Our Senses

Bath Time Blitz

  • Time Length
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    < 1 hour

  • Mess Level

    A Little Messy

  • Cost

    Materials or Fees

  • Difficulty
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Question and Wonder:

  • I wonder what you love about bath time?
  • How does the water feel? How does the air feel on your skin?
  • How do the sides and the bottom of the tub feel?
  • How does your body feel when you are in the water?
  • What happens to your toys in the water? Do some of them do different things than others?

Imagine and Design:

  • What do you think we could do to make the water feel different?
  • How do you think we could make the water look different?
  • How do you think we could make the tub feel different? Look different?

Test and Discuss:

Try these and share observations during and after!

• “Painting in the tub”:  Using the muffin tin, mix cool whip or shaving cream with food coloring. Before filling the tub with water let your child paint – the walls, the toys, the tub, themselves! Then, wash clean.

• “Mud bath”: Bring a bucket of dirt inside and before filling the bath, let your child freely explore first turning the dirt into mud, and then the mud itself. Then, wash clean.

• “Ice bath”: Fill the tub with water then pour in a large quantity of ice cubes. Your child may enjoy “swimming” among the ice cubes, “fishing” for them using a strawberry basket or net. Watch them melt. You could also color the cubes (or make them out of JELLO and then let your child squish ‘em)!

• “Color bath”: Adding a few drops of food coloring to the bath, makes for color fun. Try color themed nights where only the red toys get used, or the blue toys, etc.

• “Apple bobbing”: It is really surprising to see how different fruits and vegetables behave in a bathtub. Give it a try with a bag of apples, a few small pumpkins, lemons and limes, etc.

• “Small parts”: Try a large quantity of legos, or a bag full of recycled bottle caps of different sizes and colors, or a bunch of water balloons. Pretty much any item added to the bath changes the dynamic and offers a world of discovery. See what other things you can think of to add and experiment with.

Did you know:

It might surprise you that while most babies and toddlers love to take a bath, some are fearful. If this is your child, click here for bath time tips. https://www.verywellfamily.com/getting-your-toddler-to-love-baths-4777698

The bathtub is a great place to corral sensory play because your child (and the tub) can be easily cleaned. Sometimes thinking about it this way makes it easier to think about adding whipped cream, shaving cream, mud, JELLO and other mess.

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