Top Toddler Bath Time Games

Activities and Games

Row, Row, Row Your Boat: Your little one will enjoy singing this ageless nursery rhyme with you in the tub. Act out the lyrics and fill a toy boat or a Tupperware container with favorite plastic animals, then "row" them from one end of the tub to the other.

Ice Cube Surprise: If the weather is warm, treat your child to this bath activity. Take a handful of small plastic animals or bath sponges (dinosaurs, farm animals, or ocean creatures) and submerge them in ice cube trays or small plastic cups; then freeze them overnight. Drop the ice cubes into a warm bath on a hot day, and watch the animals slowly emerge from the ice. For variety, you can try adding ice cubes made with colored water to a clear-water bath.

Washcloth-Puppet Play: Easy to find and equally easy to make at home, these imaginative washcloth creatures can add drama to your child's bath. Make up plays with your child and his washcloth puppets. Create a special story just for him, or take turns with different characters. Use the soft creatures to wash your tot's face and body and let him do the same to the puppet.

Color Wonder: Let your child choose a tub tint for her nightly bath, or bring out the body paint or bath crayons for a colorful bathtub art session. This is a personal favorite at our house. Our daughter especially likes us to draw a landscape on the side of the tub for her to "walk" her favorite plastic animal through. You too can create your own scenes or character to spark your child's imagination. Draw fish on the bottom and sides of the tub, or create bath stories each night and draw the characters. Incorporate learning into bath time by drawing shapes and having your child identify them.

Rub-a-Dub: Gather all your rubber ducks or other waterproof toys and announce that it is time for everyone to get a good scrub-down. Bring out some bubble bath or children's soap, several washcloths or sponges, and have your child bathe all of his toys. Set a folded towel on the edge of the tub, or within your child's reach, to set clean toys upon.

Go Fish: Turn your bath into a deep sea aquarium. FamilyFun.com suggests buying an inexpensive aquarium net from a local pet store and some colorful sponges or craft foam. Cut out small sea animals from the foam or sponges (about two- to three-inches big) and let your child go fishing in the bathtub. To add a creative twist to this idea, you can also bring in several small beach pails to the bath for your child to sort the fish by color or shape after catching them with the net.