Play is such an important part of learning and development for your little one. So when you throw in some water and some carefully selected toys, bath-time becomes one of the best times for engaging little minds with a little play.
To make sure you make the most of the time your little one has in the tub, these are some of our favourite bath toys.
Toys for creativity and self-expression
It’s always good to look for bath toys that encourage early language skills, teach basic maths concepts and encourage creativity. Bath tub walls also make the ideal blank canvas for things like bath crayons. After they’ve written or drawn on the wall, they can also enjoy more straightforward benefits of playing with Learn Bathtime Letters and Numbers. You can also use this time to explore concepts like empty and full, using cups to pour water.
Toys for cognitive skills
Here we’re talking about action and reaction. Bath toys that play on this are especially good for older babies and toddlers as they help them begin to understand if/then logic. Bubble Bestie is a fantastic bubble blower that’s child operated and child approved (the one-way mouthpiece prevents accidental ingestion). It’s a fun and simple way to teach about the direct outcomes of actions.
Hand-eye coordination skills
Most of our bath products naturally help support hand-eye coordination. We find often it’s the simplest bath toys that make the biggest splash. Take Sharky and Pals. These sweet little guys keep curious minds engaged while building essential hand-eye coordination. ColourMix fish can also help your little one develop these skills – they simply take the colour-changing bath toys apart and mix and match them to create their own.
Fine motor skills
Squeezable bath toys are always fun, but they also have a very specific benefit. They help develop fine motor skills! This refers to the proper use of small hand muscles – if your little one practices these skills every day, it will help them hold pencils or crayons, use safety scissors and play with handheld toys.
At Munchkin, you’ll find plenty of bath squirts that do just the job – and that look super cute too.
Auditory and gross motor skills
Music can have a hugely beneficial impact on your little one – in fact it can positively affect creative, cognitive and emotional development. The bath is also a great place to enjoy some top acoustics!
At Munchkin, you’ll find some great toys to get musical at bath-time. These include our 3-in-1 Octodrum which encourages musical exploration through imaginative play and our colourful Dingray xylophone which brings hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills to the tub. Gross motor skills refers to the use of larger muscles, such as arms, legs and torso.
Problem-solving skills
Playing games helps your little one hone two essential life skills: patience and problem solving. And bath games that also encourage fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination are a real winner if you ask us! This classic Fishin’ bath toy comes with a magnetic fishing rod and underwater bobbers and is ideal for bath-time.
Social emotional development
As much as we love bath toys that aid with your little one’s development, we can’t forget one learning opportunity that doesn’t require any toys.
As bath-time is a predictable activity, it’s a great time to start building language and emotional skills. Toddlers thrive on knowing what comes next as it helps them regulate larger-than-life feelings. We recommend narrating everything you’re doing in the bath to help build vocabulary and confidence in what to expect: “First we wet our hair, then we make bubbles and then we play.” Learning can be that simple.
There are obvious benefits of bath-time for babies and toddlers. It’s a great time for uninterrupted bonding and a predictable and relaxing routine to signal the start of bedtime. If you throw some learning in the mix too, it might just be our favourite part of the day.
Looking for more baby advice? Head to our blog or listen to our StrollerCoaster podcast.