Bath time learning activities: why they’re good for children
Many children really enjoy bath time. Your child probably loves playing with water and seeing what happens when they splash, pour, blow bubbles and so on. The warm water feels good on their skin too. And at bath time, you’re always close by and giving your child plenty of attention.
This means bath time is a good time to play, encourage learning and build relationships with your child.
What you need for bath time learning activities
You just need the tub you normally bath your child in.
It’s also good if your child has a few things to play with. Your child can have fun with simple plastic cups and containers, soft washcloths and so on.
And your child needs you or another adult to talk and play with. Plenty of talking helps your child learn.
Always supervise your child in the bath and check that the water temperature is 37-38°C before you put your child in the bath. For more information on bath time safety, see our articles on preventing drowning in the bath and preventing bathroom scalds.
How to play and learn at bath time
Try these ideas:
- While you’re bathing your child, name different body parts. For example, ‘Wash your toes. Wash your legs. Wash your tummy. Wash your arms. Wash your face’. Simple rhythm and repetition will help your child learn. You could even sing ‘This is the way we wash our …’. After a while, pause before you name a body part and see whether your child fills in the gap.
- Watch what your child is interested in and use this interest to teach new words and concepts. For example, if your child is pouring water into and out of a cup, say ‘It’s full’ and ‘Now it’s empty’. If your child is experimenting with different toys in the water, say ‘It’s sinking’ and ‘Now it’s floating’.
- Keep chatting about what’s happening when you get your child out of the bath. For example, ‘You’re all wet. Let’s get you dry. Let’s rub your tummy with the towel’.
- Name body parts and actions as you put on your child’s clothes. For example, ‘Arms up. Let’s put this t-shirt over your head. Sit down and I’ll put socks on your feet’. Eventually, your child will learn what’s about to happen and will respond.
It’s best to use the correct names when you’re talking about body parts – for example, penis, scrotum, testicles, vulva, vagina. This helps to send the message that talking about these parts of our bodies is healthy and OK. It’s part of early learning about sex, sexuality and bodies.
Adapting bath time learning activities for children of different ages or children with diverse abilities
Babies who can’t sit up on their own can still enjoy bath play. For example, your baby will love to watch you pour water from a plastic cup, or they might like to play with the washcloth.
Toddlers might start to play imaginative games in the bath. For example, your toddler might make you a ‘cup of tea’. Imaginative play is fun and also a good way to develop your toddler’s vocabulary and talking skills.
All children learn and develop through play. Our articles on play and autistic children and play and children with disability are great starting points for adapting this activity guide for children with diverse abilities. You might also like to explore our activity guides for children with diverse abilities.