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All About Bathtime


Bathtime is one of the best times to integrate your therapy goals into daily life, especially when it comes to sensory integration and having some sweet, face-to-face time with your children. There are so many different ways to make bath time engaging and fun! I decided to break down my suggestions into different sections.
* As always, please consult your individual therapist to make sure these ideas fit your child's developmental level and individual differences. 

3 Ways to Bring Floortime into Bath-time:

1. Grab a stool and sit down next to your child so you are at eye level.

2. Practice back and forth communication with songs. Leave out words for your child to fill in, or model hand gestures and signs and wait for them to try to copy you. Even if they are just watching, this is a great time to expose them to new words, gestures, and melodies.  

 3. Throw in some waterproof symbolic toys and play with them! If your child is very concrete in their thinking, start with toys that make sense for the water—boats, fish, sharks. Slowly include different toys and see if they can work on their flexibility of thinking. Maybe Superman wants to swim with sharks...

Top 3 Bath "Accessories":

 I love incorporating my OT goals into bath time. It is the perfect place to work on sensory sensitivity, and sneak in some fine motor "work". These are my favorite bath time "accessories".

1. Shaving cream or foam soap: Spread some of the wall of the tub and show your child how to draw shapes and lines in it. For older kids, work on letter formation and draw quick pictures about their day. You can create a back and forth game where you take turns putting the foam on different parts of their body (and even let them put some on your face). This not only helps them adjust to new textures, but helps them develop their own body map.
*Make sure you buy non-toxic soap if your little one is prone to putting things in their mouths. Or, even consider getting a bit unconventional and using whipped cream on the tub wall. Just make sure you clean the tub first :)





2. Bath Crayons: You can find these on Amazon or at Target. I prefer the ALEX Toy brand (they come right off the tub wall, even when you forget to wipe it off immediately). For younger kids, there is a "Rub a Dub Star Crayon" that is super easy to hold. For kids who may be hesitant to work on writing and drawing, this is a great place to start. It is naturally more motivating!



3. Squirt Toys and Squeeze Bottles:  I'm sure you have some lying around somewhere...the plastic water toys that squirt little streams of water everywhere. What you may not realize is that they can improve your chid's hand strength, motor planning, strengthen their understanding of cause-and-effect, and can encourage silly back and forth interactions. You can use them to clean off shaving cream or bath crayons from the wall, which adds in the element of finding a visual target. For older kids, try using spray bottles! Experiment with different sized spray bottles for some finger strengthening as well.

3 Ways to Help Picky Eaters During Bath-time:
If your child struggles during meal time, try these activities geared for picky eaters. 

1. Offer snacks! There is something so relaxing about being in the water, that I have found picky eaters to be more open to trying new things when snacks are offered during bath time. Start with a familiar, preferred food, and then slightly change that food item. (Ex) If they like to eat apples try cutting their apples into a different shape, offering apples and a dip, or offering a different colored apple.

2. Play with spoons and cups! Your child may struggle with meal time due to fine motor delays. So, give them a chance to practice these skills in a fun, non-intimidating way. Put some small bowls, cups, and spoons of different sizes into the bath with them. (Do this before adding any soaps or shampoos into the water in case they want to drink some). Model how to hold the spoon, but mostly let them explore and practice. 

3. Provide facial massages: I often tell families to provide medium pressure facial massage around their child's mouths to help bring awareness to their face and desensitize them before meals. This is usually not very popular with the kids. So, practice in the bath. When you are washing their face with a wash cloth, pay extra attention to the area around their mouths and chin and give them a quick massage. Do the same when you are drying them off after the bath as well. 


I hope this helps you re-invent bath time! With a little bit of tweaking, you can relax knowing your child is working towards improving their engagement, play, fine motor skills, and sensory integration...all during an activity you would be doing anyway. 




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