office.
To learn more about how to talk to your children about germs and washing hands, check out these great articles from kidshealth.org: What Are Germs? and Why Do I Need to Wash My Hands?
