Making soap with kids

[lisat]

The place where I make my soap (CP) is holding summer camp, and I've agreed to make soap with the kids (12-15) in a couple of weeks. What I'm wondering is whether I should mix up a batch of CP soap and let them play with scent and some herbals for color, or whether I'm better off going with MP, which I've never used. Any thoughts?

 

[Kamahido]

Perhaps I am just paranoid, but the word "liability" booms in my head every time this comes up. I would just stick with melt and pour if it were me. This thread also comes to mind...

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=57977&highlight=safety

 

[lisat]

I just ordered some MP for the event. Maybe I'll do a demo of the CP, then we'll do the MP together. Even though it says over 15, I think that with proper supervision, it'll be okay. I got little fishes they can put in. should be fun.

 

[Susie]

I think, besides MP, you could mix up some soap dough ahead of time, and let the kids make what they like. That should be enough "hands on" for them without risking NaOH being around them.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2RwxXU7VT4[/ame]

 

[lisat]

That looks like fun! I never heard of it before.

 

[Saponomancer]

If you use Bee's process you can make pure mold-able soap that will harden when left out to dry and wont mold when it gets wet
http://sorcerysoap.com/recipes/

 

[lisat]

That's really cool. Looks like all she does is make a basic CP batch, then not let it cure until she's molded it into whatever she wants. I'm going to try that myself!

 

[Rusti]

That's really cool. Looks like all she does is make a basic CP batch, then not let it cure until she's molded it into whatever she wants. I'm going to try that myself!

I think she seals it up air tight and puts it in the fridge to prevent gel too. So when you get it back out, saponification is complete, but it hasn't gelled and since it's been sealed up, it's still pliable.

 

[dixiedragon]

I think 12-15 is old enough to handle CP soap. My question would be, how many kids and how many helpers? DoriettaFarm did a class and I assisted. Granted, these were adults. But she planned out a combination of MP and CP and it went really well. We made the CP, talked about chemistry, safety, etc, then we made MP, which they could take home and use the next day. Dorietta got a bunch of individual clamshell molds with snap-on lids. Each participant got a Solo cup with 4 oz of MP and a popsicle stick to stir. They added fragrance, herbs, mica, etc - whatever they wanted.

 

[Saponomancer]

That's really cool. Looks like all she does is make a basic CP batch, then not let it cure until she's molded it into whatever she wants. I'm going to try that myself!

I've tried both my recipe and the recipe she uses specifically for the soap molding and hers is way easier to work with, for what its worth.

 

[anshika154]

I think you should go for MP Process

 

[lisat]

Excellent idea. I so appreciate everyone's suggestions. Even though this will be my first time a) teaching soap and b) working with kids, I think it will go well.

 

[randycoxclemson]

I did this for a 14-year-old's birthday a little over a month ago. I mixed up a basic batch of oils (which, due to the babassu, turned out to be a really good bar) and separated that into five batches. Then I mixed up lye for each of those batches a few hours before they kids arrived (I almost always soap at room temperature for all liquids).

When the kids came over we went outside; they picked from fragrances and colors (I had botanicals, pigments, essential oils, and chemical fragrances, plus clays and other additives). I had them put the scents and additives and colors into their oils and stir them up. Then they took turns donning the gloves and glasses and apron (I had a couple sets of each) and mixed their lye and oil to trace, poured into four yogurt cups. In between each, I wiped down the stick blender and everything worked like a charm. They loved their soap and kept having their parents contact me to make sure they really needed to wait a month or more.