Richmond Library invites families to make DIY bath bombs for gifts

Richmond Public Library turned West End Meeting Room A into a Saturday maker space as its STEAM Team led families through DIY bath bombs, a hands-on project that doubled as an early Mother’s Day gift idea. The program was listed for May 2 from 10 a.m. to noon and was part of the library’s arts-and-culture programming.

The event was built for a wide family age range, with the listing calling it perfect for teens, tweens and kids. For children 8 and under, an adult helper was recommended, a detail that made the workshop feel more like a shared family build than a drop-off craft session. That kind of setup matters in a public library, where a program can be accessible without requiring families to already own molds, ingredients or a dedicated craft setup at home.

Bath bombs also fit the STEAM label naturally. The fizz comes from a simple chemical reaction when sodium bicarbonate and citric acid meet water, producing carbon dioxide gas. That gives the project a clear science payoff without losing the fun of color, scent and the final giftable product. Richmond Public Library has used the format before in teen-focused programs, including Teen STEAM: DIY Bath Fizzies and Teen STEAM: Cosmetic Chemistry - DIY Fizzing Bath Bombs, showing that the activity works across age groups and not just as a one-off kids’ craft.

The West End event also fit into a larger rhythm for the library. Richmond Public Library’s STEAM Team is a recurring program, and one listing says the West End branch version meets on the first Thursday of each month at 4 p.m. The library’s spring 2026 guide places STEAM Team among its regular youth offerings alongside storytimes and other kids-and-family activities, reinforcing that maker programming is part of its core public service.

That wider setting helps explain why bath bombs keep working so well in community spaces. Richmond Public Library says its locations offer programs and classes, event spaces, free wireless internet access and public-use computers, the kind of infrastructure that makes a simple craft workshop feel like part of a larger learning environment. Recent market reports also point to bath bombs remaining a steady consumer trend, especially in wellness, customization and gifting. In Richmond, that trend became a practical library program, one that gave families a finished item to take home and a basic chemistry lesson wrapped inside it.