Oh em geeeee. Best summer activity: the outdoor potions station.

I will never sugar coat things or blow smoke… this activity is messy and it is fantastic. I mean, really, really messy. But I also mean really, really fantastic.

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Outdoor potions is a summertime HERO

We do this activity all the time. I’m considering buying stock in these companies for next summer and for sure buying products in bulk.

Oh my stars, do my kids ever just love making potions (they learned about potions from Friends Art Lab!).

BUT WHO DOESN’T?

Were you a potion making kid? I was…

Kids love open-ended experimenting

Open-ended experimenting is the cornerstone of childhood science exploration. This may look like a giant mess, but it is serious and significant learning for kids.

Potions represent the heart of science for kids:

• Experimenting
• Imagining
• Curiosity
• Problem solving/critical thinking

I know it’s a mess, but potion making for kids is WHERE IT’S AT.

RELATED: Looking for more summer activities for kids? Oh, do I have the best list!

Here’s what I put into our outdoor potion station

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• Dish soap / washing up liquid / fairy soap
• Baking soda / bi-carb
• White vinegar
• Water
• Shaving cream
• Measuring cups
• Peri bottles (yup, those are the best!)
• Syringes ( OR use the old ones from kid-medicine)
• Plastic jars with lids (I LOVE these and we use them A LOT)

There’s no rhyme or reason for how much of each substance to have. Just make sure to have a bit of everything, scoops, bottles, containers, etc. The kids need room to play.

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Let’s talk about the mess this makes

Yes, this makes a mess.

Before you start this an activity, take a moment, and pause a second. How are you going to clean this up? What clean up supplies do you need handy to make it happen at the end?

Here’s what I did:

I had towels near my kids. Some were wet, some were dry. You can even catch a glimpse of them in the background of some of these photos (wink).

I also know from years of doing activities that baking soda, vinegar, and dawn – they kill grass. So I put all the containers into my sink to clean and then I tipped the contents of this table into a bucket to carry into my house.

This worked for me. It was fine – not my favorite clean up but it’s worth it every time. Plus, I’m down to a science on this because we do it so often (pun totally intended).

Friends, I can’t recommend outdoor potions enough

It’s an all time activity. It’s an all ages activity. Once a kiddo isn’t going to eat it or get it in their eyes, this activity is life.

Have some fun this summer with outdoor potions – it is truly the greatest.