My son used to love taking baths! We had to work to get him out of the tub, but lately, he has been resisting it. The struggle of trying to coax him into the bathroom to get clean at the end of the day, when we are already tired, can be so draining. Thankfully, we’ve developed a few tricks at our house to make the experience more fun and enticing.
Music
Simply playing some of your child’s favorite songs can make bath time so much more inviting. Our bathtime playlist started with all the tub and water-themed songs I could think of. It has evolved to include more of our favorite songs from movies and silly songs by Parry Gripp.
Bubbles
Bubble baths are always a hit, but the novelty can quickly wear off for kids. About once a month, we bust out our bubble machine for added excitement. I put down a few extra towels in the bathroom so it doesn’t get too slippery, and the kids have a blast. If you don’t have a bubble machine, you can always blow bubbles for the same effect.
Glow Bath
Crack some glowsticks and toss them in the water. Set a night light outside the tub and turn off the lights. The glowsticks make the transition from bath to bedtime easier as well, since they can be dried off and brought to the bedroom.
Carwash
Oftentimes when my son doesn’t want to do something, I can convince him that one of his toys really needs to do that thing. He will happily do whatever it is to take care of that toy. Example: he doesn’t want to take a bath but his toy car is really dirty and needs to go to the car wash. This could also work with any waterproof animal or doll – just say they need a bath. Let your child pick out a small towel for their toy. Get them excited to wash their toy as they get themselves into the tub too.
Ball Pit Bath
My toddler loves it when I set up his ball pit. We typically leave it out for a few days before the novelty seems to wear off. Once he is no longer excited about it, I pack it away giving us more space for other activities. Bringing out the colorful plastic balls at bath time always puts a smile on his face and gets him excited to play in the tub. I feel good that the balls are getting a nice rinse at the same time.
Make Soup
Tell your toddler you need their help making a big batch of soup in the tub. Let them gather any waterproof food toys they have. (Make sure they don’t have holes where water can get inside.) We have also used foam letters for this game. You can talk about the different ingredients for the soup and they can toss them in the tub as the water fills up. Then they get in with a big kitchen spoon to stir it all up!
Get Dirty
This one sounds counterintuitive but it works so well. In the summer, when your child doesn’t want to take a bath, you tell them “Let’s go outside for 15 minutes and get as dirty as we can!” Let them roll around in the grass, splash in mud, and pick up dirt. Now they have to take a bath! In the winter, this has worked for me by doing finger painting or different sensory play activities indoors, although you do have to be a bit more strategic to contain the mess inside. They are typically much less resistant to bath time when they actually want to get cleaned up.
Something New
When all else fails, I will break out a new bath toy or let my son use a new soap. Sometimes this looks like letting him pick something out at the store, and other times it can be something simple, like just letting him use my shampoo instead of his own. Some of his favorite bath toys are things we’ve gathered from around our house. The plastic container that sprinkle cheese comes in can be cleaned out and repurposed for bathtime fun. I have occasionally filled balloons for my son to take in the tub.
