Inside: My all-time favorite bath toys for toddlers that will last through the ages and stages. In this list, you’ll find lots of open-ended bath toys that work great for older kids too.
We’ve gone through a lot of seasons with bathing the kids in our home.
There were times when we bathed the kids every single day. That was a season when we seemed to have more time to kill or more time in the evenings where we needed an activity to avoid temper tantrums.
Then, there were….wait, there are the times when we only manage once or twice a week. Ah, the reality of parenting chaos.
Our youngest daughter now is scared of the bath because she gets worried that the water will over flow. She’s a toddler and takes showers with a removable shower head that she can move around while she sits in the tub.
But no matter how often we are bathing the kids, we always keep it FUN with bath toys.
So these are great bath toys for toddlers that can work in a shower situation too, if that’s your kid’s jam.
Best bath toys for toddlers that your kids will love.
These are all the toys that we’ve tried and used over the years. They can make bath time all the more peaceful and cooperative when there are special toys that only come with bath time.
(Note: This post contains affiliate links, which means at no extra cost to you, I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase).
Before I go any further, I should share the first thing I look for in a bath toy is an open-ended toy. These are toys that your kids will continue to play with through the ages and stages.
They are not just a “one and done” toy that has one function and that’s all. I tend to stay away from anything related to tv characters (for example, Elmo) because as your child gets older they will no longer want to play with those toys.
When kids play with open ended toys, they are developing social skills, problem-solving skills, language skills, communication skills, cognitive ability, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, self regulation, creativity and more. Learn more about how to choose open-ended toys for your kids here.
1. Green Toys Submarine
I absolutely love anything from this brand for bath toys. They are made using 100% recycled plastic milk containers. It contains no BPA, phthalates and is PVC safe for earth as well as your child. And they are perfect to use as a dual purpose toy for the beach or pool during summer.
2. Green Toys Seacopter
Here’s another one of the toddler bath toys from Green Toys. My kids have played with this from toddler through elementary ages in the bath tub. It’s specially designed with stabilizing, oversized fill-and-spill pontoons to keep it steadily afloat, which means your toddler won’t be crying that this seacopter sinks.
3. Green Toys My First Tugboat
Overall, just a super toy collection for the bath to have. The front of the boat also has a spout, which is great for hair washing with toddlers who don’t like water in their face.
4. Funcorn Toys Ocean Sea Animal Pack
This is a pack of 52 sea animals. I’m not a huge fan of squirty toys because they start to grow mold overtime. These are better in my opinion. Many are pretty solid and hard. Some do have thin, flexible fins, but overall, these hold up way better over time. Animals are a great option for long term creative bath play regardless of your child’s age.
5. Munchkin Bath Tea and Cupcake Set
This is an excellent bath toy for toddlers but also for older kids too. With pretend play taking up much of my daughter’s time these days, this is one she regularly asks for and uses in the shower.
6. Boon Building Bath Pipes Toy Set
Think STEM in the bath!! If you have a child who loves to build things or engineer things together, this is your toy. Seriously, this has kept my toddler son busy for hours, and now as a school-aged kid he still plays with this!
7. Crayola Bathtub Crayons & Bath Drops
These can get a little messy, but overall a ton of FUN for kids to play with in the bath. It’s something special we will do a couple of times a month when I can watch where they are coloring. As in, I prefer for them to color closer to the bathtub to make for quick rinsing when the bath is done.
8. CozyBomB Magnetic Fishing Toys
This is so darn cute and fun for the kids. It contains various sizes, more than 10 colors and 30 kinds of toy fishes animals. Good for hand-eye coordination, color recognition, etc. We love to make a game out of it and take turns fishing for animals with green, for example. Makes for an easy way to extend bath time if you need to.
9. Rub a Dub Tub Soup
Pretend play is truly the foundation for open-ended play. Kids can come up with all sorts of creative ways to play from toddler to school-aged. The vegetables stick to the wall when wet, and it includes soup tureen, ladle, salt shaker squirter and 9 foam veggies.
10. Foam Bath Puzzles for Kids
Let’s say your toddler isn’t quite into pretend play yet; these puzzles are a great option and give busy hands something to do. This is one bath toy that my kids loved right around 3 years old. And they are also a helpful way to build fine motor skills, which is something my son struggled with in the toddler years, and now he is fully caught up in elementary school.
11. Green Toys Seaplane
Another really nice option from Green Toys again. Enough said 🙂
12. Munchkin Quack Bath Caddy
One option that can make baths a lot more fun is more places to put down toys. I find that this helps kids take bath time play to a new level rather than trying to fit everything on the side bath tub ledges.
13. Magic Creations Traffic Bath Set
I would add this to my bath toys for older kids list, but my kids enjoyed this when they were younger too. They create different tracks on the wall and put the cars up. If your kids are prone to chewing, you may want to wait. This toy holds up really nice and never gets moldy – so long as the kids don’t chew on them. Ask me how I know 🙂
14. Police, Doctors and Firefighters Foam Bath Toy Set
Something different besides foam letters and squirty toys! Yes! These are the best for open-ended play if your kids like to play doctor and such. Non-toxic and comes with a storage bag if you like to rotate bath toys to keep it fun and fresh.
15. Silicone Bath Toy Scrubbers for Toddlers and Kids
One of the best ways to get your kids interested in chores is to involve play and keep it fun. I’m not sure how others use this bath toy, but we have the kids scrub the tub and tile surround when they are in the bath. I’m not joking!
16. Boon Ledge Water Table
If your child will try to pour water over all his toys, I would only get this if you have a big tub where there is a ledge that is against the tile surround. Our oldest does great with this bath shelf so I wanted to include it here. But if you think your child will want to climb on it or dump gobs of water, might be best to skip. Also not intended for toy storage. We use it on the tub surround when our daughter showers.
17. Tear-Free Waterfall Rinser Bath Cup
It’s pretty common for kids to have a major toddler tantrum each time a drop of water falls into their eyes. This is the perfect solution and makes hair washing so much more peaceful. In addition to making a nice toddler bath toy during play.
18. Alex Bath USA Map in The Tub
This is another one to add to the bath toys for older kids, but fun for younger ages too. State identification and geography all during a bath time.
What are your favorite bath toys for toddlers? Share your ideas in the comments!
Want more on toddlers?
- 10 Perfect Bath Toys for Older Kids That Are FUN Too
- 2 Year Old Not Listening? Try This Remarkable Tip
- 3 Year Old Not Listening? How to Calm Your High Energy Child
- The Most Overlook Reason Why Kids Won’t Listen
- The Ultimate Morning and Bedtime Routine Chart that Keeps Toddlers On Task
Games and activities for outside the bathtub:
- 50+ Best Simple Games for 2 Year Olds and Up
- The Ultimate List of Board Games for 2 Year Olds
- 50+ Best Outdoor Toys for Toddlers
- 50+ Open-Ended Toys to Keep Kids Busy for Hours
I've created a free email series just for you!
If you are struggling with feeling happy in motherhood, let me help you streamline your family's daily routines so you can enjoy your family life without the stress. Yes, really. I've seen my routines work time and time again for parents. I know it can work for you too.
This free email series will help you:
- Free sample routines for your child
- Best morning routine tips and tricks your kids will actually follow
- All-time favorite parenting hacks for getting more cooperation at bedtime
- Step-by-step guide for using a printable daily schedule with kids
My 15 month old loves this bath toy. She loves to experiment with it. She likes to watch the balls float when she adds water and loves pressing the button to make them all pop out! It keeps her busy the back of the tub the entire time I take a shower. It’s so nice not having to rush through my shower now.