In this article, we will learn about the importance of bath time and how it can be utilized as opportunity for children development and learning. we will also learn how to choose the right toy and what are the best developmental toys for bath time.
Cognitive and emotional benefits of bath time
Studies have shown that bath time is critical for your little one’s cognitive and emotional development. All the senses that are engaged during this special time encourage their brain to really focus and pay attention.
The feel of the water on their skin, watching water pour and drain, playing with bubbles, smelling soothing scents, and most importantly, the time for touch.
Experts have also found that baths can de-stress and relax your baby to promote a good night’s sleep.
Gently rubbing your baby’s skin in the bath “slows down the physiology, so it slows heart rate, it slows blood pressure, it changes brain waves in the direction of relaxation. So it’s basically a relaxation kind of response that occurs to having pressure receptors stimulated,” says Tiffany Field, director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine.
Then lets go fill those bathtubs for playing and learning with one or more from the best developmental toys for bath time, and maybe even getting a full night’s sleep (fingers crossed!).
When to introduce bath toys
Bathing your baby for the first few times is one of the scariest things a new parent does. But you soon get the hang of it, that slippery baby soon starts to enjoy bathtime. Because this is such a big milestone, it’s essential you understand when you should introduce bath toys.
Here at Moms Arena, we recommend introducing bath toys when your infant has head control and is able to sit up by themselves. Every babba is different, but this should happen when your little one is approximately six months old.
We talk a lot about the benefits of a bedtime routine. Playing in the bath as everyday has lots of advantages. From squeezing sponges or rubber ducks to improve fine motor skills, sensory development thanks to bath crayons and creative and self-expression opportunities, there’s plenty of learning in this activity.
Choosing a few fun options will engage your little one into the joys of water play. This can extended during the day with play using a washing up bowl and moving on to swimming pool when you’re both ready.
How to choose the best developmental toys for bath time
Ready to start shopping? Check out our top tips for choosing the best tub toys for babies, toddlers and kids.
Choose a toy that’s age appropriate
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), baby bath toys aren’t necessary for young infants—the water itself is thrilling enough. That said, once baby is old enough for the bathtub, toys are a welcome addition. When shopping for baby and toddler bath toys, always defer to the manufacturer’s age guidelines to guarantee they’re suitable for your little one.
Look for sensory bath toys
The more fun your child has in the tub, the better! Bath toys will keep babies and toddlers happy (and distracted!) while you get them spick and span. Sensory toys, in particular, help encourage healthy development and learning that can strengthen key motor skills. Options like stacking and draining cups or light-up baubles are great for rousing their senses.
Pick toys that are easy to clean and dry
In order to prevent mold and mildew, bath toys should be air dried between each use. Soap scum and grime build up over time, so regular cleaning post-use should be a priority. To make life easier, purchase bath toys that dry fast or are dishwasher-safe.
Avoid squeezable toys with holes
These types of bath toys are notoriously hard to clean and can harbor mold. Moreover, opting for bath toys that are hermetically sealed—meaning they’re designed without holes—and are resistant to water retention (the culprit of mold proliferation) is the way to go. If you have trouble finding no-hole playthings, set your sights instead on toys with large openings or those that come apart, as they can be easily drained, cleaned and dried
Pay attention to materials
Babies and toddlers put everything in their mouths (both food and toys alike), squeezing and biting as a way to learn and explore—so when you’re on the hunt for entertainment, it’s especially important to know what the bath toys you give your child are made of. We recommends looking for toys that are BPA-free and made from non-toxic materials like natural rubber.
To sum up, Bath toys may be designed to keep babies and toddlers engaged and occupied, but they should never offer an excuse to leave your child unattended in the water.
That said, For safety reasons, always stay within arms reach of your little one during bath time.
Which toys are the best developmental toys for bath time?
We have tested, reviewed and order the best developmental toys for bath time online for you to make the best choice for your child.
#1 Melissa & Doug Book - Float-Alongs
Books
Three playful floating baby Penguin toys accompany this soft 6-page bath book. Kids will love playing with their little Penguins as they read the delightful story.
The adorable floating toys are fully sealed to prevent water from getting inside, and they store in a mesh tube attached right to the waterproof book!
In addition, Penguin toys are fully sealed to prevent water from getting inside and creating mold, and store in mesh tube attached to book.
Product Highlights
- Recommended age range: 4 Months and up
- Penguins are sealed to prevent water from getting inside
- Soft, Waterproof pages are easy for small hands to grasp
- Pros
- Resistance to mold
- Easy to clean
- Giftable
- Cons
- Might be too simple
- Pricy
Summary:
Your little one will love the Playful Penguins Float Alongs Book & Toy Set from Melissa & Doug. This fun little bath book features a cute story about 3 little penguins and comes with 3 rubber penguins for kids to play with as they read along!
Little bookworms will love this set that lets them take a six-page book and three matching penguins into the bath and back out again! Reviewers love the rhyming, waterproof pages and the attached mesh bag that allows the fully sealed penguins to fully drain, keeping them, above all, mold-free and safe from being lost.
The sturdy penguins float on the surface of the water and they are the perfect size to be easily gripped by little hands.
Penguins especially are a huge hit with babies — For instance, one adorable Amazon review included a picture of a sleeping baby gripping one of their beloved penguins.
#2 Honeysticks Bath Crayons
Drawing
Honeysticks Beeswax Bath Crayons are made from an all natural beeswax and soy blend with non toxic food grade pigments. These natural bath crayons will wash off easily, without staining your bath.
They’re packaged in a tin can with drain holes in the bottom so it doubles as a bath toy. This pack contains 7 colours, blue, maroon, green, orange, pink, yellow and brown.
These extra-long jumbo crayons are designed to help develop your child’s dexterity and pencil grip.
It’s the perfect bath toy for your child or as a birthday gift for a friend.
Product Highlights
- Recommended age range: 1 month and up
- Natural and food-grade ingredients for peace of mind
- For use in the bath or on hard surfaces
- Packaged in a tin can
- Safe for children to use
- Water resistant biodegradable crayon wrapper
- No paraffin wax
- Pros
- Fits to age
- Natural
- Easy to use
- Cons
- Pricy
- Breakable
Summary:
Some people hate bath crayons because they’re hard to clean up. If you’re not one of those who have banned them from the bath, give these a look. They’re much nicer and more durable than the retractable plastic cased ones. Moreover, The colors are good and the crayons will last a long time because of their size. They have a metal storage can that thoughtfully has holes punched in the bottom for drainage. In addition, The price is high compared to what you can get at a big box or dollar store, but these really are high quality and I think the entire set is plastic free. In short, Totally one of the best developmental toys for bath time.
#3 Boon Chomp Bath Tub Whale Toy
Sensory
Boon Chomp Whale Bath Toy has soft and flexible jaw that opens wide enough when squeezed to gather small toys from the baby bath tub. It has holes in the bottom to create a rainfall for a fun bath time. Soft and durable whale bath toy is above all, safe for kids and encourages fun role play and hand-eye coordination. In addition, it includes one whale and three creatures.
Little ones will have a whale of a time with this clever set. Made with BPA-, PVC-, and phthalate-free plastic, the whale features a chomping jaw that is operated by squeezing the tail.
The jaw is soft and flexible to keep little fingers safe and the set drains well so it won’t get moldy. Holes in the bottom of the whale are fun for making rainfall and also aid in improving airflow to prevent mildew. Babies will enjoy watching you use the whale to eat up the included four fish rings, and toddlers can do the task themselves for an activity that helps with hand-eye coordination. One reviewer noticed another fun feature: “A little trick with this is if you hold the mouth open, and dip it under water upright….the airhole will bubble out and spray water like a real whale.”
Product Highlights
- Recommended age range: 12 Months and up
- Soft flexible jaw is safe for small fingers
- Encourages hand-eye coordination
- Includes one whale and three creatures
- Pros
- Fits to age
- Durable
- Value for money
- Popular
- Cons
- Limited functionality
Summary:
Looking for a bath toy that’ll spark their imagination and help strengthen their hand-eye coordination? This BPA-free set includes three brightly colored sea creatures that don’t stand a chance when they’re eyed up by your toddler. Have them squeeze the tail fin to see the whopper mammal gobble everything up in its path. What we love even more than this fish-frenzy feast is how easily the toy opens up and dries after use.
#4 G-WACK Lovely Monkey Caterpillar
Interactive
Your kids will love bathing from now on! They can play game by themselves. When children pour water into toys, the gravity of water makes the monkey’s eyes and stars rotate, the monkey’s mouth will spit water, and the water at the outlet of multiple pipes below forms a beautiful waterfall, which drives the windmill to rotate. Water and children form a joyful interaction!
Certified BPA & lead free, edges are smooth and well finished, no batteries are required, thickened plastic that is not easy to break, and compact size to prevent swallowing and weight for toddler to handle.
The bath toys holder provides air circulation, therefore, it allows the water to completely drain, then you can give the bath toy a full cleaning, so it can keep dry and clean easily
This bathtub toy is an indoor toy safe and recommended for play by children 1 to 3 year old boys and girls.
Product Highlights
- Recommended age range: 12 months and up
- Easily relocate: Can be stick to flat and smooth surfaces
- 30 Day Return on all G-WACK toys
- Pros
- Wide age range
- Functional
- Enteratining
- Cons
- Monkey eyes sometimes don't spin
- Sometimes suction cup doesn’t stick
Summary:
This brightly-colored bathtub toy will keep your baby busy all the way through toddlerhood. It features a monkey and a starfish sitting aloft a caterpillar.
Babies can use the teddy bear cup to pour water into the flower on the monkey’s head. Then watch the flower spin and the monkey’s eyes rotate. When they pour water into the red cup, the starfish will turn and the water will fall beneath the starfish and cause a gear to spin.
Hold your baby’s hand under the belly of the caterpillar and listen to the delightful giggles as baby feels the water trickle out.
Toddlers will start to understand the concept of cause and effect, as one (fun!) action always causes another (cool!) reaction.
This toy is built to drain water easily and circulate air through it in order to allow it to dry quickly after bathtime. It’s certified BPA and lead-free with smooth edges.
#5 Bessentials Swimming Whales Magnetic Fishing Toy
Matching
Rotating fishing pole allows baby to adjust the line to hook the whales, let them experience the fun of real fishing.
Bessentials fishing toy set also contains a frog net for net fishing, provides an easy playing way for younger babies. Kids can also play fishing game on floor, enjoy the toy everywhere they want
There is a drain at the bottom of the whale to keep the inside dry, avoid mold, you can let your baby play with peace of mind
Product Highlights
- Recommended age range: 12 months and up
- Mold free
- Made of high quality ABS material, BPA free
- Rotating Fishing Rod
- Parent-child Interactive Game
- Pros
- Easy to use
- Develop coordination
- Interactive
- Cons
- Need to be drained to prevent mold
- Whales sink as they fill with water
Summary:
To sum up, These cute whales can swim in the tub, just rotate the button clockwise and release them in water, they can swim quickly, arouse the interest of the baby and keep them busy and entertained the whole bath time
#6 Nuby Bath Tub Alphabet Set
Learning
A, B, C’s and 1, 2, 3 The Nuby Bath Letters and Numbers Set includes 26 letters (A-Z), and 10 numbers (0-9).
The Letters & Numbers float in the bath and stick to sides of the bath and walls when wet. Nuby have a wide range of Bath Time toys to make bath time fun. Box Contains 26 Letters and 10 Numbers.
MUST READ REVIEW:
“So just a little back history on us, my son and his semi non-verbal autistic. Recently who can learn his letters and numbers I was having a hard time performing during test. I went ahead and bought this for bath time and we use it every single day. My son loves letters and numbers. I have them in Ziploc bags so we can’t just scattered them all over the place. I grabbed one out and he has to tell me the letter before I can let him have it. Totally love that they stick to the side of the tub. They are super easy to clean. After bath time I lay them on a towel and they dry by the time I go to do laundry.
My son is autistic and has oral tendencies. He has chewed on them and try to rip them apart and we have not lost a letter yet. He is so obsessed with these, we had to take the number 8 to Walmart with us. Definitely get if your child is needing help with letters and numbers”
Product Highlights
- Recommended age range: 1 month and up
- BPA free materials
- 36 pieces set of letters and numbers
- Pros
- Colorful
- Wide age range
- Budget
- Sturdiness
- Cons
- Loses suction after a while
- Smaller than expected
Summary:
Firstly, Nuby Bath Letters and Numbers Set are made of BPA free materials and are totally one of the best developmental toys for bath time.
Secondly, Letters and Numbers can stick to bathtub or wall when wet. The foam is soft, durable, non-toxic and floats in water.
Nuby’s Bath Letters and Numbers Set are designed to captivate your child’s attention. Bright, colorful designs encourage counting and spelling and smiles.
In addition, Your little one will learn through play and get clean in the process. With Nuby’s Bath Letters and Numbers Set bath time becomes an opportunity for interactive learning.
#7 Bunmo 24pcs Montessori Suction Toys
Building
Fun, silly and safe, these suction toys are all you’ll ever need during playtime.
For Example, Build towers, create obstacles for action figures, or pop them off of smooth surfaces! These suction toys for toddlers are toys to keep a toddler busy on plane making them perfect for traveling!
Enjoy the fun that comes with these fun suction cup toys. Perfect for playing in the tub or learning, these Silly Suckers help in fine motor skill development and encourage the development of coordination and focus. Ideal to keep those energetic little fingers busy in a fun and educational way!
Product Highlights
- Recommended age range: 3 Years and up
- 24pcs Montessori Suction Toys
- Adorable zippered nautical themed bathtub toyganizer bag
- Pros
- Easy to storage
- Durability
- Easy to clean
- No option for mold creation
- Cons
- Suction is difficult for small hands
- Bag don't come with hanging hooks
Summary:
In conclusion, This multipurpose fidget toy is excellent for all occasions, especially during bath time. fidget toys can be used safely as they float, stick and make fun popping noises in the bath! Moreover, This sensory toy will keep those eager fingers occupied and provide users with a sense of peace, calmness, and stimulation.
Interested in construction and building blocks for outside of the bath? click on the link