How To Make Bathtime A Learning Experience For Your Toddler

You probably thought that baths were for getting clean, right? Well, they are that as well, but bathtime can be so much more for your kids. Children are learning constantly and never more so than between birth and three years of age. You can help them on their road to discovery by providing the right stimulus in the bathtub.

This is the perfect time to teach your child the names of body parts. As you go over your toddler's body with the washcloth, comment on each part. "Now I'm washing your stomach. Ohhh, your neck is very dirty!" Use the right names for the parts and avoid your child ending up like one little boy I know. When asked on a test what the name of the male reproductive organ was, he wrote "Little birdie".

Providing an assortment of containers can be a learning experience as well for your little one. These don't have to be expensive, washed out yogurt cups and cottage cheese containers work just as well as store bought toys. By scooping and pouring, your child is not only having a blast, he is learning a whole bunch of scientific principles like volume, displacement and the like.

Bubbles offer a whole new world of learning. While a little child won't understand about surface tension and soap residue, he will learn that bubbles are lighter than water and that they can float when blown into the air. Plus, they are a lot of fun to use as fake beards and funky hair-dos!

Any bath toy can be a test in buoyancy. Your kids will be studying which materials float and which sink. They will also be picking up on the fact that if they fill a hollow container with water, it tends to sink. All this information is getting stored away in that busy brain for later use. Try giving your toddler different items to play with in the tub, like a spoon or comb. Choose some things that float, others that will sink.

The bathtub is a great place to practice artistic skills without the mess. There are now bath crayons available that write on skin as well as the tub and can be rinsed away easily. These are perfect for letting your little artist design his own colorful tattoos.