So you and your kids are cooped up indoors. Now what? If you’re like so many families, you’re trying to find ways to keep everyone happy, occupied and sane. To help make this time a little bit easier, we’ve found all our best essential oil crafts and DIYs that the whole family can do together. Not only will you spend some quality time as a family, but you’ll also get to explore your creative side while enjoying some of the benefits of essential oils. If you’re not sure which oils to start with, Calming the Child is about to be your new best friend.
We hope these crafts can bring your family together in a time of uncertainty. And when all of this is over, you’ll look back and remember some of the fun, creative times you were able to share. Remember, we’re all in this together.
Scented Crayons
Coloring is a staple for having fun when you’re stuck inside. But what if you could take it to the next level? These easy-peasy scented crayons are the perfect opportunity. Your kids can round up any of the broken, used up crayons and give them a new life. Or they can get creative and make their own color combinations! All you have to do is melt them down and add a few drops of essential oils. The final product will leave behind a subtle, calming scent as your kiddos color.
What you’ll need:
- Silicon mold
- Crayons
- Cookie Sheet
- Oven
- Stirring rod or toothpicks
- Calming the Child
What you’ll do:
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Remove any wrappers from crayons and break them into small pieces so they fit into your mold. Once the crayons are stripped, broken, and sorted into your mold, place the mold on your cookie sheet and stick it in the oven. Once melted, carefully remove from oven and allow them to cool for a couple minutes, but not harden. Add a few drops of Calming the Child to each mold and stir well with stirring rod or toothpick. The number of drops you’ll use depends on the size of your mold. We recommend aiming for a 2% dilution. Place in the freezer for about 20 minutes until hardened. Remove from the mold and enjoy!
*Not for children under 2. Adult supervision is always recommended.
** We do not recommend using these in a classroom or child care setting.
***For a printable version, click here.
Coloring Pages
What good would scented crayons be without some coloring sheets! Over the years, our amazing creative team has created fun and enjoyable coloring sheets you can print off right from your home (no shopping required). Check out our entire collection here.
Play Dough, Silly Putty & Slime
Making your own play dough (or silly putty or slime) is easier than you think. With a few ingredients that are probably already in your pantry, you can have your little ones squishing, molding and sculpting to their heart’s content. Plus with some carefully chosen essential oils, you can create a calming atmosphere, send them to their Happy Place or remind them to have No Worries.
Make Your Own Hand Soap
Now more than ever, proper handwashing is of the utmost importance. And while you’re home with your children, it’s the perfect time to teach them how to get rid of the germs by doing hand washing right. You can turn the lesson into something fun by making your own Foaming Hand Soap or Solid Hand Soap (with fun toys at the center). And here’s how to make sure everyone’s hands stay squeaky clean:
- Get your hands wet with warm water.
- Apply soap to your hand and lather.
- Vigorously run your hands together for at least 20 seconds.
- To help time yourself, sing, “Tops and Bottoms, Tops and Bottoms, (Rub top and bottom of hands)In between, In between, (Rub fingers inside on both hands) Rub your hands together, rub your hands together, (Do as it says) squeaky clean, squeaky clean.“
- Rinse all the soap off your hands.
- Dry your hands with a paper towel or a clean towel.
- Using your towel, turn the water off.
Paper Crafts
If you have some construction, kraft or even printer paper laying around, the opportunities are endless! These Paper Pumpkins are a big hit every year. While they might be usually meant for fall, with some bright colors, you can enjoy spring-themed pumpkins. And if you find yourself surrounded by some excess toilet paper rolls (it’s bound to happen soon with how much folks have been stocking up), you can turn the elves in the Winter Playland Set to gnomes and create your very own spring cardboard friends.
Staying Sane When You’re the Parent
There’s no doubt that everyone loves their children and their families. But when you’re suddenly working from home and trying to be productive while also trying to keep your kids from killing each other, it can be challenging, stressful and just plain hard. We hope these scented crayons and other DIYs can offer you a bit of a reprieve from the craziness. And here are just a few of our favorite calming, relaxing and soothing blends that can help when everyone is a little bit frazzled and on edge. Bonus tip, although our KidSafe blends are designed with kids in mind, they work great for the grownups too!
