There’s something so fun about water play for children. Bath time might not be their favorite but splashing and playing around in water is usually a playtime win. To make this time more enjoyable for you and your child, here are some fun bath time play ideas using water-safe baby dolls. You can even sneak in some educational activities without your kids realizing they’re learning and not just playing.
Teaching Cause and Effect with Water Play
For little ones, even mundane tasks have the potential to awe. Start with some basic steps and describe what action you take and what results ensue. For example, “When I turn the left knob, hot water comes out. When I turn the right one, cold water comes out.” Let your child adjust the knobs and help choose the right temperature for their baby doll.
Your child can take a bath with their baby doll or stand outside the tub, like their parent usually does, and take on a caregiver role. As they step into mommy or daddy’s shoes to clean their bath doll, they may pay attention to things they normally wouldn’t notice from the bath.
Oops, things got a little wet. From this side of the tub your child will care a lot more about drips and spills. “Uh oh, we got some water on the floor, let’s clean it up.” Make sure you have towels at your child’s level so they can get one themselves and help you tidy up the slippery floor. “The floor was wet, but now it’s all dry.” Point out every and any changes and what caused them. Show your child what kind of power they have, whether it’s the power to choose the temperature by adjusting the taps or to soak up water with a nearby towel.
Keep doing this, step by step, until the bath is ready for their water-safe baby doll.
Bath time Play Ideas & Checklist
Run through the same checklist you use with your child during bath time and apply it here with your child’s baby doll:
- Fill up bathtub. Check ✅
Next up:
- Take baby doll’s clothes off
This is a great way for your little one to practice using their fine motor skills. More on that later.
- Put doll in tub
Revisit cause and effect as baby doll makes a splash in the tub. With the LullaBaby plush bath dolls, watch as their plush skin, hair, and clothes absorb water.
- Wash it, all over
This is really the most exciting part. As your little one gets their doll all soapy and clean, you can talk about all the spots that need a good scrub and remind your child to do the same when it’s their time in the tub. You can even make a mini checklist of all the important areas to clean: feet, face, hair, under the arms, and more.
- Rinse off
Splashing may be fun, but rinsing can be a real struggle. Show your child how to hold the baby doll so they won’t get soap in their eyes and rinse until all the bubbles are gone. Ask your little one how many scoops of water they think it will take, and then count them out. Little baby doll scoops mean more counting fun.
- Play
Playtime is fundamental during the bath. If it’s too clinical (clean, rinse, dry) your little one will grow to resent bathtime. Make sure baby doll enjoys their bath just as much with the ducky toy that comes with each bath doll. Splish and splash baby doll around in the tub until it’s time to dry off.
- Dry off with towel
The LullaBaby Bath Doll comes with its own bath towel, but it’s best to give this doll a good twist and squeeze after bath time to get all the water out. Let your child try their best to squeeze out the water and then towel dry the doll to get all the extra dips off.
Develop Fine Motor Skills
Each of the steps on the list, from the last squeeze to the first task of turning taps and unfastening the baby doll’s clothing, all work your child’s fine motor skills.
Everything might be a little faster and easier if you do it yourself, but giving your child more autonomy and responsibility during playtime will really help develop their abilities and make everyday tasks easier down the line.
Some great tasks to help them strengthen their grip and coordination revolve around bath time play. Help them squeeze the soap bottle, turn it upside down until soap drips out, or push down on the dispenser, then scrub their hands until it starts to bubble.
The more bath time play ideas you incorporate, and the more fun your child has washing their baby doll, the more likely they’ll want to get in the bath themselves and get nice and clean as well.
If you have any other bath time play ideas, share them with other parents in the comments below or join the LullaBaby community on social and in our newsletter list.