WASH & play

Bathtime is the perfect time to bond with your tot while having a good time and getting clean too. Try these tips and games.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT TIME

Some parents prefer to bath their babies in the late afternoon, because then it’s ticked off the to-do list early and you have the rest of the evening available to do other stuff. Other parents prefer first to complete the day’s chore list, feed and then bath their precious. Fit the activity into your day as you wish, depending on the unique needs of you and your family. Some babies and toddlers are so tired by the time they’ve had their supper that they need to go to sleep immediately afterwards – and hungry children are also not happy children! So you’ll need to fit bathing in to suit your child’s supper time and schedule.

NOW THE FUN STARTS

Fill the bath with enough water to reach your toddler’s belly button. The bath should be cooler than you would prefer for yourself, but not too cold – and remember to add baby bubble bath. Here are a couple of fun activities:

■ Give your bub some cups and lids of different sizes and allow her to interact and experiment with different sizes, how much water each can hold, and how to pour water over into other containers. Kids love this.

■ Place a mirror where your child can see herself. Put some foam on her face to make a “beard” – and don’t forget to form a funny-shaped horn on the top of her head! Cue giggles.

■ Give her a few differently-sized balls to bob along with in the bath.

■ Use dubber duckies to illustrate buoyancy: dunk them under the water and show her how they come up again all by themselves. Let your tot try it herself, too.

■ Use plastic books to read in the bath.

■ Sing songs and make up silly rhymes.

■ You can use bath time as an opportunity for learning body parts. Point to her toes as you wash them and say, “Here are your toes!” Depending on her age, your baby won’t understand everything yet, but she’ll soon be able to show you her nose, tummy or knees all by herself.

■ Hold your child under her tummy and swoosh her through the bath from one end to the other to simulate the feeling of swimming.

■ Show her how to splash (yes, really!). Just place a few towels strategically around the bath, and bat away concerns about getting a few drops on yourself. You will – but the fun will be worth it.

■ Use bath crayons to draw on the side of the bath.

■ Lather her up with soap and give her a lovely massage while you are washing her. It’s wonderfully relaxing.

■ Buy fish and other plastic sea creatures and allow them to join you on your nightly bath. While you are playing with them, you could even make up stories about the underwater world they inhabit.

■ Give your little one plenty of plastic bottles to fill up and empty while bathing. Most kids love the glug-glug sound as the bottle fills and empties.

■ Sponges and loofahs are classic toys – just make sure it’s a robust, harder type of sponge which won’t disintegrate easily, else she might be able to chew a piece off and that poses a choking hazard.

DOUBLE THE FUN

Occasionally bathing together is a delight for both parents and children. It creates a sense of safety and intimacy if you spend time playing and bathing together. Every now and then, take it up a notch by investing in a water pistol and taking aim at each other. Some babies and toddlers are less keen on water than others – which is precisely why it is a good idea to bath with your child if she’s not a natural waterbaby.