One of our favorite activities from our book Pop! Squirt! Splash! is this chocolate scented soap foam recipe. My kids are completely obsessed with it!
So much so that every time they see the copy of our book, they flip to the page with chocolate soap foam and ask to make it.
Seriously, this chocolate sensory bin is as decadent and velvety as it looks and sounds. And the smell? It's incredible! It's almost good enough to eat...but don't, it's soap, after all.
Well, are you ready to dip your hands into this chocolate soap foam sensory play activity? Then let's get you ready to whip up a batch!
What You'll Need for this Hot Chocolate Sensory Bin
You bet this sensory bin smells amazing! It also comes together super quick. Here's what you'll need to recreate it yourself.
- Soap foam - Made from mixing liquid soap with a splash of water and whipped until bubbly and foaming. I actually used almond castile soap for ours so our soap foam actually ended up being chocolate and almond scented.
- Cocoa powder or hot chocolate mix (whatever you have on hand) - How much you'll need will depend on how much soap foam you want to make and how big your container is. I used a teaspoon of cocoa powder in a fairly large container.
To make the chocolate soap foam, simply combine liquid hand soap with a splash of water and a teaspoon of cocoa powder (or hot chocolate mix) and mix thoroughly using a hand mixer, electric mixer, or stand mixer. Whip until foamy and bubbly.
Alternatively, you can use a foaming hand soap dispenser and add the cocoa powder afterwards. My boys like this method because they like to pump the soap dispenser. However, this method usually takes a bit longer to fill your sensory bin container, especially if you are using a large container.
Once it's all whipped up and ready to go, it should look something like this. As you can tell, little hands were eager to dive right in!
Your Kids Will Love this Chocolate Soap Foam Sensory Play Activity!
We technically made chocolate almond soap foam thanks to the almond scented castile soap we used. And geez, did it ever smell divine! No wonder my kids keep requesting this activity afterwards. It's a sensory delight both for the tactile input and for the olfactory input.
Amazing scent aside, the feel of soap foam is so luxurious. It's honestly one of my favorite sensory bin fillers. You can't help but swish it around!
I mean just look at all those foamy bubbles, tempting you to dip your hands in...
My boys absolutely love covering their hands in soap foam. Seriously, the texture of soap foam is so soothing and satisfying. So you don't really need to add any scoops or spoons or anything to this bin. It's lovely to explore as is.
The boys loved to slowly scoop and juggle the foamy mixture between their hands...
...and let it drip back into the bin to start all over again. They would repeat this process over and over.
Messy Sensory Play Tips for this Chocolate Sensory Bin
While this hot cocoa inspired sensory bin can get a bit messy (especially as the kids cover their entire hands and arms with it), it cleans up really easy. After all, it's made mostly out of soap.
However, here are some useful tips to keep in mind when it comes to messy sensory play activities like this:
- Lay down a shower curtain underneath your sensory bin container to protect the floor and contain the mess. Simply toss the shower curtain in the washing machine after playtime.
- Keep a bucket of clean water and some towels handy to allow for quick and easy clean up.
While a bit messy, I do hope you'll give this chocolate soap foam sensory play activity a try. After all, it was a huge hit for my boys.
By the way, this activity is one of many awesome hands-on activities for kids from the book Pop! Squirt! Splash! So definitely check it out if you want more hands-on sensory activity ideas for kids.
