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I once heard someone say, “When a baby gets fussy, put them in water.” Bathtime is different from anything else you do all day, so it’s not surprising that most little ones love to get in the water and splash and play!
I admit that I don’t always want to get down on hands and knees and give the baby a bath. I’ll also admit to standing in the bathroom door, laptop in hand, trying to work while still keeping an eye on the little one. But it’s a much better experience for both of us if I turn off for a few and engage in bathtime!
Rather than seeing it as a chore, I see it as a time for bonding and learning. There are few distractions other than whatever toys you toss in there, so you can take the time to sing songs, play games, and just talk together.
Here are some ideas for how to make bathtime a super time, along with information on our go-to bath products!
Bonding and Learning at Bathtime
Get comfy
You have to be comfortable if you want to look forward to and enjoy bathtime with baby. Get a cushy bath mat or grab a pillow to lean against while you play together.
Sing songs
Bath time is a great time to sing songs together, especially ones that have fun hand motions. My toddler loves Wheels on the Bus, The Isty-Bitsy Spider, Popcorn, and anything she can act out!
Make animal sounds
If you have some bath-friendly animal toys, drop them in and have fun making animal sounds. Do a song or a story using them. I recommend finding some bath cows and kittens so you don’t have to figure out what kind of sounds fish and turtles make!
Practice motor skills
Fancy bath toys are not needed! Grab a couple of different sized containers, and see how much fun your little one has pouring water back and forth among them. My little one loves to get the water from the faucet and always gets irritated when I turn it off! Let her try pouring water on her legs, tummy, and even her hair if she’s adventurous!
Draw and write
If you don’t mind having a colorful tub (don’t worry, they wash off), grab some bath crayons and let your little artist color on the tub walls. Write his name for him. If he’s starting to learn the ABCs, draw some letters for him to name. Older toddlers might be able to write their own letters or copy an example.
Learn shapes and colors
Use bath toys or your bath crayons to learn about shapes and colors. If she isn’t naming her colors yet, she might still be able to group like colors together. For shapes, start with circle, square, triangle, heart, and star. Name them to her, and soon she’ll be naming them to you!
Count together
It can be fun to learn to count in the tub! You can count fingers, toes, or bath toys! Try back-and-forth counting (you say “one,” he says, “two,” etc). Before you know it, he’ll be counting to ten all on his own!
Name body parts
The body parts game is a great time to get all washed up! That’s the main reason baby is in the tub to begin with, isn’t it? For a smaller baby, talk to her about what you’re doing as you gently scrub her from tip to toe. You might get an older baby to repeat the parts of his body or point to them when you ask. A toddler can try to do the scrubbing herself when you name a body part.
Gentle Bath Products for Baby
After some time to have fun, learn, and bond during bathtime, don’t forget to do the actual bathing! We have been using the newly formulated JOHNSON’S® products for bathtime, and we love them!
JOHNSON’S® was a staple in my home growing up, and now I use their products with my own kids. The new and improved baby products have no parabens, no phthalates, and are hypoallergenic, with 50% fewer ingredients, and they are more naturally derived. So you can feel good about what you’re putting on that soft baby skin!
We use the JOHNSON’S® Head-to-Toe Wash & Shampoo, which I love because you can just use one or two pumps and wash baby from head to toe! The JOHNSON’S® Baby Bubble Bath makes bathtime extra fun by creating soapy bubbles to play in. And our post-bath routine includes the JOHNSON’S® Baby Lotion, to soothe and moisturize her skin.
JOHNSON’S® baby products reflect their fundamental mission to create a world where every baby can thrive. They have been reformulated to be more gentle. After all, these little ones are the future!
We got our JOHNSON’S® baby products on a recent visit to Target. They have a huge selection of baby products to choose from, in a variety of sizes. The new packaging is attractive and easy to spot, and they’ve added pumps that are now more easy to use.
I never say no to a trip to Target, and this time it was fun to bring Melody along, pick out some baby bath products just for her, and “Choose Gentle!”
Enjoy your next bathtime with baby and savor those moments, because they sure grow up fast!
