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    Home » Craft Tutorials » Kids Crafts

    Snowball Surprise Soap For Kids (Video)

    January 2, 2021 By Brandy 32 Comments

    ↓ Jump to Instructions

    No melting, pouring or measuring. This snowball surprise soap is SO easy to make! Hide a small toy inside for this fun snowball surprise soap! This post was originally shared in 2010, but now includes a step by step photo instructions and a video! 

    You might also like our DIY jelly soap (gummy soap)!

    Watch our step by step video!

    Snowball soap is fun kids soap to make! The boys and I first made snowball soap 10 years ago, after seeing it in a Family Fun magazine, but this was the girls' first time ever trying it. This is such a fun project for kids to make as gifts! Hide a small toy inside for a snowball soap surprise! We've also used this technique to make dinosaur egg soaps! We mainly use ours for hand washing or in the shower and they last a long time! They don't last as long in the bath tub if the kids soak them in water, but you can definitely use them for tub time too. Note: Ivory soap is not tear free. I love that all you need is to make it is a grater and a spray bottle. EASY!

    Snowball Surprise Soap

    cheese grater, bars of ivory soap and small toys

    Supplies

    • Ivory soap
    • cheese grater
    • small toy
    • spray bottle of water
    To make your soap you will need 1 bar of Ivory soap. Ivory is cheap ($.33/bar) and is nice and moist. It works great and shreds easily. Shred the entire bar using a cheese grater. Note: use a fresh soap bar. We tried making this last time with a bar that was a year old and it crumbled. A new bar of Ivory soap is soft like cheese and shreds beautifully.

    small fish toy next to pile of shredded soap

    You can hide a small toy inside your soap if you'd like.

    shredded ivory soap

    You can very lightly spritz down your pile of soap shavings. This makes it stickier and it molds better this way. You can also lightly spritz the soap after you've formed it. It will dry nice and hard.

    We've also packed dry soap shavings then spritzed them after they were formed into balls. Both techniques work.

    Disclaimer: this is a messy project! Soap shaving will get on your work surface and probably the floor.

    3 More DIY Soaps for Kids

    Homemade Glycerin Soap Goldfish Soap DIY Tattoo Soap Bars: So Easy for Kids to Make!

    packing soap shavings around small fish toy

    Grab a small pile of shavings and start packing them around your toy. If the shavings seem too dry, just add a tiny bit more water and keep packing. Form a TIGHT soap shavings ball.

    child holding snowball soap

    Wet your hands and give it a final once over, smoothing it out.

    Let harden and dry out before packaging if you are giving these out as gifts. No melting, pouring or measuring. This is the easiest DIY kids soap! Hide a small toy inside for this fun snowball surprise soap!

    How to use your Snowball Soap

    If you keep your soap by your sink for hand washing, they will last a long time. My kids mainly use them in the shower or for hand washing! If you let the kids use these in the bathtub, they might last for a few baths if they are soaked in the tub for any length of time. Note: Ivory soap is not tear free.

    Snowball Soap Tutorial

    two balls of snowball soap
    Print
    5 from 1 vote

    Snowball Surprise Soap Tutorial

    No melting, pouring or measuring. This snowball surprise soap is SO easy to make! Hide a small toy inside for this fun snowball surprise soap!
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Total Time10 minutes mins
    Yield: 1 bar
    Cost: $.50

    Equipment

    • cheese grater
    • spray bottle

    Materials

    • 1 bar Ivory soap
    • small toy

    Instructions

    • Grate bar of Ivory soap using cheese grater.
      grater next to pile of grated soap
    • Lightly spritz soap with water.
      shredded ivory soap
    • Pack shredded soap around small toy. PACK TIGHT. Use entire pile of shredded soap.
    • Smooth outer edge of soap with hands. Let dry.
      child holding snowball soap

    Video

    Notes

    Soap will harden as it dries. 
    If you keep your soap by your sink for hand washing, they will last a long time. My kids mainly use them in the shower or for hand washing! If you let the kids use these in the bathtub, they might last for a few baths if they are soaked in the tub for any length of time. Note: Ivory soap is not tear free. 
    A fresh bar of Ivory soap works best. Soap that is a year old is too brittle and won't grate as easily as fresh soap. 

    Related

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    About Brandy

    Welcome! I'm Brandy, mother to 5 darling kiddos and a cute black lab named Toby. My husband is in the Coast Guard so we've lived all over the place, turning each house into a home. I love baking, sewing, making cute things with my kids, and sharing what I've learned with all of you!

    Comments

    1. Karen Barry says

      October 04, 2021 at 10:06 pm

      Love this idea! Wonder if when first beginning to form the ball the cut ends of a cord could be knotted and the soap be packed around it to make "soap on a rope". Do you think the packed soap is strong enough to hold the rope?. It would be practical for in the shower.

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        October 05, 2021 at 2:47 pm

        Hi Karen! That's a great idea! I'm not sure it's stable enough to pack around the rope, but if you sprayed it with a bit more water it might be more moldable to hold to it!

        Reply
    2. Evelyn says

      January 26, 2021 at 2:13 am

      omg!i love making soaps and this one is perfect!

      Reply
    3. Alexandria07 says

      January 04, 2021 at 4:02 pm

      I assume Ivory soap isn't tear free, right? If I'm right, these won't work for small kids in the tub who are likely to splash around and get soap in their eyes.

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        January 04, 2021 at 6:07 pm

        No, these are not tear free. My mostly use these in the shower or for hand soap. Hope that helps! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Barbara Windle says

      January 09, 2018 at 5:09 pm

      That is so cute. My granddaughter would love to make those. I am going to pin it for future reference.

      Reply
    5. Lisa Silfwerbrand says

      November 11, 2016 at 8:25 am

      These are sooo cute Brandy! I love how easy they are but perfect for kids and adults alike 😉 I think I will be making these for sure for my nieces and nephews this year... Thanks so much for linking them up to our Inspiration Galore Project Party last week. Pinned and shared. Have a great weekend! Lisa

      Reply
    6. Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says

      November 07, 2016 at 6:09 am

      Love this idea!! Pinned!

      Reply
    7. Heidi says

      November 06, 2016 at 6:34 pm

      This would be a fun stocking stuffer- just tie up in a cellophane bag. Could even put a little Christmas toy in the center!

      Reply
    8. Sarah says

      November 05, 2016 at 10:23 am

      Wow, these are so cute!!!
      Found your blog via Creative Muster Party.
      Sarah https://www.enrichmentality.com

      Reply
    9. Roseann Hampton says

      November 04, 2016 at 5:08 pm

      Love this idea!

      Reply
    10. Linda says

      November 03, 2016 at 7:17 pm

      FUN!!!! Love this. I want to make it also. PINNED. Best wishes, Linda @Crafts a la mode

      Reply
    11. Quirky Homemaker says

      November 03, 2016 at 1:38 pm

      These are really cute! Don't you love Family Fun magazine? I used to get a lot of great ideas from them. Never saw this, though! Thanks for sharing. Stopping by from This is How We Roll Linky party. Hope you have a great weekend!

      Reply
    12. Lorena says

      January 07, 2015 at 8:17 am

      this sounds like a fun activity to do when its too cold to play outside. Just curious if there is a safe way of letting the kids grate their own soap. Using the classic metal grater would be a medical disaster with my kids.

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        January 07, 2015 at 10:44 am

        Hi Lorena, I'm not sure. I grated it for the girls or let them help, but I did the majority of it!

        Reply
    13. Meghan says

      December 20, 2014 at 5:08 pm

      Love this idea!

      Reply
    14. Laurie Logan says

      November 18, 2014 at 5:04 pm

      These are so cute!

      Reply
    15. RadioTonya says

      January 03, 2014 at 7:26 pm

      Would this work with Dove bar soap. or would it be too soft?

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        January 03, 2014 at 10:12 pm

        You sure can! I used Ivory soap because it is so inexpensive, but also had to add a little water to make it stick together firmly. You may not need as much water or any with Dove. Here is actually a blog who used Dove: http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2010/05/soap-balls-for-mom-and-kiddies-too.html Hope that helps! Have a wonderful weekend!

        Brandy

        Reply
    16. kellee says

      December 27, 2013 at 10:21 am

      hahaha so cute!

      Reply
    17. Mary says

      January 07, 2012 at 3:16 am

      Great idea... love it!

      Reply
    18. Lindsi B says

      December 09, 2011 at 3:17 pm

      What good clean fun!!! Would you please share this with my readers for Fun Stuff Fridays linky party? http://www.toysinthedryer.com/2011/12/fun-stuff-fridays-3.html

      Reply
    19. Shiloh says

      December 08, 2011 at 7:11 pm

      This is a really fun project, but my favorite part is the way you're letting your boys make gifts for each other. They will be so excited not just to get, but give.:)

      Reply
    20. Alecia says

      December 07, 2011 at 1:56 am

      This is adorable! It's a really nice way to make a small gift seem like more, great when you have a lot of kids to get gifts for! Thanks for sharing, I'm your newest follower

      http://chickenscratchny.blogspot.com

      Reply
    21. folkhaven says

      December 06, 2011 at 7:48 pm

      How fun! I like how your kids made them as a present for each other. This is one I want to try sometime 🙂 Maybe next year my little chunk will be old enough.

      Reply
    22. Amy {The Idea Room} says

      December 03, 2011 at 4:54 am

      My kids would love this. Such a great activity for kids of all ages.

      Reply
    23. Janel@hatingmartha says

      December 03, 2011 at 3:54 am

      This is so sweet! Their faces look so excited! If you get a chance...stop over and link this up at Hating Martha! Thanks!

      Reply
    24. Lindsi B says

      December 02, 2011 at 6:20 pm

      Thanks for sharing this idea! It would be perfect for my Fun Stuff Fridays linky party! I'd love you to link up with us.
      http://www.toysinthedryer.com/2011/12/fun-stuff-fridays-2.html

      Reply
    25. Kaleidoscope of Colors says

      December 01, 2011 at 2:32 pm

      This is a great idea for my girlfriend who has two boys. They would love to make these, thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    26. Carrie says

      November 28, 2011 at 10:14 pm

      Great idea, and with kids too! So cute. I would love it if you would link this post to Spa{ahhh} Sundaze. 🙂

      Reply
    27. Jenn @ Delicious Ambiguity says

      January 19, 2011 at 7:30 am

      That soap is sooo cool! I've featured you here:

      http://www.mydeliciousambiguity.com/2011/01/winter-learning-activities-for-toddlers.html

      I hope you'll stop by and grab a featured button. Have a great day!

      Reply
    28. Darcey says

      January 17, 2011 at 2:20 am

      I love this idea! It's a great gift and a cute craft. I'm a new follower of your blog.

      Reply
    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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