Learning to carve and whittle soap is a great way to introduce knife safety and knife skills for kids grade 1-5.
Kids will use plastic knives for this introductory carving project. The canoe shape is familiar and simple, yet satisfying, and materials for retries are cheap and readily available.
Step 1: Select Your Soap
Choose a solid soap. Ivory is the traditional choice, and is a nice combination of soft and firm.
Soaps from the Dollar store will often be dried out and brittle and discouraging for younger learners.
I like to buy a multipack so I know it's double sealed: individually wrapped bars, in a larger wrapper.
If the soaps are very fresh, you might want to unwrap them the night before the craft so they can dry out just a bit.