Do you sometimes feel like it is difficult to entertain kids whilst also avoiding plastic and unnecessary waste? Raising low-waste kids can be challenging when there is sooo much cheap, disposable stuff out there that kids want for 5 minutes and then forget!
So what can you do if you want to throw a low-waste kid’s party or entertain kids on a rainy day without all the junk?
Get the kids creating some fun, eco-friendly stuff to play with!
I have put together 3 simple and natural recipes below that will be fun for kids during the ‘making’ phase as well as the ‘using what I’ve made’ phase. They are a great activity for kids to do at a party and they can even go home with a goody bag filled with what they have made rather than the usual plastic-wrapped lollies and toys.
Give these a go for some homemade fun!
Homemade Bath Bombs
My kids absolutely love bathbombs but they can be super-expensive for something that is gone after one bath so we got to making our own at home. We make these in a silicone mould, and they come out about half the size of store-bought bath bombs which suits us better.
Ingredients:
1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup citric acid
1/2 cup Epsom salts
1 tsp water
2 tsp essential oil
3 tsp coconut oil
10-15 drops of food colouring
Method:
Add all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix.
Add the wet ingredients in a separate bowl and mix.
Add the wet mix a spoon at a time until you the mixture feels like wet sand.
Add to a silicone mould and let dry for 24 hours. If you are giving these to children to take home, use individual moulds.
Homemade Playdough
This is a classic from my childhood that I never got sick of. Kids can experiment with different colours and cut out shapes with things found in the kitchen. The best thing is that you are avoiding all those plastic containers that come with store-bought playdough and if by chance, a certain little someone eats a little bit, it’s completely safe.
Ingredients:
1 cup of flour
½ a cup of salt
½ a cup of water
food colouring
Method:
Mix ingredients together until you get a dough consistency.
If you want a range of colours, separate into smaller lots and add a different colour to each.
Homemade Glitter
If you are going to be doing some arts and crafts, this is a great one to make before you get started. Store-bought glitter is the ultimate microplastic and because of it’s size can never be disposed of responsibly so it’s much better to make a natural, planet-friendly version. The kids will enjoy making their own colours, mixing them up to make rainbow glitter and letting their imaginations run wild!
Ingredients:
Epsom salt
15 drops liquid food colouring
reusable container with lid
Method:
Put the Epsom salt and food colouring into the container and shake until the colour is evenly dispersed.
Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes or leave it in the container with the lid off for 24 hours to air dry.
NOTE: Use regular salt or sugar to make finer glitter so that kids have a range of sizes and shapes. The sugar glitter can even be used to decorate cakes or biscuits.
Want to learn some low-waste cleaning and beauty recipes for home that will help you cut toxins and plastic from your home? Check out my free 5-day DIY challenge where each recipe is under 5 minutes and very effective!
I love these ideas Chloe!!! ♡♡
Thanks! I hope they come in handy for the little ones.