Who doesn’t love some good, clean fun? If bathtime usually has Baby bubbling over with excitement, you can make even more of a splash with them by incorporating some new games that are both exciting and educational. Skip the waterpark and dive into these activities right at home!
- Fishing for numbers and letters: Give those alphabet and number magnets a change of scenery from the kitchen to the bathroom with this fun game. To start, toss an assortment of magnets into the water, then ask Baby to go fishing. Of course, you don’t need an actual fishing rod – their hands will make the perfect tool. As they pull out each magnet, you can start to get them familiar with their ABCs and 123s by naming what’s in their hand as they pull it free. This is a fun way to promote learning, as well as to develop their fine motor skills while they grasp each slippery magnet.
- Arts and crafts: Making a masterpiece at home can be downright messy, so why not take it to the bath for an easy cleanup? Bath markers and crayons allow children to color in the tub or on tile walls, and wash clean with soap and water. Let Baby explore their creativity and imagination, and sneak in a little learning, too. Asking them if they'd like to use red or blue, for example, will encourage their communication skills and build their familiarity with colors.
- Washing game: Even just getting cleaned up offers a built-in learning opportunity! As you scrub Baby to get them clean, name each body part out loud to get their familiar with their own body. When they start to get familiar with this, you can start to ask them to wash their own legs, or scrub the back of their own neck, and then praise them for each correctly identified area. You can get creative with this one by making up fun songs to keep their attention, and expand on it be being more specific as time goes on: left arm, right foot, and more.
Bathtime is a great time to wind down at the end of the day, and to connect with Baby by having some fun. If they already love the bath, you can expand on their excitement by incorporating games into the routine. For toddlers who are more resistant to water, adding an element of fun to the equation can help them relax and enjoy their time in the tub. Scrub-a-dub-dub!
