Splish splash, the kids are taking a bath!
That perfect wind-down ritual to relax your little ones before it’s off to sleepy town.
With two kids so close in age, our family baths include both children – a two-for-one scenario if you will – and they typically go in one of two directions relatively quickly.
Scenario one, the kids don’t get with the program.
Exhausted from a day of policing the children, I lose my patience with two feral animals (I mean two wound-up kids) splashing soapy water onto walls and bath mats. Arms getting weak, back giving out mid-scrub, as I try to delicately shampoo greasy hair without drowning a child.
It’s difficult, and it typically ends in some sort of disciplinary action – “That’s it! We’re getting out and no book tonight!”
Scenario two (preferred), it’s a perfect refresher for the whole family.
The kids are entertained and I get to play with my phone for like five whole minutes – or actually enjoy a conversation with someone above the age of three.
There are some great bath toys that really help trend things in direction #2, which is the mommy target. Items I always bring with us when the family goes on road trips, they help entertain the kids and make bathtime a breeze.
We’ve spilled the tea on the best Stroller Wagons. You’ve got the deets on Travel Cribs. Now it’s time for suds and bubs – these are our top bathtime toys.
The Right Bath Toys and Gears
1. Suddy Buddys
I always liked the idea of bubbles in the tub, but I didn’t want my kids sitting in (and licking/eating) all the mysterious chemicals in some of today’s bubble products.
First thing we love about Suddy Buddys – the clean list of ingredients.
These bubbles come in the form of a tablet instead of some strange neon goo.
Nine non or low-toxic components that I can wrap my head around, and that I’m comfortable with my kids playing in.
The tablets are housed in one of four bubble bath makers – comicbook-like aquatic themed characters that soon become staples of bath time.
Dakota Duck is our new favorite bubble making bath toy. We add one tablet on regular baths, and bump it up to three tablets for those weekend mega bubble bonanzas!
The kids are absolutely enthralled – instead of waiting around for the water to fill up, turning on the bath has become a fun bubble party.
2. Jool Baby
Jool Baby is our go-to for everything potty training – if it wasn’t for them and coterie diapers my children would probably still be in pull-ups – but I had no idea Jool Baby also had incredible bath toys!
The Blast Off Rocket Sprinkler and Dolphin Bath Bubble Maker have become two of my kids go-to toys in the tub.
As if our kids can’t get enough bubbles, Dolphin Bath Bubble Maker hangs out on the side of the bath and pumps 5 groovy tunes to add to the fun. A mixture of soap and water is all it needs to produce bubbles, no weird chemical slimes found here.
Blast Off Rocket Sprinkler is a favorite of our younger boy. He really enjoys pretend play with trucks and planes, this rocket is right up his alley.
Mini rocket engines spray water as the tail spins and blasts off!
With both items reasonably priced at under $15 dollars, our family has already gotten our money’s worth, with months and months of shelf life left on these adorable bathtime additions.
3. Glo Pals
We really can’t get enough of our Glo Pals 🙂
It’s like, everything that lights up is obviously off limits around the bath, right?
Somehow the geniuses over at Glo Pals decided that rules were meant to be broken!
With an array of little cubes in various bright colors, these vibrant sensory toys light up our evenings in the bath. They’ve even teamed up with Sesame Street and Daniel Tiger to incorporate some of our children’s favorite characters into their products.
There are always neat limited edition Glo Pals being offered, seasonal or special characters, along with a sensory jar that allows kids to take the fun beyond just bath time!
These are a one of a kind, award winning, super special type of bath toy – be sure to check out Glo Pals.
4. Toomies
For better or for worse, our kids are totes into Bluey and Peppa Pig. We try to limit screentime, but they’ve still quickly fallen in love with the characters of these two hit shows.
So, who’s got the best toys for the bath featuring their favorite cartoon characters?
It’s Toomies.
Mini boats and floaties. Figures that actually swim. Toomies offers developmental storytelling toys for the bath that always end up making an appearance during tub-time.
Sometimes (weekends only – honestly, we’re trying to cut back on the screentime okay!) we’ll let the children watch (from a distance) one of their shows while they bathe.
It’s a dream come true for pretend play and imagination (not to mention a quick break for mommy and daddy).
5. Dabble and Dollop
Ok not really a toy, but as long as we’re talking baths, we need to talk about Dabble and Dollop.
The most transparent ingredients list of any soaps, shampoos, lotion, or bubbles you’re going to find – this brand sticks with the ‘less is more’ approach. Every ingredient is carefully selected and safe for newborns and toddlers.
Clean ingredients lead to a smell that I just love — very natural and not at all superficial.
They’ve even got a clever rewards program that helps parents save as they dive deeper into this unique variety of suds.
Make bath time play time. We have several different flavors — the kids enjoy using the soaps and bubbles with their Toomies to “bake” or “make coffee” in the tub!
With adorable, colorful packaging and a growing list of bathtime products (hello infant line), be sure to put Dabble and Dollop on your radar.
Down The Drain
Non-chemical, long-lasting, safe, and resistant to the disgusting mold that seems to creep into so many of these baby bath toys — these are the types of products that we tend to lean into.
You know I also love mommy freebies, if you’re looking for one-hit-wonders that will get you through a week’s vacation, or if your children are just at that stage where the only answer seems to be more — consider going to Dollar Tree and getting a bunch of cheap water toys.
When it come to the great ones that seem to last, these have been some of our top producers.
So get the temperature right, get the suds going, and make it last with the bath toys your kids will come back to time after time — perhaps just long enough for you to come up for air.
