There are many different items my kids use in the bath for play, other than the traditional bath toys like the rubber duck. And bath time doesn’t just happen at night; my son often has a bath during the day as an activity. Below are seven items my kids use in the bath for play.
1. Empty Plastic Bottles
Clean, empty soft drink bottles act like boats in the water. The lid can be left on so the bottle floats, or removed and filled with water, and poured out again.
2. Milk Bottle Lids
The kids recently had a blast playing with Milk Bottle Lid Boats in the rain. Milk bottle lids are also a fun in the bath. They can be used with or without the sail (the sails can be a hazard so are best for older children and under supervision). The more lids, the better! Kids can blow the lids from one side of the bath to the other.
3. Cups and Bowls
Plastic cups and bowls are gold. Kids can pour water into one from the other, make them float, sink or use them any other way they think of.
4. Plastic Figurines
I have fond memories of playing with plastic animal figures in the bath. They are solid so the water can’t get in which makes them perfect for the bath.
5. Laundry Tub
The humble laundry tub can be turned into a sturdy boat or a desert island in the water.
6. Toddler Discovery Shapes
The laundry tub can also be used to hold discovery shapes for toddlers. After a 2 minute glance around the house, I found these bright things: rubber ball, rectangle cube, plastic spoon, half a plastic egg, silicone cupcake mould, ice-cream shape.
7. Piece of Pipe/Tube
This piece of pipe is my son’s favourite bath ‘toy’. He makes a horn sound, blows bubbles and watches the water swish in side the dip.
33 Comments
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
February 2, 2012 at 11:41 amOh yes, duplo is FANTASIC too, isn’t it: because the water doesn’t get trapped. Love it! Thanks Jodie.
Cheryl
February 2, 2012 at 11:54 amLove the milk bottle boats! My kids enjoy playing with a cup more than the conventional bath toys. I’m fed up with those squirty ones because they just get filled with mould unless you clean them everyday and who has time for that!!!
Mr 3 uses the plastic step stool as a bridge and floats things underneath it.
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
February 2, 2012 at 11:57 amThose squirty toys make me squirm. Blah! They always seem gross so I tend to steer away from them too Cheryl. LOVE the plastic step idea! I think my son would love doing that too!
Anwen
February 2, 2012 at 1:29 pmHaha, yes, my daughter doesn’t really play with her ‘bath toys’. She plays with the rubber ducks sometimes now (She’s 2) only because she’s obsessed with real ducks! Cups and anything that you can pour out of are the best!
Katie
February 2, 2012 at 11:57 amMy favourite bath toy as a kid were syringes (no needle and not used), best water pistols ever!!!
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
February 2, 2012 at 12:01 pmBAHA! I’m glad you clarified the no needle bit. LOL That made me laugh. Oh yes, I can imagine that would be very fun. That’s awesome.
Robyn
February 2, 2012 at 12:03 pmmy girls love taking their dolls in,
they love taking all their kitchen toys in,
and old shampoo bottles and of course those little toothbrushes with the suction bottoms are always the most played with things in the bathtub 🙂
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
February 2, 2012 at 1:14 pmMy girls love taking their dolls (Barbie) in too. Especially the mermaids.
Jen Finch
February 2, 2012 at 12:54 pmAll time most loved bath toy in our house…a 350mL Berri Juice bottle. Used a nail to punch a ring of holes in the bottom and then one in the centre of the lid and presto a finger operated shower! Good science lesson too…water won’t come out if the air can’t get in! My 2 yr old nephew goes straight to the bathroom to check that “his” bottle is still there ready for bathtime at Aunty’s house!
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
February 2, 2012 at 1:15 pmJen, that is beyond brilliant!
Anwen
February 2, 2012 at 1:28 pmMy daughter loves the shower at the moment, and currently has a think about taking her little plastic chair in to sit on!
She has also taken her plastic figurines in. Usually her ducks (which include the chickens and geese) and they have fun splashing and getting their hair washed!
Love it… if it won’t get wrecked, why not? I love the idea of the laundry tub!
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
February 2, 2012 at 3:52 pmAwww, that’s cute about the ducks.
Caroline
February 2, 2012 at 2:46 pmLittle Miss B loves taking her mega blocks into the bath and shower at the moment. She has so many in there I don’t know how she fits!
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
February 2, 2012 at 3:53 pmlol
Jenny
February 3, 2012 at 9:20 amMy littlest one has a couple of kitchen toys in the bath – a funnel – he loves to see the water pour out the bottom, and one of those tupperware melon ballers that was taking up room in my everything drawer.
Kelly
February 4, 2012 at 11:04 amOh, a funnel. I haven’t thought of that. Love it Jenny.
Rachel Cunliffe
February 3, 2012 at 10:01 amMy boys love taking things in from the kitchen – silicon lemon juice squeezer is their favourite (see here: http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2007/04/01_lime_squeezer.gif – it’s like a mini-shower head), also funnels and cups.
Kelly
February 4, 2012 at 11:04 amThat is so cute!
Helen
February 4, 2012 at 10:27 amFavourite rainy/cold/I’ve had enough get them in the bath so I can think toy is make-your-own bath paints. Liquid soap plus food colouring plus some paint brushes and voila – it rinses off the bath really easily!
Kelly
February 4, 2012 at 11:05 amI just love having all these brilliant ideas in the comments. This is really great Helen.
Meegan P
February 7, 2012 at 6:43 pmMy son loved the milk bottle lid boats 🙂 Thank you!!
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
February 7, 2012 at 7:14 pmYAY!
Andrea
March 6, 2012 at 12:48 amMy son’s favorite bath toy is a bag of 100 play balls made for ball pits. They have no holes so they don’t get water in them but are light and float. Clean up is even fun because he tries to shoot the balls in to the mesh storage bag trying to get them all in the “basket” before the water drains from the tub.
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
March 6, 2012 at 1:48 pmAndrea, I LOVE that idea! My son would love that. Thanks for the tip!
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March 20, 2012 at 10:25 pm[…] In the bath […]
Kylie
April 26, 2013 at 4:44 pmWe love putting a couple of glow sticks in the bath and turning off the lights, my boys have a great time, they usually take them to bed afterwards as well, great fun!
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
April 27, 2013 at 10:57 amI love it!
Holly
May 22, 2013 at 1:33 pmIkea had a cheap set of small stacking cups. They have holes in them and are bright colours. My two boys spend ages playing with these.
When I was a kid, my sisters and I took our barbies swimming all the time, both in our pool and in the bath. Great memories.
Love the glo stick idea, going to do that for sure. Thanks!!
Leanne Kirby
May 22, 2014 at 4:36 pmWe’ve done glow sticks a few times. The kids love it. Last time the younger two made a hoop and passed an inflatable ball through to each other. Have also had some fun with syringes.
I recently put the tea set in the bath for some pouring and serving practice.
And a couple of weeks ago we made gel paints – hair gel and colouring. The kids stripped off, painted the sides of the bath, and themselves. Add warm water and everything (and everyone) is clean within a couple of minutes.
Fun in the bath is one of the categories we include on appropriate weeks in my ‘letter a week’ preschool program. Will definitely be doing the milk bottle lids when we get to M 🙂 Thanks.
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
May 24, 2014 at 8:22 amOh, good tips! Thanks Leanne.
Activities for M week » Blossoming Learner
July 2, 2014 at 10:33 pm[…] started collecting milk lids after I saw Be A Fun Mum’s post on unconventional bath toys. As I mentioned in my previous post, I got out the modelling clay when we were making the letter […]
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mama b
December 25, 2014 at 4:06 amI let my kids get in tub with cheep cans of shave cream. They make snow men and mountains. When they are done fill up the tub, and the cream floats on top of water for more fun.