Like many of you, we got THE CALL from our kid's school. You know the one, kids will be home for for an extended period of time... It's important right now and of course I want to do my part to stop the spread however, that feeling of a little overwhelm plus the slight "am I good enough to teach my kids" for as long as this takes feeling set in. And then it hit me, I AM good enough. Will it be challenging? Probably! Will we survive - and dare I say it, thrive? Another yes! So I put together some creative ways to learn and also have fun and wanted to share them with you too!
Kids Soap: This first one is a fun one (well, they are all fun!) and you can also use it to teach about proper hand washing as well. #winning So, how else do you make washing your hands fun? By helping your kids to make their own soap in different shapes and with different natural scents!
Items Needed:
Natural Skin Safe Soap Coloring (optional)
Silicone molds (try these: Unicorn, Lego, Dino, Sea Creatures, Cars)
Favorite doTERRA essential oils (need oils? Find them here)
Instructions:
Cut soap base into small chunks and place in heat-proof glass container. Place in saucepan with one to one and a half inches of boiling water until melted. Once melted, divide soap base into glass containers for separate colors. Add color and essential oils and stir well. Pour into silicone mold and let rest two to three hours or until hard. Once hard, remove from silicone mold. Store in a jar or plastic bag until ready to use.
Lavender Slime: Have you ever met a kid that DOESN'T LIKE SLIME? Me either. This one will satisfy their need to get their hands "dirty" even if you are stuck indoors. What makes this one mom approved is that it is made with Lavender (you can use any calming oil) so that play time turns into quiet time. Plus mixing things together... Science Project! #yourewelcome
Items Needed:
A 4 oz bottle of Elmer's white glue
2-4 TBS of Elmer's Magic Liquid
20-40 drops of Lavender Essential Oil
2-3 drops of natural skin safe food coloring
Instructions:
Mix together the glue, Elmer's Magic Liquid (or Sta-Flo liquid starch), and Lavender oil until it becomes a slimy consistency, then add food coloring.
Aromatherapy Play Dough: With all of your time indoors, why not make some play dough? This old classic is still loved by kids, plus adding in different oil combinations makes a fun addition while also adding a little aromatherapy. Our favorites to include is the 6 Emotional Aromatherapy line of essential oils! If you are interested in some of the benefits of the Emotional Aromatherapy line and see how you can help your children better process their emotions, see this poster.
Ingredients
2 cups flour
2 cups colored water (skin safe coloring)
1 cup salt
1 tablespoon Fractionated Coconut Oil
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
5 drops of essential oils
Instructions
Combine all ingredients, except for essential oils, in a large saucepan and stir until combined. Once combined, put over medium heat. Using a spatula, continue to stir ingredients together until it forms a ball. Note: Don’t overcook as it will lead to dry play dough. Remove from heat and cool on parchment paper. Once cool, add five drops of your favorite essential oil and knead until thoroughly combined. You’re done! Just store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for months of fun.
Fizzing Bath Bombs: When our kids were younger, they would spend hours in the bath, if I'd let them. What kid doesn't like using their imagination in the bath? You can play pirates, mermaids, shark attack... let's make bath time fun for even the older kids by having them make their own fizzing bath bombs! Plus, it counts as another science project! Feel free to get creative with the essential oils - if your child is a little congested, try our Breathe blend of oil. If you need then to calm down, try Balance, Peace or Serenity.
Items Needed:
1 cup citric acid
1 cup baking soda
½ cup cornstarch
½ cup Fractionated Coconut Oil
Instructions:
Place citric acid, baking soda, cornstarch, and oil in a bowl. Add eight to 10 drops of the essential oil or blend of choice. Mix well with spoon until soft dough is formed. It should have the consistency of damp sand. Note: If the mixture is too wet, try adding a little more baking soda and cornstarch until consistency is correct. At this point, you may add food coloring, dried herbs, or flower petals to mixture. Place mixture in bathbomb molds. Let sit 24 hours before removing from mold. To use, drop in tub and allow to dissolve.
DIY Bubbles: If the weather is nice, get the kids outside for some bubble fun! This is a super easy DIY that will keep the kid's entertained outside for a long time! Bonus, this activity also helps keep little hands clean! #momwin
Ingredients:
1 cup warm distilled water
1 tablespoon vegetable glycerin
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons doTERRA On Guard Foaming Hand Wash
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients and stir. Make your own wand or reuse old bubble wands, then head outside and blow bubbles! Note: Store bubble mixture in an air-tight container for up to one month. Tip: Make your own wand with pipe cleaners or wires!
DIY Scented Cards and Art for Nursing Home Residents: Here's a super simple indoor activity that also spreads some love around! Scented Cards and art for nursing home residents! I saw an awesome idea about having your kids write notes, color pictures and mail them to local nursing homes because the elderly in these homes aren’t allowed visitors right now... imagine being able to brighten the atmosphere there ❤️ Since our olfactory nerve is connected to memories, having a cheery scent (like anything citrus) is sure to brighten some moods and maybe bring back some happy memories in the process! Such a great way to spread some love!
Items Needed:
Cotton balls
Plastic or paper bag
Your favorite essential oils
Instructions:
Put 2-4 drops essential oil on cotton ball. Place the cotton ball inside the bag with cards. Seal bag and let sit overnight. Add them to an envelope and send them off!
Science for Kids, Essential Oil Workbook (& experiments!): What a fun way to learn about essential oils and do fun experiments at the same time! I was blown away with the incredible information and simple explanations this eBook has in it. doTERRA's scientific team did a wonderful job with this! This eBook takes kids through 7 scientific steps (ask a question, background research, form a hypothesis, experiment, analysis, conclusion, share results) for each experiment. You can download it here.
If you do not already have doTERRA oils, I would love to help you get started. Reach out for me to help you decided the best oils to start with for your family's needs and budget! Or if you are ready to get started with a kit, see my favorite starter sets and my current month's promos!