Bathtime with babies and toddlers can be rather stressful for most parents. It’s not fun washing a wriggle, slippery little person. However, if done right, bathtime can be a great way for you to bond with your little one. You can turn your bathroom into a waterpark, with toys, games, bubbles, and lots of fun activities!

Wondering how to make bathtime fun? Well, bath time is a lot more fun when you incorporate bath toys. The good news is that bath toys do not need to be expensive. In fact, you can make them yourself with your little one. Here are a few ideas: 

• A Rain Shower: to make this, all you have to do is punch a few holes in the bottom of a plastic container. Let her have fun trying to fill it up in the bath or pouring water on her own head
• Baby-friendly Water Balloons: to make this, fill a ziplock bag about three-quarters of the way with water before closing it up. It will be easy to manipulate in her tiny hands and she will be able to squeeze and throw it around without it breaking. 
• Homemade Squirt Gun: Use a turkey blaster or a nose-bulb syringe to squirt some water on her. Show her how to squeeze the bulb and fill the tube with water and how to aim the gun at her bath toys. These tools are easy for her to use and she will be developing her hand muscles as she plays. 
• A Sponge Boat: Float a new kitchen sponge in the tub with your baby. Show her how her rubber duckie can use the sponge as a boat. Then show her how to soak the sponge and squeeze all the water out. 

• Incorporate educational toys into the experience. Bathtime can be a fun time and still help your little angel learn as she plays. For example, you can use multiple floating duckies to teach her how to count as she engages in imaginative play! 
• Use lots of bubbles. Bubbles are fun. You can alternate between your blowing and her popping and vice versa. Over time, she will learn the difference between words like float and pop. 
• Foam is fun. Use lots of foam and make beards and mustaches!
• Try bath books, which are plastic-coated books that can be read in the water. 
• Sing as you give her a bath. Pick her favorite tunes so she can join in!
• Add an unbreakable baby-friendly acrylic mirror to your bath sessions to make it more fun. Young children enjoy mirror play in the water. 
• Introduce textures using a bath sponge, washcloth, shaving cream, or a dry towel. 
• Splash the water and let her kick her legs and throw water everywhere. Let her let loose as much as she safely can in the bathroom. 
• Create a fantasy. Turn the tub into a pirate ship and sail the high seas and encourage your little one to join in the fantasy with you. 

Final Thoughts

Bathtime is a great opportunity for babies and toddlers to play while bonding with their parents. It’s not complicated. All you need is a bath or a tub and a few toys to play with. As you engage with your little one during bath time, teach her about the water, how it works, what they are doing, the various parts of her body, and concepts like sinking and floating that she will find very interesting. Have fun!