11 Wonderful Bath Toys for Children – Make Bathtime More Fun (& Easy)

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Bath time is a crucial part of any kid’s day. But it’s not just about getting clean and squeaky clean but also about having fun and spending quality time with your child. We all know that bathtime is not always the easiest time of the day. I’ve had to ask them to get undressed and inside the tub many times before they actually do it. So, preparing an inviting bath with bath toys for children that is exciting for them will help you speed things up 😉 I know it works at home 😉 

Choosing bath toys that will make bathtime magical for both of you can be an excellent ally for this time of the day! We’ve rounded up 10 fun toys that will do just that, but before I share them, I’d like to share some ideas and things that have helped us during bath time.

*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself, and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you; when you buy through the links, we may earn a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks! 

In this post:

How to make bath time inviting?

As parents, we know that bath time can be challenging. (I’m guilty of asking the babysitter to stay on a bit longer, so she did bathe the children). But if you can’t get that extra hand (which is almost always the case for me), I have some tricks up my sleeve.

You need to add some excitement and let them know you have prepared a surprise for them. It will take 2 minutes, but chances are that they will jump in without you asking them to undress twice 😉 (I’ve had my share of bathtime meltdowns over the years). These are just a few ideas of things you can do:

Color-themed baths: My son loves these; we use color drops to color the water of any he might like at the moment or the color of his mood. And all toys inside match that color. For example, I’d never bathe in red water – but my son loves it. I personally love blue water. 

Target practice: Make up a game they can play inside the tub. I stuck the Nello rings with Squigz to the wall, and they had a blast throwing Oogie and Squigz to the wall. They are getting better at this 😉

Drawing their day: Drawing their day will give you clues about what has happened that has had the most impact on them. I remember there was a day when I felt my son was upset but didn’t want to talk about it. So I prepared a bath with some relaxing music with their Yoto and gave him the bath crayons. Then, I suggested that if he didn’t want to talk about it, he might like to draw about it… oh my! He opened up! Clearly, he was distraught and angry, which was an excellent way to channel his emotions and decide he wanted to chat about it. I was there for him. 

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Play invitations: Instead of just giving them the toys, set them up yourself as a play invitation. I like arranging the pipes, tubes, and cogs so they can play with water or stick squigzs and oogies around. You can even create the background of a story with submarines and your little one’s favorite action figures. They’ll let their imagination fly.

Sensory play: Why not add some sensory play to the tub? You can freeze some sea animals in a cupcake tin and drop them in the warm water – what will happen? Let them feel and explore. It’s great to see how they melt and their expressions. Just put some plastic toys in your cupcake tin the day before. Then cover them with water (or colored water), and let them freeze overnight. Surprise them the next day with it!

Painting with foam: Give them shaving foam in a bowl (we use our mini Bilibos) and some paintbrushes and let them go wild in the tub. What happens in the tub stays in the tub. It’s even more fun against a glass door. When they are done, rinse away, and everything will be squeaky clean. You can add some food coloring to the foam, but be careful; it could stain between your tiles. Do this at your discretion (or on the glass door if you have one 😀 ).

These are just a few ideas! You don’t need to spend much money to make bathtime fun. Instead, use whatever you have around, put some music you enjoy in the background, and set up something quick; this way, you can start creating magical memories you both remember for years.

About our favorite Bath toys for children

Today I’ll share our favorite bath toys that have stood the test of time. We’ve had many over the years, and these are the best. The selection made has children that can sit up by themselves in mind. 

I have not included rubber toys that squeeze water because they end up with mold inside them that you can not get rid of it. I’m sorry, but I did not like it at all. After going through that experience with some adorable farm animals with my first child, I never repurchased any. Now I see there are options for silicone ones that have the hole covered or that can be opened like a Russian doll to ensure you can clean them. If you want a floating rubber toy, I recommend going for one of these. Rethink the traditional ones.

You can find many other bath toys that sprinkle water from floating islands, but they are huge and uncomfortable to store, and they stop working at some point. Although we’ve had some baths with them, they didn’t last long, and for this reason, I have not included any here.

That is why I prefer more versatile open-ended toys. They will grow with your children, do more than just one thing, spark their creativity, and invite them to a fun time. I hope you’ll like our favorites!

Oogies

Oogies are perfect for children who love playing with toys in the bathtub. These adorable figures come in many shapes and sizes and are made of silicone rubber. The suction cups on their extremities make them easy to stick onto any non-porous surface. You can stick them to the tub, tiles, tap, glass, or mirrors. It’s fun to stick around the bathroom – where will they be hiding next?

They’re also great for teaching kids about friendship because they love hugging, holding hands, and helping each other out… you name it! Oogis are very social 😉 One of the things we do most with them in the tub is darting them onto a Nello target on the bathroom wall. It’s so much fun. You also have three additional members to the Oogi family:

  • Oogi bongo – green fellow with two legs that can scoop and pour water.
  • Oogifant – a trunk that can turn you or your soap bottle into an elephant
  • Oogipilla – a cute orange caterpillar with many suction caps.
bilibo - bath crab

Mini Bilibos – Moluk

I’ve had the mini bilibos around since my eldest daughter was one year old. We regularly use them even now that she is seven years old. They are so versatile! The set comes with 6 different colors (we have the rainbow colors), but there is also a pastel version.

The shell shape and two holes make them easy to hold and pour water from one to another. You can use them also serving as a cauldron for making potions with soaps and foam. They can be used in or out of the bath, but as they are made from one seamless piece of 100% recyclable plastic, there’s no risk of mold or mildew! There are no inaccessible parts or joints where germs could hide. So you don’t have to worry! These little shells are easy to clean if they get dirty too – use soap and water – or you can place them on the top rack of the dishwasher.

 | the fairy glitch mother

Bath Colour Drops

Bath Colour Drops are a fun way to add some color and excitement to bath time! Each pack comes with three different colored drops: yellow, red, and blue. You can combine them to get secondary colors like orange, green and purple (although it is very dark and more like almost black). They are easy to use – just throw in when you fill your tub!

They’re also safe for kids of all ages (from 3 months) because they are made from 100% natural ingredients that are food-grade & non-toxic.

 | the fairy glitch mother

Honeysticks Bath Crayons

Honey Sticks Bath Crayons are made from 100% pure New Zealand beeswax, Soy Wax, and a plant-based emulsifier. They come in a handy canister with drain holes for simple storage. The best part? These crayons are jumbo-sized for small hands to grip easily.

Honey Sticks Crayons use non-toxic colorants that make for easy cleaning! And because they’re made with 100% natural ingredients, you don’t have to worry about them being toxic or harmful to children’s skin.

Seven colors come in the set – blue, green, yellow, pink, brown, red, and orange – so kids can draw on the tub, the tiles, and the glass! The great thing about these crayons is that they wash off easily, too (just take a damp cloth, and it comes out quickly – my 4-year-old son does it).

This product also has many benefits besides just being fun: It’s safe for the environment – recyclable product and packaging; no plastic waste is created during manufacturing as all waste material is recycled; it saves space by using less packaging than other products on the market today due to its compact design; all products are made by hand from start to finish so we can keep track of every step along the way!

 | the fairy glitch mother

Green Toys Submarine

This submarine is a great toy for children who love water play. It can be used in the bathtub to explore the terrain at the bottom of the tub, or it can resurface after exploring underwater. The sturdy rear propeller adds motion and adventure to their imaginative playtime. Open up this submarine cabin to place passengers inside, or open up another door on its side to clean it easily with water from your hand sprayer or sink faucet.

And it is sustainable, made from 100% recycled plastic. Wonderful!

 | the fairy glitch mother

Squigz – Fat Brain Toys

Squigz is a building toy that sticks to the side of the tub and to each other. These flexible and colorful suckers can be used in countless ways, from creating bridges, stairs, jewelry, and ginormous octopi—you name it. They can be used in the bathtub, in the pool (if they don’t get stuck), on trips, and so much more!

We use them primarily as a building toy—one of our favorite things to do is use them to stick the Nello rings to the wall so we can use them as targets for flying Oogis! This helps build fine motor skills as well as hand-eye coordination.

Pluï – Moluk

Pluï is a bath toy that simulates a cloud. I wish we had used Pluï earlier on with our children. The magical little raincloud beautifully illustrates the cycle of water, which is at once exciting and calming for little ones. It works like a pipette making simple physics captivating in the child’s eyes. We’ve used it to make up stories about Rain and thunderstorms in the bathtub and on our play table.

A hidden mechanism allows you to open the Rain Cloud to clean it. First, you must press in the center and when it clicks open, pull it apart to unlock it. Not very easy at first (I must confess), but the more you do it, the easier it will become. Here you can see how it works in this video.

Alternatively, if this doesn’t work, you can drop it on a hard floor, and it will open. (Just let it fall from your shoulder height). I know it sounds extreme, but when I met the inventor of Pluï, he suggested it and did it himself and said that it was safe to do it that way. So I’ll take his word for it.

 | the fairy glitch mother

Nello – Moluk

Nello is a bath toy made for kids over 1-year-old. It has many uses, making it one of the most versatile toys we have come across. We use it as a marble run, target, island, cake, moat, stirring wheel, crown boat, and more. The best part about this toy is that it can become anything they imagine. It comes in an assorted color combination of red, blue, and yellow. It is made of hard plastic HD-PE, which means it’s durable and won’t break easily, unlike other bath toys made of soft rubber. 

Even when your child drops it on the floor or ground outside the tub/pool (yes, you can use it there, too), you don’t need to worry about them hurting themselves because the plastic material is highly resistant! 

Quut Jellyfish

This is a foam puzzle with colorful jellyfish that float and stick to the side of the tub or shower wall. The shapes match, making it easy to create a beautiful underwater scene. It helps improve fine motor skills by teaching your child how to match colors and patterns. Not only does it provide entertainment for your little one, but it also improves hand-eye coordination and cognitive development as they try to arrange the pieces in an order that makes sense.

The Quut Jellyfish comes with 5 pairs of jellyfish that can match each other and be combined with other jellyfish in the set. The foam pieces are made from BPA-, phthalate-, and latex-free materials, which are recyclable too! 

This toy has been developed with safety at its forefront, with no sharp edges and small parts that could come loose during playtime. In addition, the pieces have been designed to avoid water absorption to prevent mold growth over time if left inside plastic toys when not being played with regularly (it can be gross!). Finally, they are suitable from 10 months upwards – so they can last until little ones reach three years old (if they are still interested).

 | the fairy glitch mother

Helping Hands Set – Fine motor skills from Learning Resources.

We love this set! It moves from the sensory table to the bathroom constantly. They are great tools to have around so they can practice and improve fine motor skills. My son uses the pipette to explore and squirt water, the dropper, and the tweezer to fish things around the tub. I’ve placed them lately on a tray, and it has been a friendly invitation for my little ones. Great resources to have around.

 | the fairy glitch mother

Boon Pipes & Tubes & Cogs

Boon pipes and cogs is a building bath toy that will help your little ones learn about the power of water flow. It comes with 13 pieces, all of which have suction caps so you can stick them on the bath, bathroom tiles or glass and let your children play. The toy can be used in the bathtub and has a spinning feature when water flows through it. Each pipe, cog, and tube is different from each other and multicolored for easy identification by kids. The entire set can be cleaned in the dishwasher as well!

How do we store our bath toys for children?

It would be best if you stored them in a place where water will drain while they are drying. We have 3 different types of draining solutions for storing the bath toys at the end of the tub.

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Tisken Corner from IKEA –  

The container tray has holes to drain water and suction hooks to stick to smooth surfaces, like tiles. We’ve had them for three years, and they’ve held their place very well.

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Munchkin Super Scoop

This is a great bath toy organizer. We store our silicon toys like the Oogies and the Squigz. The suction cup adheres firmly to most smooth, non-porous bath/shower surfaces. If your surface is not smooth enough, it comes with a mounting disc that helps the suction cup attach to textured or porous surfaces. Since my tiles are smooth, I haven’t had to use the disc.

 | the fairy glitch mother

Bath Toy Drying Bin

We bought this one once we got the pipes and tubes – they are bulky and didn’t fit in what we had. The 13 elements of the Boon set fit – and even more. I usually have it underneath the sink, more as storage for the toys that are not played with that often. It’s my storage for toys I don’t want there on display in the tub. It helps with our bath toys rotation – where do you store them if not?

 | the fairy glitch mother

It’s a two-part bin & base with large draining holes for fast drying time. I like that it is white and gray and blends great in our bathroom. Usually, these types of things are too colorful for my taste. It has a convenient whimsical handle so you can scoop floating toys from the bath. It’s dishwasher safe, so it is very easy to clean.

These toys will make every kid look forward to bath time

 | the fairy glitch mother

Bath time is a great way to teach your children about the world around them and how and why things work. The best bath toys for kids will help them understand numbers, shapes, and cause and effect. 

Getting them inside the tub sometimes feels like a battle, so making bathtime inviting and exciting for them with these things can help you get them in the water quicker. It’s also an excellent time for bonding, relaxing at the end of the day, and chatting about what happened and their emotions. 

We hope this list was helpful to you. We know how hard it can be to find toys that are both fun and safe for your kids, so we tried our best to include only the best options. If you want something specific but need help finding it here, contact us with questions or suggestions!

Happy playing! *

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Updated on: March 8, 2024

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