Are your kids dreading bath time because they know sleep will soon follow? It happens, especially when you have your children on a routine. Getting your kids in the tub can sometimes be a fight, but fight no more! We have five fun bath time activities to get your precious tots excited about getting clean.
1. Bathtub Kitchen
No need to use store bought bath time toys. There are items right in your kitchen that can help with academic, cognitive and physical development while creating a fun bath time environment.
- A whisk, bowl and soap help develop wrist and hand strength. Squirt a pump of soap/bubble bath in the bowl, add a bit of bath water, and your child can whisk to make bubbles. Whisk the whole bath to stir it all up for more adventure.
- A turkey baster to strengthen the control of the hands and fingers.
- Medicine droppers or medicine syringes (no needles) can be used to really challenge the hand strength of the older preschooler.
- An empty soap container can be filled with bath water and pumped to squirt the water around.
The addition of kitchen instruments can make your child feel like you are a mad scientist.
2. Mini Car Wash
If your child is really into cars, open up a late night car wash. A little music and a lot of toy cars can go a long way. This is a great activity to discuss colors, shapes, and sizes.
3. Picasso in Water
Mix food coloring with shaving cream and you instantly have a washable bath paint that does not stain your child’s skin. (Just 3-4 drops per cup of shaving cream). Grab an empty foam egg carton or ice cube tray to use as a palette. Each cube can be a different color.
This activity can be incorporated with the bath time spinner below. Use it to determine which body part your child will paint. For older kids, paint a layer of the “paint” on the shower wall, then your child can use their finger to write words. This is a fun way to practice spelling!
4. Bath Time Spinner
Create a spinner using a plate, metal fastener, and paper arrow.
- Cut out an arrow from paper.
- Punch a hole in the plate and the arrow.
- Fasten them together with the fastener like in the picture.
- Draw different body parts in sections on your plate.
- Spin the arrow, and your child can wash the body part pictured where the arrow stops.
This is a fun game for learning body part names too!
5. Let’s Go Fishing!
With magnet ABC letters and a magnetic fishing pole, your child can go fishing in the bathroom! This educational activity reinforces letter and color association.
How to make a homemade magnetic fishing pole:
- Use a metal hanger or wooden stick (depending on the child’s age).
- Bend or adjust length to your desire.
- Super glue a string to the tip of the hanger/wooden stick.
- Super glue a small refrigerator magnet to the opposite end of the string.
- Color the bathwater with food coloring if desired.
Thank you The Stay-at-Home Mom Survival Guide for all these fun activities. Watch the following video for some extra mom hacks for bathing little ones.
