When your child is a newborn, he/she comes home from the hospital and takes baths for the sole purpose of getting clean. I remember very well how Benni didn’t like water at first. As many babies will at first, he had an aversion to water, as many babies will at first. Soon after, though, bath time became a great time for us to bond; and so will it for you and your child. You have to watch them closely anyway, so why not make it about learning or fun? In this blog post, I want to share with you a list of the best bath toys for toddlers and their dads (and moms 🙂 ). Sit back, relax and enjoy the show…

Why I’ve Included These Toys

In this article, I’ve included some toys that we have—and some that we’d love to add to our collection at some point in the future. Benni loves soaking in the bath, especially with the toys we have. I can only imagine how much fun he will have with some of the others I’ve included on this list.

Best Toddler Bath Toys

So let’s get started with my handcrafted list of bath toy recommendations. Benni and I especially love #1 (hence I put it there). As always, I like to look at these toys not only from a kid’s perspective but from a dad’s (or parent’s) perspective as well: A good toy for ME is a toy that Benni and I can enjoy TOGETHER!!! So, let’s get started, shall we?

#1 – Yookidoo Submarine Spray Station

Age Recommendation: 2-6 Years

Manufacturer: Yookidoo

Current Price: Click here to check

Bath time is a great time for kids to explore. Benni has recently started playing this game of ‘Will it sink or float?’ where he checks out his bathtub toys for buoyancy. This spray station is a great way for him to explore. He can also ‘bathe’ his toys when he feels like it. And he loves that.

When we are playing around, he likes to spray me with it sometimes. Then, I return the favor… it’s great for washing hair, too! Mom isn’t a fan of the mess we make, but it’s well worth it.

Also, when Benni was ready to transition from baths to showers, his experience with the sprayer made that transition so much easier, as well. A note and fair disclaimer, though: You should probably put a towel down along the side of the tub to catch any water overflow.

#2 – Skip Hop Zoo Pull and Go Monkey Submarine

Age Recommendation: 1-3 Years

Manufacturer: Skip Hop

Current Price: Click here to check

This is a toy that we’ve had around for a while. Sadly, Benni is starting to outgrow it and we will be replacing it soon. I figured that it at least deserved an honorable mention, for parents looking for a bath time companion for their kids that will be around for a couple of years. The recommended age on this is 12 months and older, so it’s great for younger kids.

A cute monkey rides around the tub in his orange submarine as your child pulls on the string. Benni has let it go countless times—even setting up obstacle courses with his other toys to see what would happen if it bumped into them. Some moved out of the way, while other sent it spinning. It was really great watching him learn about weight, buoyancy, and cause and effect.

#3 – Nuby Octopus Ring Toss Bath Toy

Age Recommendation: 2-6 Years

Manufacturer: Nuby

Current Price: Click here to check

Benni and I have a ring toss that we play with outside that we absolutely love (you can read more about it here, see #4). This is just like that, but for the bath. I love that it takes the challenge up a little. While he is not throwing as far to ring the octopus as he is outside, the way it moves around the tub makes it a challenge. I’ve even spun it a few times, to really up the ante. I can throw a few rings, too, which is nice!

The octopus comes with three plastic rings in the shape of a starfish, a lifesaver and a fish. The octopus is very buoyant and bobs nicely around the tub or sits semi-still when Benni is not moving around too much. This goes for less than $10, so it’s a great toy if you don’t want to break the bank! And it makes a GREAT present as well!!!

#4 – Moluk Plui Rain Bath Toy

Age Recommendation: 2-8 Years

Manufacturer: Moluk

Current Price: Click here to check

This is another affordable option—one that lets your child learn about water pressure as he squeezes the ball to fill it up with water, then watches as ten streams come out when he squeezes it again. We haven’t had the chance to try this one out yet—but I stumbled across it the other day when I was looking for more cool toys for the tub (Benni has outgrown some of the ones we bought him when he was younger).

One of his favorite shows is “Die Sendung mit der Maus”, which is a German TV show that teaches even young kids a lot about nature and science. Benni loves the cartoons the show features, but the science explanations the show offers is great, too! I think this would be a great opportunity for him to do a little experimenting of his own. And we can use it as a “mobile shower” to tease each other a bit while taking a bath together 🙂

#5 – Boon Jellies Suction Cup Bath Toys

Age Recommendation: 1 Years and up

Manufacturer: Boon

Current Price: Click here to check

These little jellyfish have been in our bath time collection for almost a year now. Benni hasn’t tired from them at all. In fact, now we use them to learn about patterns. We’ve also had competitions to see who could stack them the highest on the side of the tub.

The jellies come in three different colors (blue, purple and green) and nine of them come in a set. These jellyfish are welcome visitors to bath time. They have suction cups at the end that adhere to the tub—or the other jellyfish in the set. This leaves plenty of playtime options.

#6 – Crayola Bath Time Fun Bundles

Age Recommendation: 3-8 Years

Manufacturer: Crayola

Current Price: Click here to check

This is another fun toy that I have my eye on, especially since Benni has broadened his interests to include art in the past few weeks. The only downside, as I can see it, is that I won’t be able to take his pictures and hang them on the wall. I’ll probably buy this soon and get involved with drawing during bath time.

In the kit, there are 5 twistable crayons. I figure these will be nice because we can store them away after the bath and not worry about the wet ‘crayon’ material getting all over the packaging. The particular one I am looking at also comes with 60 bath fizzies, which change the tub watercolors.

I chose Crayola because there are positive reviews, especially about the walls and tub coming clean afterward. It should rinse away with water, which mom will definitely appreciate.

#7 – Munchkin Scooper Hooper

Age Recommendation: 1 Years and up

Manufacturer: Munchkin

Current Price: Click here to check

When we bought this toy for Benni, I was trying to be involved with bath time more, so we picked up a second one. We use it to toss the balls back and forth to each other. Another cool feature is the suction cup fastened on the end—we just stick the toy to the wall and have a ‘hooping’ competition.

It comes with three rubber balls and the scooper, which is almost like a basketball hoop that has been closed off at the bottom or a net. The balls shoot water and also float, so when I am not engaging Benni, he can chase the balls around on his own. Another cool feature is the easy storage: All the balls sit in the net so you can suction cup it so it stands upright and stores the balls inside until it is time to play again.

Conclusion

There you have it: My list of the best bath toys for toddlers. The great thing about most of these toys is that they do not only qualify as bath toys but that you can ALSO take them outside on a sunny day and use them in and around the pool. If you are looking for more toys that you can take outside and play within the backyard, I also have a list of The Best Outside Toys for Toddlers And Their Dads over here!

If you have anything to add to this story or want me to review a toy that YOU love playing with together with your child, please feel free to comment below or shoot me an email at chris@thattoydad.com!

Enjoy playtime with your kids! It’s the best time you can have together!!!

chris