Looking for easy DIY bath bombs for kids? Bath bombs not only make bath time fun but leave your kids smelling great. Our kids’ bath bomb recipe is also very easy to follow with ingredients that are easy to find. Save money and leave the chemicals in the shop with these homemade bath fizzies for kids!
In the last year, bath bombs have become all the rage for my tween daughter and, as I started looking at buying them, I was surprised by two things:
- How expensive they can be – I’m not paying $10 a bath!
- How many chemicals can be in them
It’s crazy how many chemicals can end up in one small bath bomb.
So I started looking for an easy bath bomb recipe for kids as was truly shocked just how easy it is to make really cool bath bombs and how much money can be saved. Plus, it’s fun! My daughter loves making bath bombs for kids right alongside me and it’s been a fun activities while hanging out at home so much last year.
We initially looked at a bath bomb making kit for kids, but these were also filled with chemicals and it’s just not worth buying a kids’ bath bomb making kit when it’s just so easy to make your own.
It also fits into my goal to no longer use any chemical products for the kids and to create less waste. I really can’t rave about these homemade bath bombs enough. We’ve even started giving them as presents to her friends.
Definitely consider adding them to your list as something you make regularly. Your kids will thank you!
Below, I describe exactly how to make kid friendly bath bombs with our kid-safe bath bomb recipe. I also discuss some essential oil combinations which can work great for your bath bombs as well as what all-natural coloring you can use.
If I have one gripe about other articles online like this about how to make a bath bomb for kids, it’s that they usually advocate using coloring that’s not natural or chemical free. It’s important to us to avoid this so if it’s important to you too, make sure you read this section below.
How To Make Bath Bombs For Kids
Before we get into our kid friendly bath bomb recipe, make sure you have some type of bath bomb mold. This doesn’t have to be an especially bought mold (although we love ours
In this simple bath bomb recipe for kids, I demonstrate how to make these using my metal molds
You don’t have to make round bombs. I find it easier to just make half the mold and have a flat bottom. This is a good move the first time you make bath bombs as it is more complicated to get it just right to make the round bomb (there are some tips in the recipe to achieve this though).
The good part about this is that I get twice as many bath bombs, and I find one side is enough for my kids in the bath anyway.
Getting the mixture into and out of the mold in good shapes is something I found tricky to start with. If you do too, be patient. It gets easier and better with practise.
The most important part of making these bombs is being very careful when you add your wet ingredients to your dry ingredients. Getting the consistency right is very important.
Follow the recipe below step-by-step and you’ll soon have your bath bombs.
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You are all set to go!
When I first started making bath bombs, it was slow going as I tried to work out if I had the right consistency and tried to add color and get my head around what I was doing. I found it dried out a little as I was adding the mixture to the molds and I needed to add a little more water at this point too.
I also was overly paranoid adding the wet ingredients to the dry and did this soooo slowly that I drove myself mad. You don’t need to add just a few drops at a time like me. The equivalent of a few teaspoons at a time is fine.
About The Bath Bomb Ingredients
These bath bombs for kids to make aren’t just fun, they are also good for them. Here’s how some of the ingredients help.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is an alkaline which helps detoxify the skin. It’s also an anti-inflammatory.
Citric Acid
The citric acid (and it’s interactions with baking soda and water) is what makes the bath bomb fizz. If you want it to be fizzier, add more to the recipe. If you want less fizz, add less. Having less can be a good idea for young kids who may not like the fizzing action of the bath bomb.
Epsom Salts
Epsom salts break down into magnesium and sulfate in water. Soaking in epsom salts in the bath is meant to relax muscles and loosen joints as well as soothe skin. This can be replaced with a fine sea salt but don’t use regular table salt.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has antibacterial and antifungal properties. It makes the bath water feel softer and is good for cleansing, softening and moisturizing skin. It can be substituted for other oils, although I’m personally a big fan of coconut oil in this recipe.
Beet Root Powder
Beet root powder not only gives the bath bomb a great pink color, but is also full of antioxidants which are good for your skin.
There is more about coloring and essential oils below.
Best Essential Oils For Homemade Bath Bombs For Kids
It’s not necessary to add any essential oils to your bath bombs, but they can help them be extra special and add some extra benefits too.
Exactly how much essential oils to add depends on the age of your kids so for younger kids (under 4) or a tiny bath, you may want to half the amount in the recipe above.
Some great essential oils for kid bath bombs:
- Lavender – my personal favorite, lavender is good for relaxing and helping little ones sleep better as well as softening skin and improving anxiety
- Peppermint – has both a calming effect and helps to focus the mind. It can be energizing. It’s also good for colds
- Rosemary – is good for stress, muscle soreness and to promote memory
- Chamomile – helps to soothe and relax
- Orange – is great for positivity and immune systems
- Lemon – is good for attention and focus, colds and for promoting positive energy
- Eucalyptus – can be great if your child has a cold, but note it can be very strong smelling so your child may not like it
- Ylang Ylang – can act as an anti-depressant and is good for relieving stress and anxiety
Very strong smelling essential oils may not work as well in kids’ bath bombs.
You can, of course, combine the oils to make your own special concoctions. Here’s a few we have tried and enjoyed.
Refreshing Blend
This blend smells great, is calming and also refreshing while softening skin.
- 4 drops lavender essential oil
- 4 drops peppermint essential oil
- 4 drops lemon essential oil
Bedtime Blend
Both of these oils help to calm, relax and promote sleep. Perfect for little ones at a bedtime bath.
- 6 drops lavender essential oil
- 6 drops chamomile essential oil
Anxiety Busting Blend
Is your child feeling anxious? Try this combination.
- 6 drops lavender essential oil
- 6 drops ylang ylang essential oil
Adding Color To Kids’ Bath Bomb Recipe Naturally
If you want to keep your bath bombs completely natural, adding coloring can be tricky. It’s easy to see the bright colored bath bombs on Pinterest and want to emulate them, but usually bright colors = using coloring that’s not all natural.
In this section, I’m going to talk about some different coloring options including some popular options that can be problematic, and the all natural options that I use.
If you want to keep things simple, the easiest way is to not add coloring. It’s definitely not required. However, your kids are likely to prefer a colored bath bomb. It’s up to you.
Popular choices:
- Food dyes – these can be used to color your bath bomb. How natural they are depends on the dye. They may not color the bomb evenly and can fade. They can also shorten the lifespan of your bath bomb and stain your tub so use sparingly. They are not approved for use in bath bombs by the FDA.
Mica powder – this is ground from stone and while it’s natural (to start with), there can be issues as it can contain heavy metals like lead, arsenic and mercury. Naturally, mica comes in earthy shades like silver, gold, white, gray, brown and green. Bright colored mica has been dyed, often with dyes that are exactly what you are trying to avoid when making a bath bomb. So once you buy colored mica, you aren’t using a natural ingredient anymore.
It also can be controversial as some mica is mined with child labor so be careful where it comes from. This is particularly a problem with mica that comes from parts of India which makes up about 25% of the mica supply in the world.
If you do use mica, use as little as possible as it may stain your tub. Start with a pinch.- Soap dyes – these are generally synthetic and not natural
Basically, you want coloring ingredients which only contain the one ingredient themselves without any nasties. You can always experiment with what’s around you.
Some I have used:
Beet root powder – use this for pinks like pictured with this recipe. It also contains anti-oxidantsBrazilian clay – this comes in different colors like yellow, purple, pink, green and red. Purple was used for the bath bombs pictured here. It does suck up some of the moisture in the mixture so I find I have to add a little more water when I add thisAlkanet root powder – this can give you purples and blues depending on how you are using itMoroccan red clay – for redCacao powder – this will give it a brown colorOrange peel powder – for orange- Turmeric – for yellow
Ground spinach – for green
To reiterate, the natural coloring mentioned above is less likely to give you the bold colors seen in bath bombs on other sites, but it will be better for your kids. The choice is yours of course.
How To Use Your DIY Bath Bomb For Kids
The fun part – using your new bath bombs!
This part is easy. Simply fill up your bath tub and then drop it in. Let is fizz and sizzle. When it’s fully dissolved, you can hop in. Warm water is required for the bath bomb to dissolve properly.
As with any new product, the first time your kids use a bath bomb, you should keep a close eye that they don’t react negatively to any of the ingredients. Bath bombs are not meant for use in every bath.
The bath bombs should last about six months stored in a dry, airtight container.
Conclusion
Bath bombs are lots of fun and it’s easy to make your own bath bombs for kids using the recipe above.
I hope you found this bath bomb recipe kid friendly and your kids have some great baths!
Click here to read how to make your own all natural detangling spray for your kids, here for how to make your own (awesome) lip balm and here for all our DIY beauty and kid recipes.
