English Language Arts
- The child practiced following written instructions by reading the recipe for making soap.
- The child learned new vocabulary words related to soap making, such as "ingredients," "mixture," and "saponification."
- The child may have improved their writing skills by documenting the soap making process in a journal or creating labels for their finished soaps.
Encourage the child to write a short story or poem inspired by their soap making experience. They can also create a comic strip or storyboard depicting the various steps involved in making soap.
Book Recommendations:
- Soap!: Soap Making for Beginners by Sarah Diamond: This book provides step-by-step instructions and creative ideas for making different types of soap. It can inspire the child to explore more soap making techniques and experiment with different ingredients.
- by Susan Miller Cavitch: This book is suitable for older children or those interested in delving deeper into the art of soap making. It covers advanced techniques, troubleshooting, and offers a wide variety of soap recipes.
- Soap Making: 365 Days of Soap Making: Soap Making Guide for Beginners and Soap Making Recipes for Beauty and Home by White Lemon: This book provides a year's worth of soap making recipes, including options for different seasons and occasions. It can inspire the child to continue exploring soap making throughout the year.
Math
- The child practiced measuring and counting when following the recipe and measuring the ingredients.
- The child may have learned about ratios and proportions when combining different amounts of oils, water, and lye.
- The child may have practiced basic multiplication and division skills when scaling the recipe up or down.
Encourage the child to explore more math concepts related to soap making. They can create charts or graphs to compare different soap recipes, calculate the cost of making soap, or experiment with different ingredient ratios to find the most effective or economical combinations.
Book Recommendations:
- Math for the Fun of It: Soap Making Math by Greg Tang: This book combines math concepts with hands-on activities, including soap making. It provides engaging math problems and puzzles that can be solved using soap making scenarios.
- Soap Making: 20 Non-Toxic Organic Soap Recipes with Easy Instructions by Kitty Moore: This book introduces math concepts in the context of soap making. It includes activities that involve measuring, converting units, and calculating percentages.
- Math in the Bath: And Other Fun Places, Too! by Sara Atherlay: Although not specifically about soap making, this book encourages children to explore math concepts using everyday objects and situations. It can inspire the child to find math connections in their soap making activities.
Science
- The child learned about the chemical process of saponification, which occurs when oils and fats react with lye to form soap.
- The child learned about the properties of different ingredients used in soap making, such as oils, fragrances, and colorants.
- The child may have learned about the importance of safety precautions when working with lye and other potentially hazardous materials.
Encourage the child to further explore the science behind soap making. They can research different oils and their properties, experiment with adding various natural colorants or fragrances to their soaps, or investigate the effects of different curing times on the final product.
Book Recommendations:
- The Everything Soapmaking Book: Learn How to Make Soap at Home with Recipes, Techniques, and Step-by-Step Instructions - Purchase the right equipment and safety gear, Master recipes for bar, facial, and liquid soaps, and Package and sell your creations by Alicia Grosso: This comprehensive guide covers the science and art of soap making. It explains the chemistry behind soap making and provides detailed instructions for various soap recipes.
- Soap Science: A Comprehensive Guide to Making Natural Soap by Kevin M. Dunn: This book dives deep into the science of soap making. It explores the chemistry of soap, explains how different ingredients affect the properties of soap, and includes experiments and projects for further exploration.
- Scientific Soapmaking: The Chemistry of the Cold Process by Kevin M. Dunn: Geared towards more advanced soap makers, this book delves into the scientific aspects of soap making. It covers topics such as soap chemistry, the impact of different oils and additives, and troubleshooting common issues.
If you click on these links and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission.