When it comes to water, my son has definite mixed opinions. Playing in the rain, jumping in puddles and throwing stones into streams? Best. Thing. Ever. Swimming lessons, bathing or any type of getting clean? Less so. It’s fair to say that despite our best attempts to turn him into a water baby, he’s resisted pretty well.

One of our major issues has been cleanliness; a perpetually mucky child, he’s permanently coated in a film of mud, food and (disgustingly) snot. I’d love to be able to pop him in the shower with us, but we’re still years away from walk-in showers in our home and wrestling him into the one over the bath is a nightmare. One of us is always stood out in the cold, the water pressure is awful and the bathroom ends up resembling a crime scene with towels and puddles strewn everywhere. So, we’ve had to work pretty hard to make bath time fun, here are some of our tricks so far…

Ten Ways To Make Bath Time Fun

1. Bubble Bath

There’s nothing more reminiscent of childhood baths than cracking out the bubble bath. Unfortunately, the toddler suffers with quite dry skin (you can thank both parents for that, kiddo!) so we’ve struggled to find one that gives him enjoyment without leaving him dry and itchy. We’ve found Oilatum’s Junior Bath Foam to be the best – plenty of bubbles and moisturising to boot!

2. A Bubble Machine

Whilst we’re on the theme of bubbles, if you want to make bath time into a bit of a party, why not stick the bubble machine on for a little while? Aim it over the bath for them to sit and pop bubbles to their hearts content. It’s one of the first ways we got him to stay in there for longer than two seconds!

3. Glow Sticks

Speaking of parties, throwing some glow sticks or light up bath toys into the bath and turning the lights off makes for a definite party atmosphere. You don’t want it too dark that you can’t see them mind you! This ones definitely aimed at slightly older children but we have a couple of toys that light up and watching the water glow is always enticing.

4. Let Them Take The Lead

Get your little one involved in the lead up to the bath, let them help pour in the bubble bath, turn the taps on and swish the water around. For some reason, stomping down the bath mat to make sure it’s firmly attached to the bottom of the bath is also a hit in our household.

5. Alphabet Soup

Practice phonics with foam letters in the bath. With a little water, these stick wonderfully to tiles or the side of the bath. Have fun sticking them up and peeling them off or asking your little one to find certain letters. If all else fails, they seem to be wonderful to chew on… but hey, at least they’re quiet and washing!

6. Empty Bottles

Despite the piles of bath toys, the biggest hit in our household is a couple of empty shampoo bottles. Practice screwing and unscrewing the lids, filling the bottles, squeezing them out and squirting them at things. With no cost involved (beyond having to wash your hair in the first place), it’s one of the easiest bath distraction methods going!

7. Bath Crayons

I’m a little on the fence with this one, mostly because I’m worried he’ll start scribbling on every surface going BUT I have heard great reviews of bath crayons. Get them wet and start creating masterpieces on the sides of the bath, then just wipe them off!

8. Bath Squirters

Squirt a little fun into things with some bath squirters, get them to try squirting their other toys to push them along in a race. Or use them to squirt one another if you don’t mind getting wet! Most of the fun seems to be from squirting Daddy in the face, so it’s a sure fire hit and guaranteed to create plenty of giggles.

9. Everyday Toys

One of the most fun bath toys we’ve found? Taking everyday toys in. No, not books, but things like dinosaurs and diggers can just as easily be played with in the bath as they can on dry land. An added bonus is it gives then an often much needed clean at the same time!

10. If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Join ‘Em

Number one way to make bath time enjoyable? Get in with them!

 

How do you make washing fun? Any top tips to share?