I have made Dinosaur Soap with my preschoolers every year for the past three years. This is a great activity, and the kids get to enjoy their soap at home for weeks to come! You could, of course, make soap with a variety of things "inside". I choose to do this activity during Dinosaur week because it relates to the discussion about dinosaur fossils/amber fossils in a unique way. We make rock and clay dinosaur footprint fossils...but the soap really does look like an amber fossil. Pretty cool!
A Science Discussion
Another reason I enjoy this project is the chance to discuss liquids and solids. We start out with a large solid brick of soap. We cut it into smaller (but still solid) pieces. As we add them to a large bowl we can see the solid keeps it shape. BUT, as it heats up and melts it starts to take the shape of our glass bowl, and later the shape of our silicone cups! As it cools it turns back into a solid. This is a great discussion to have early in the year if you plan to study solids and liquids later on (we do in the Spring!).
A Science Discussion
Another reason I enjoy this project is the chance to discuss liquids and solids. We start out with a large solid brick of soap. We cut it into smaller (but still solid) pieces. As we add them to a large bowl we can see the solid keeps it shape. BUT, as it heats up and melts it starts to take the shape of our glass bowl, and later the shape of our silicone cups! As it cools it turns back into a solid. This is a great discussion to have early in the year if you plan to study solids and liquids later on (we do in the Spring!).
Making The Soap
We just use our silicone baking cups. The kids pick out a dinosaur and a cup and get it all ready. We work to cut up and melt the large brick of soap, and then I pour it in.
Filler Activity
I got these "color your own" stickers from Learning Palace. While the soap cooled (it doesn't take long) the kids got to color two Dinosaurs!
The Funnest Part!
They LOVE taking the soap out of the cups. It just pops right out of the silicone, with no mess.