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Scrub-a-dub-dub! Baby’s in the tub. And, you’re still searching for a way to keep them calm, comfy, and busy as you soap up the little patch of hair on top of their head. If bath-time is a serious stressor for you and your kiddo, it’s time to invest in a few tub toys that can make the whole experience more enjoyable for everyone involved.
Bath toys are more than mere playthings. Not only can these submersibles get wet without withering away, today’s tub toys are made to help children develop new skills and build new abilities – all while staying busy in the bath. From cups that help your kiddo learn about counting to books that can go underwater, we’ve got you covered with the bath toys your baby needs right now!
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There are many benefits for using toys in the bath for baby
Bath toys provide benefits galore for babies, toddlers, and young children. Yes, the distraction aspect of tub toys is a major bonus. But it’s not the only reason to invest in a few waterproof playthings for your tot.
While keeping your kiddo clean is the primary objective for tub-time, research suggests that baths can create a multi-sensory setting that may actually help infants to develop. According to a review of studies on the subject, published in the British Journal of Midwifery, baths provide the sensory and tactile stimulation necessary to help boost baby’s cognitive development. Add in a two-way parent-child play session with their new toys, and the bath may even help to improve your little one’s social and emotional skills.
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What makes a product a good bath toy for babies?
Along with these areas of development, the intricate hand and finger motions your tot uses to move and manipulate their bath toys can build fine motor abilities. By nine months your baby could have the skills to pass objects back and forth between their hands, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). At 12-months you may notice your child picking up small objects between their thumb and pointer finger.
To help your child build these examples of fine motor abilities, and other similar skills, choose bath toys that encourage your tot to pick up, pass, handle, grip, and grab the item. Make the most of other developmental benefits, such as sensory and cognitive growth, and look for bath toys that are textured, bright, colorful, and provide plenty of visual stimulation.
Along with the development-building aspects of these toys, you will also need to consider safety. Mold can easily grow on or in anything that gets wet. Materials that are mold-free or specially sealed toys that don’t allow water ro get inside can reduce this risk. Toys that are made from plastic parts should not contain potentially harmful chemicals. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a common chemical found in plastic toys and similar products. BPA is a hormone disruptor that can lead to hyperactivity, aggressiveness, early puberty, and some types of cancer, according to information from the Children’s Environmental Health Network. Other chemicals and ingredients to avoid in bath toys include phthalates and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
If you’re not sure which toys are the right picks for your baby, here are a few of our favorites to get you started!
Munchkin Bath Bobbers
Best Floating Toy
The Munchkin Bath Bobbers feature adorable animal shapes, including a polar bear and penguin. The bobbers float in the water, are lightweight, and are recommended for infants six-months and up.
- Age
- 6+ months
- Material
- Plastic
- Cute characters
- Increases fine motor development
- Floats in the bath
Even though your kiddo can’t take their favorite stuffy into the bath, the Munchkin Bath Bobbers are adorable animal toys that can get wet. These weighted floaties bob up and down in the bath water, giving your baby the chance to improve fine motor skills such as eye-hand coordination and grasp.
If price is an issue (and when isn’t it?), these toys are a bargain. Priced at the value end of the cost spectrum, your child will get plenty of bath-times worth of fun from their new polar bear and penguin pals. Not only do the bobbers help with fine motor development, the sink and pop-back-up design give your child the chance to build cognitive skills too! And if you’re wondering just how much your 10 to 12-month-old will adore these animals, here’s what one parent had to say about their son’s real-world experience, “He is OBSESSED with them and loves holding them, talking to them and playing in and outside the tubby. DEF get, for everyone you know with a baby.”
Nuby Tub Tugs Floating Bath Toys
Best Soft Texture Tub Toy
$11 $12 Save $1
The Nuby Tub Tugs Floating Bath Toys is a two-pack of brightly-colored boats with a soft texture. Age-graded for infants six-months and up, these tub tugs are BPA-free.
- Age
- 6+ months
- Material
- Plastic
- Fun shape
- Soft exterior texture
- Floats in the water
Your little captain can test their new navigational skills with the Nuby Tub Tugs Floating Bath Toys. This two-pack scores high marks for its soft texture and bright colors that stimulate baby’s senses.
Along with sensory exploration, these animated tugs will encourage fine motor development, help your kiddo to build cognitive skills, and give them the chance to socialize as the two of you race boats through the bath water. Squeeze the center of the toy and water will squirt out – giving your baby a bath-time show! Don’t stress about harmful chemicals in your baby’s bath toys with this Nuby product. Both boats are made from a BPA-free material.
If you’re looking for toys that travel well, these play-time picks are lightweight according to this review, “I purchased these for my grandson, so he could bring them on vacation with our whole family at the end of the summer. They are lightweight and not so big that they will take up a lot of room.”
Munchkin Float and Play Bubbles Bath Toy
Best Value
The four-count of Munchkin Float and Play Bubbles Bath Toys features two characters (a duck and a whale) and two spinning whirling toys with starfish, shells, and more. Made for infants four-months and up, these Munchkin bubbles also include a textured rig for sensory stimulation.
- Age
- 4+ months
- Material
- Plastic
- Price
- Four pieces in a pack
- Mold-resistant design
- Exterior isn?t made from a soft material
With four separate toys included in one pack, the Munchkin Float and Play Bubbles Bath Toy set is a value that parents can’t ignore. You’ll get four separate toys – two bubbles that hold cute characters and two that hold shapes and shells. While all four bubbles float in the bath water, the two with shapes and shells also have textured rings, spin, and make rattling noises. Combine the sight, sounds, and textures and these bubbles are filled with sensory fun!
What can your kiddo learn from these developmental bath toys? Along with sensory development, the bubbles can help infants to build fine motor skills such as eye-hand coordination, grip, and muscle strength. Moving and spinning the set also helps little ones to develop cognitive skills and visual-spatial abilities. If you’re wondering about the ease of use for infants, here’s what one parent had to say, “Great size for little hands to learn to transfer hand to hand.”
You won’t have to worry about smelly, gunky buildup inside these toys! The Munchkin Float and Play bubbles also have a mold-free design.
Yookidoo Baby Bath Elephant Water Pump Shower Head
Best Spray Toy
The Yookidoo Baby Bath Elephant Water Pump Shower Head is battery-operated and features easy on-off knobs to make using this device a breeze. The parent-held shower stream is perfect for younger infants, while older tots can use the elephant sprayer themselves.
- Grows with your child
- Easy to turn on/off
- Gentle spray
The Yookidoo Baby Bath Elephant Water Pump Shower Head is a fun bath-time addition for your 10 to 12-month-old. But that’s not all! This toy may not look like a traditional “toy.” And, that’s one of the pluses. You can invest in the elephant early on as a fun way to rinse soap from your kiddo. As they grow, they can start to handle the sprayer themselves.
The engaging elephant promotes sensory exploration, is visually stimulating, and (when used by the child) can improve fine motor development. So, put away the cups and other containers you use to rinse your little one off and read about just how well this awesome elephant works in real life, “This is an infant bath time hero! It has the perfect water pressure and gives me more control on rinsing the shampoo out of my baby’s hair. It is super adorable too! My daughter loves playing with it as a bath toy also.”
Nuby Bath Fun Time Book
Best Bath Book
Made for newborns and up, the Nuby Bath Fun Time Book is soft, waterproof, and filled with bright, colorful pages. Along with plenty of pictures, this bath book features sounds for added sensory stimulation.
- Age
- 0+ months
- Material
- BPA-free materials
- Waterproof pages
- Made from BPA-free material
- Price
- Parent/caregiver will need to open the pages to dry well
Reading doesn’t just happen on dry land. While you can’t toss your kiddo’s board books into the bath, you can take the Nuby Bath Fun Time Book into the tub! This waterproof book is filled with plenty of bath-time pictures that will engage your child’s senses. Along with the colorful images, this book has a special surprise squeaker page.
The BPA-free book won’t curl, tear, or break apart when it gets wet, making it possible to hold story sessions in the tub. And yes, it will stand up to the test of time (and plenty of use) in real life. “The colors are bright and there’s even a squeaker inside! She’s had it for 5 months now and it has held up great!”, according to one reviewer.
Along with the sensory stimulation your baby will get, handling the book promotes fine motor skills, interactive reading with a parent or caregiver can build social abilities, and the book itself offers plenty of first early literacy lessons.
The First Year Stack & Count Stacking Cups
Best Bath Stacking Cups
The First Year Stack & Count Stacking Cups come with eight brightly-colored cups in different sizes. These BPA-free plastic cups nest together for easy storage.
- Age
- 6+ months
- Material
- Plastic
- Price
- Easy to use
- BPA-free
- Must dry completely before stacking
Stacking cups are a staple of the bath toy brigade. The First Year Stack & Count Stacking Cups rate high in value and offer a safe-to-use BPA-free option for parents who are searching for a toy that pulls double duty. Not only can your kiddo play with the stackers, you can also use the cups to rinse your little one’s hair during bath-time.
While your 10- to 12-month-old will enjoy sorting, stacking, and using the cups to play in the water right now, this set doesn’t need to go into the hand-me-down bin after your child reaches the year-mark The cups feature large numbers on the bottom, making it possible to transition the item from baby use to a toddler teaching tool. This review points out just how easy it is to transition the set from simple stackers to math manipulatives, “They do have numbers on the bottom and each cup has a number of holes that matches the number on the cup.”
Nuby Watering Can Bath Toy
Best In-to-Out of the Tub Toy
The Nuby Watering Can Bath Toy is an easy-to-use interactive toy recommended for infants 12 months and up. The lightweight can is made from BPA-free materials.
- Age
- 12+ months
- Material
- Plastic
- Grows with your child
- Promotes fine motor development
- BPA-free
- Recommended for older babies and up
This toy will grow with your child! The Nuby Watering Can Bath Toy starts out as a fun way to rinse your kiddo’s hair in the tub. As they grow and develop new skills, they can grip, grab, pour, and more on their own. Not only can your child play with the colorful watering can in the bath, this tub toy easily transitions to an outdoor option for plenty of on-dry-land fun.
The bold hues and flower spout shape encourage sensory exploration, while the easy-to-grip handle helps your child to develop fine motor skills.
Along with the BPA-free material makeup, this toy is designed in a way that can reduce or eliminate mold, “My kids are obsessed with bathtime and I try not to get toys that will get moldy. This is perfect since it has an open spout so there is airflow for it to dry. I still dry it after the bath but it will air dry if you forget one night or don’t have the time!”
Munchkin White Hot Safety Bath Duck Toy
Best Safety Toy
The Munchkin White Hot Safety Bath Duck Toy provides plenty of fine motor play for your baby and alerts you to water temperatures above 104 degrees Fahrenheit. This toy is water-tight,
- Alerts caregivers to hot water danger
- Made from water-tight materials
- Price
- Doesn?t squeak like some other bath duckies
The Munchkin White Hot Safety Bath Duck Toy combines form and function into one cute tub toy! Hot water is a real risk. According to the Mayo Clinic, 100 degrees Fahrenheit is a comfortable heat level baby’s bath. But it isn’t always easy for parents to know just how warm the water is. As one parent puts it, “I tend to take my showers at 2 billion degrees so my idea of hot is not quite the same as a baby’s. This comes in handy to just make sure it’s not too hot.”
This cute and convenient toy has a special color changing disk at the bottom to alert parents and caregivers of temps above 104 degrees. But this top pock isn’t just a good bet for safety’s sake. Infants can build fine motor skills clutching, pushing, and moving the floating duck around the tub.
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Important safety guidelines for baby’s bath time
Always supervise your child in the tub – whether they are playing with toys or not. The CDC notes that the highest percentage of drownings among infants under one-year of age happens in bathtubs. This makes constant supervision a must-do for every parent and caregiver.
Other ways to help your kiddo stay safe while playing with bath toys include choosing the best possible options (toys that are chemical-free and don’t contain small parts that an infant could choke on), looking for toys that are recommended for your child’s age, and checking or inspecting the toys regularly.
Look for signs of wear, tears, or broken parts on each toy before you put it in the tub. Even if a toy is labeled as mold-resistant, a break in the lining could let water in and cause mold growth. If the toy has visible damage, smells off, is discolored, or you can see moldy spots, throw the item away immediately.
Munchkin Float and Play Bubbles Bath Toy
Pick Up Our Favorite!
The Munchkin White Hot Safety Bath Duck Toy provides plenty of fine motor play for your baby and alerts you to water temperatures above 104 degrees Fahrenheit. This toy is water-tight,
- Age
- 4+ months
- Material
- Plastic
- Alerts caregivers to hot water danger
- Made from water-tight materials
- Price
- Doesn?t squeak like some other bath duckies
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