Spring Hatchling Soap Eggs

When it comes to kids, they seem to come in two varieties: extreme clean fanatic or little mud turtle! I have one of each, but neither is consistently predictable. As they grow, they seem to slide up and down the soapy continuum between these extremes. No matter where your child is on the “sanitation specialist” verses “soil scientist” continuum, I find these fun hatchling eggs interest kids of all types. After all who wouldn’t want to scrub up, if you get to hatch a soap duckling in the process!
This fast and fun project adds enjoyment to hand-washing and bath-time, while the size and shape of these soaps are perfect for little hands. My little helpers enjoyed mixing in the dye and putting the
ducks in the eggs.

So grab your favorite helpers and get ready for the spring muddy season with these ducky soap hatchlings!

Items you will need:

• Tightly closing plastic Easter eggs
• Small ducks, chicks, dinos, or other small toy of your choice
• Glycerin base soap melt found at craft stores
• Soap-dye (optional)
• Old egg carton to hold egg halves in place
• Glass measuring cup designed for liquids
• Masking Tape or Painter’s Tape
• Metal spoon or popsicle stick for stirring
• Hand drill and bit
• Small piece of scrapwood
• Flexible disposable cup (Optional)

Start by making sure your plastic Easter eggs are clean and dry. Next, check your eggs to determine if your eggs have a small hole in one or both halves.

If they have holes in both ends, you will need to tape over one of the holes in order to prevent leakage.

Otherwise, select the half with the hole and carefully drill a larger hole in this corresponding half of the egg. I found placing the egg on a scrap piece of wood when drilling worked well.

Then have your helpers add one small duck or other toy to each of the eggs.

Close the egg securely and place the side with the drilled-hole upright in the egg carton.

Now, start melting your glycerin soap base.

If using a microwave, melt for 60 seconds, followed by 10 more seconds, stirring in-between. Alternately you can use a double boiler, fondue pot, or even a warm oven set at 300*F for 5 minutes.
If you want colored eggs, you can add soap-dye in color of your choice to the melted soap base. Unlike other types of dye, soap dyes are formulated to provided more vibrant color and do not dye your skin.

The next task is to carefully fill eggs with the melted soap. I find squishing a small disposable cup into a spout works well. For those with a steady hand a measuring cup made with liquids in mind works great. Just remember melted soap is hot, so please be careful.

Let your soap eggs harden for at least 1 ½ to 2 hours before removing them from the egg shell molds.

Time to help your ducklings hatch out of their shells! I find grasping firmly and giving a slight twist to the shells typically gets them free without much hassle.

Soap eggs can be stored in or out of the shells depending on your kids’ interests. Now your newly hatched ducklings are all set for a bath adventure with your little mud turtles.

For added fun, make a soap dish by simply gluing a bottle cap on the bottom of a plastic egg.

Enjoy hatching out some clean fun, the Homesteading Hen

Additional notes: We did find as the soap is used, the ducks hatched out pretty early. To prevent this, you might want to add a little melted soap base in the bottom of the eggs first before adding your toy of choice.