Five super fun bath games to make kids excited about bath time
Encouraging reluctant bathers to enjoy bath time is easy thanks to these sweet-smelling, sustainable, Aussie-made products!
While for most parents, the thought of slipping into a nice relaxing tub for a soak is the stuff dreams are made of, for some kids the experience can be anything but relaxing.
There’s all types of reasons that kids develop an aversion to bath time, from being too busy, to sensory issues and fears. Whatever their reasons, having a child that runs in the opposite direction whenever bath time is mentioned can be exhausting, for us and them!
Fear not, bath time does not have to be a battle when you can make it fun!
There are a few things you can do to reduce the stresses of bath time for a reluctant bather.
- Make sure that your little one is not already too tired before bath time begins. Nothing is easy when you need a nap!
- If your child has sensory issues when it comes to water, allowing them to sit in the tub as it fills can help them acclimate to the water gradually. Allowing them to control the temperature while supervised can offer a sense of control to anxious little souls.
- Playing relaxing music, or music from their favourite kids performer can help set the tone and take away some of the echoey noises of the bathroom.
- Using natural, sustainable and gentle products with a delicious, inviting scent, like the kids’ range from Aussie made and owned brand OC Naturals, where you can choose from ‘crocodile flavour’ Fruit Blast or ‘unicorn flavour’ Berry Bliss, will help make the whole scene a lot more inviting.
Need more ideas to inspire them to love bath time? Check out the fun bath time games in the gallery below.
What happens if they like bath time a little too much?
Bath products have come a long way. The affordable and accessible range from Australian made and owned OC Naturals are free from nasties like parabens, petrochemicals and harsh detergents, which makes OC Naturals great for little bodies. Plus they come in bottles made from recycled materials that can be recycled again and again, which makes them great for the planet too.
OC Naturals’ gentle and effective, vegan, cruelty-free and sustainable kids’ range means that even if they want to stay in the tub all night, bath time is better and gentler than ever!
However, if you need that soak to come to an end, you can use fun timing indicators like:
- No more bubbles, no more bath: Once all of the suds have popped it’s time to hop out.
- Wrinkly skin: Fingers and toes looking super wrinkly? It’s time to hop out and time how long before they return to normal again.
- Pyjama race: Inspire stubborn kids to hop out and get dry by offering to see which one of you can get changed in to your pjs the quickest. Winner claims the title!
Five super fun bath games to make kids excited about bath time
Bath hand puppets
The sides of the tub make the perfect stage for hand puppets.
Bath times that come with a show are guaranteed fun.
You can make simple hand puppets from wash cloths and let the creativity flow with the quirky characters you and the kids come up with.
Hand puppets are also a great way to get kids to wash hair and other parts of their bodies they might be reluctant to do otherwise.
Creative hair sculpting
Shampoo suds make great, temporary hair gel!
No need to worry about bubbles getting into little eyes, your bath hair salon can be drama free, thanks to the gentle suds created when you use OC Naturals naturally derived, plant-based, shampoo, conditioner and body wash all-in-one in Berry Bliss or Fruit Blast flavours.
If your child has a fear of getting soap in their eyes or water getting on their face, they’ll soon be convinced that it’s not all bad.
Ice fishing!
This game requires fast action. Using a plastic cup, catch the floating ice cubes before they melt away!
If you want to level this game up, you can freeze small *toys into the ice for a fun reveal once the ice has melted.
Any sensory issues related to the temperature of the water are soon forgotten with this fun distraction.
*Make sure the toys are age appropriate to avoid a choking hazard.
Sink or float?
Using bath toys and other small waterproof household items, play a guessing game by trying to figure out which items will sink and which items will float.
You might be surprised.
Learning about gravity and buoyancy can help alleviate any fears of getting sucked down the drain hole.
Disco bath
Load up the bath with glow sticks and turn out the lights, it’s disco time, baby!
Create a fun, sensory experience using the sweet smelling OC Naturals naturally derived, plant-based, 3-In-1 Berry Bliss or Fruit Blast Conditioning Shampoo & Body Wash.
For kids who say they are too busy to hop into the bath, turning it onto a party experience is sure to top anything else they had on the agenda.
Australian-made and owned brand OC Naturals Kids range is made from naturally derived, plant based ingredients that are free from nasties, making them effective yet gentle on your loved one’s skin and it’s kinder for the planet. OC Naturals Kids range is available from major supermarkets, Australia-wide – but look out for the larger 500ml sizes of the 3-in-1 Berry Bliss and Fruit Blast Conditioning Shampoo & Body Washes at Coles.
