A great party to put together is a mini spa for your little ones. One summer day we brought the kids together, made lemonade, broke out the nail polish, and sliced cucumbers for a spa afternoon. They put on their favorite music, and it cost us very little money to create super-fun memories. The kids did one another's fingernails and toenails, made lemonade, and lounged around with cucumber slices on their eyes. They felt like real-life princesses. This is one of my favorite inexpensive parties to do. Other ideas for spa day include fruit-infused water, homemade facials, and of course a selection of kid-friendly books.
PINK LEMONADE
Homemade lemonade is fun to make for the family. The kids loved being a part of mixing the ingredients.
YIELD: 8–10 SERVINGS
2 cups lemon juice, freshly squeezed (about 12 to 14 lemons)
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons grenadine
7 cups cold water
Lemon slices for garnish
Ice
Fill a pitcher with the freshly squeezed lemon juice and add sugar, grenadine, and water. Mix well and top with ice. Garnish each glass with a lemon slice. We usually like our pink lemonade tart, but if your kids prefer it sweeter, just add more sugar.
SUGAR SCRUB
Make a natural sugar scrub that your kids will love. Not only will everyone leave with skin feeling soft and smooth, but all the ingredients can be found in your kitchen. Nothing like a craft that will make both parents and kids happy.
1/2 cup raw sugar per scrub
1/4 cup almond oil per scrub
1 jar per kid
1 Popsicle stick per kid
1 glass dropper per scented oil
6 to 8 drops of essential oils per scrub
Have each kid mix together the sugar and almond oil in his or her jar, using a Popsicle stick. To create a consistency to your liking, add more oil to make it smoother, or more sugar to create a more exfoliating mixture. Have the kids use a glass dropper to stir in their combination of essential oils for fragrance. Mix well.
PERFUME
Calming scents are an amazing addition to any spa party, but it's even better when you get to combine your favorite scents to make your own perfume. Making your own fragrance is a personal, fun, and creative experience that the kids will love. Encourage even more creativity by having each kid name his or her own perfume—"coconut creation" was one of our favorites.
2 teaspoons jojoba oil per fragrance (almond oil may be substituted)
10 to 12 drops essential oil(s) per fragrance
1 glass dropper per scented oil
1 vial (with cork) per kid
Allow each child to use a glass dropper to add the jojoba or almond oil to his or her vial. Next, have the kids add their combinations of essential oils to the vials. Great essential oils to work with are lavender, vanilla, mint, coconut, and lemon. Some of these oils can even be found in your pantry in the form of extracts. Add 5 to 6 drops of essential oil scents for every teaspoon of jojoba oil. Cork, and shake for 2 minutes. As the fragrance matures, the aromas will blend together even more to create a stronger scent. Test first to make sure that your little one's skin is not too sensitive to the scents. To test, add 1 drop to the forearm and wait for 1 hour to make sure no irritation has occurred. Experiment, and remember to have fun!
NAIL PAINTING/RELAXATION
Get the kids together and pick out their favorite nail polish colors. They can make patterns or designs and take turns doing one another's nails. They can slice cucumbers to put on their eyes and make a playlist together that they can listen to while they enjoy their spa time. The girls loved picking out their favorite songs during the spa day and learning about new songs from their friends. Play the tunes, drink some lemonade, and let the relaxation begin.
TIPS
? You can create great labels for your perfumes and scrubs with stylish tape.
? Take the kids to the farmers' market to pick out fresh fruit to eat during their spa day. Here's a picture I took with my kids at our local farmers' market.
