Grab the kids and raid the fridge and pantry. With a handful of everyday ingredients, you can put together a full afternoon of face masks, scrubs, nail art and bath treats that will leave everyone feeling relaxed (or at the very least, happily messy for an hour). It’s a great option for a rainy day, a school holiday afternoon, or any time you want a low-cost activity that does not involve a screen.
How to Set the Scene for a Kids Spa Day at Home
A few small touches turn this from “mixing stuff in a bowl” into an actual event. Pull out bathrobes or oversized t-shirts, find a couple of headbands, and put on some calming spa music in the background. A hand-drawn “spa menu” where kids tick off which treatments they want to try adds a nice bit of ceremony, and a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door finishes the look.
Spa Water & Light Bites
Keep everyone refreshed with a jug of spa water. Cucumber ribbons, sliced strawberries or a few mint leaves dropped into a jug of cold water look fancy and taste good too. For something to nibble on between treatments, mini fruit cups and small crustless sandwiches are easy to prepare ahead and simple for kids to eat one-handed between treatments.
A Quick Safety Note Before You Start
These treatments use kitchen ingredients rather than anything formulated for skin, so a few sensible precautions go a long way. Do a small patch test on the inside of your child’s wrist a few hours before trying any new mask, scrub or lotion on their face, and keep everything well clear of the eyes.
Cocoa, honey, dairy, strawberries and coconut are all common allergens, so skip any recipe that includes something your child reacts to. Keep an eye on small items like stick-on nail gems around younger siblings or toddlers, since they’re a choking hazard.
Kid-Friendly Face Masks for a DIY Spa Day
Chocolate Antioxidant Face Mask
This one is full of antioxidants from the cocoa and feels a lot like chocolate face paint, which is exactly why kids love it.
You’ll need:
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder
- ½ cup plain yoghurt
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- Face washers or small towels
Spa time:
- Mix the cocoa, yoghurt and honey together in a bowl until smooth.
- Apply the mask with a clean paintbrush or spoon, keeping well clear of the eyes.
- Place two cucumber slices over closed eyes.
- Lie back for 5 to 10 minutes, or as long as your child will sit still, then rinse off with warm water and a soft towel.
Strawberry Oat Glow Mask
A sensory favourite that doubles as a gentle exfoliant. Make this one fresh and use it straight away, since there’s nothing in it to keep it fresh overnight.
You’ll need:
- ½ cup ground oats
- 3 ripe strawberries, washed
- A few tablespoons of warm water
Spa time:
- Put the oats in a bowl, add a few tablespoons of warm water and let them soak for about 10 minutes.
- Add the strawberries and mash everything together with a fork (this is the part kids love most).
- Apply to the face and leave on for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Wash off with a warm face washer.
Banana Honey Hydrating Mask
If you want something even simpler, this two-ingredient mask is gentle enough for sensitive skin and takes seconds to make.
You’ll need:
- 1 ripe banana, mashed
- 1 tablespoon honey
Spa time:
- Mash the banana in a small bowl until smooth, then stir through the honey.
- Smooth over the face, avoiding the eyes, and leave on for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Rinse off with warm water.
Body Pamper Treatments
Epsom Salt Foot Soak
Epsom salts are a bathroom cupboard staple, and they make a relaxing soak for tired little feet after a day of running around.
You’ll need:
- 2 cups Epsom salts
- Warm water
Spa time:
- Fill a basin or small tub with warm water.
- Stir in the Epsom salts until dissolved.
- Let your child soak their feet for 10 to 15 minutes, topping up with warm water if it cools down.
- Dry feet well with a towel afterward.
Vanilla Sugar Body Scrub
Every ingredient in this one is already in the pantry, and it makes a sweet-smelling, gentle scrub for arms, legs and back in the bath.
You’ll need:
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 2-4 drops of yellow or red food colouring
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Spa time:
- Melt the coconut oil in the microwave for about 20 seconds in a heatproof bowl.
- Stir in the sugar.
- Add the food colouring and vanilla extract and mix well.
- Massage gently over arms, legs and back in the bath.
- Store any leftovers in a clean glass jar. It also makes a nice little gift for friends.
Gentle Arm and Leg Massage
A slow, calming massage is the perfect way to wind down the session. Warm a small amount of child-friendly, unscented lotion between your hands, then use slow strokes along arms and legs, checking in with your child about pressure as you go. A quick patch test before you start is worth doing, the same as with any new product on young skin.
Bath Bombs and Relaxation Extras
Fizzy Rainbow Bath Bombs
Bath bombs are a firm favourite for good reason, and making your own means you know exactly what has gone into them.
You’ll need:
- 1 cup bicarb soda (baking soda)
- ½ cup citric acid (found in the baking aisle at most supermarkets)
- ½ cup cornflour
- 2 to 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- A few drops of food colouring
- Silicone moulds or small cookie cutters
Spa time:
- Mix the bicarb soda, citric acid and cornflour together in a large bowl.
- Slowly add the melted coconut oil, stirring as you go, until the mixture holds together when pressed.
- Divide the mixture into a few small bowls and add a different food colouring to each for a rainbow effect.
- Press firmly into moulds and leave to dry for at least 4 hours, or overnight if you can.
- Drop one into the bath and watch it fizz.
Citric acid can sting if it gets into eyes or onto cuts, so keep younger kids’ hands away from their face while mixing, and wash hands well afterward.
Chilled Cucumber Eye Pads
A spa day classic, and an easy one to set up. Chill a few cucumber slices in the fridge for half an hour, then have your child lie back and place a slice over each closed eye for 5 to 10 minutes while they relax to some calming music.
Lavender Rice Eye Pillow
This one isn’t a treatment so much as a prop, but it’s perfect for the relaxation part of the day, while a mask is soaking in or after the bath.
You’ll need:
- 1 cup rice
- A few dried lavender flowers or a chamomile tea bag
- A clean sock or small fabric pouch
Spa time:
- Pour the rice and lavender (or tea bag) into the sock.
- Tie or sew the open end shut.
- Warm in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Test the temperature on your own hand first, then place it over your child’s eyes or around their neck for a few quiet minutes.
Always check the temperature yourself before it goes anywhere near your child’s skin, and leave out the lavender in favour of plain rice if there’s any known sensitivity.
Nail Painting Station
This is usually the part kids ask for first. Let them pick out a few bright nail polish colours, then add stick-on gems or simple nail art for a bit of extra glamour. Toe separators make the whole thing feel like the real deal, and most kids find them funnier than anything else on the day.
Stick to a non-toxic, water-based polish made specifically for children like No Nasties, Piggy Paint, SuncoatGirl or Karma Organic Kids and use a gentle, low-odour remover rather than a strong acetone one. If there are younger siblings or toddlers around, keep an eye on small gems and stickers, since they’re a choking hazard for little ones who might pick them up off the floor.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kids Spa Days at Home
Yes, with a few sensible precautions. Stick to kid-safe ingredients and products, patch test anything new, avoid the eyes, and supervise younger kids closely, especially around bath bombs, nail products and warm water.
Most of these treatments suit kids from about age 4 and up, once they can follow simple instructions and sit still with their eyes closed for a few minutes.
Around 5 to 10 minutes is plenty. Kids’ skin is more sensitive than an adult’s, so there’s no need to leave any of these on longer, and you should rinse off straight away if your child says anything is stinging.
Definitely. Every recipe here works just as well for grown-ups, so there’s nothing stopping the whole family from turning it into a proper pamper afternoon.
Yes, as long as you choose a non-toxic, water-based polish made specifically for children, and use a gentle remover rather than a strong acetone one. Keep stick-on gems and stickers away from younger siblings, since they’re a choking hazard.
Cocoa, honey, dairy, strawberries and coconut are all easy to swap or skip if your child has a known sensitivity. When in doubt, do a small patch test on the wrist a few hours before trying anything new on the face.
More Ways to Keep Kids Busy at Home
If today’s spa day goes down well, there’s plenty more to keep the fun going. The Rainy Day Activities for Kids to Do at Home guide has 25 more ideas for the next stretch of bad weather, and the Free School Holiday Activities guide is full of low-cost ways to fill the school holidays.
However you spend the afternoon, a spa day at home proves that the best kind of pampering doesn’t need a big budget. Just a few pantry staples and a bit of mess.