Simple Bathtime Activity for Babies: Washing at Bathtime
Bathtime is a great time for babies to learn about themselves. This activity teaches independence and body awareness and is great for all ages. Our friends at Babbu share their top tips for making the most of bathtime, and how a simple washing game can support your little one’s development:
Your baby’s personal social and emotional development
Your baby’s personal, social and emotional development is crucial for their wellbeing, learning potential and relationship successes in later life. Supporting this will help your baby start to develop essential skills needed for building relationships, becoming aware of themselves and others, and to regulate their own behaviour in social situations.
Bathtime is a great opportunity for you to help nurture these skills early on. Babbu told us:
"This simple activity is great for supporting your little one’s personal, social and emotional development, as they get to know what makes them! In addition, this supports the development of their identity and sense of self, as they begin to learn about what makes them unique. For example, they might learn about the texture of their hair, the colour of their eyes and if they have dimples on their cheeks.
To help them make these connections, you could relate them to your own body e.g. “Daddy has short brown hair, and Mummy has long ginger hair”, or “Daddy has big hands, can you show me your little hands?”
Physical Development
Babbu recommends helping your little one to learn about their own body with a simple washing activity:
Bath time is an excellent opportunity for your little one to learn about what makes them, them! Giving your little ones a bath or wash is a perfect time to teach them about their body. They begin to understand what each body part can do as they explore different ways of moving them.
Your baby will love hearing your voice, so they will have a blast listening to the different names of their body as you wash them and describe them.
Point to your arms, legs and toes to show them that you have the same too!
Communication and Language
We’re huge advocates of talking and singing to your baby at bathtime, an activity that Babbu agrees has the potential to consolidate the skills your baby is learning as they wash themselves:
For example, as you wash your little one, why not sing a song to them? We made this one up, sung along to the tune of ‘Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush’:
‘This is the way we wash your toes
Wash your toes, wash your toes,
This is the way we wash your toes,
On a cold and frosty morning!’
You can repeat this with their fingers, and toes too. This also provides an opportunity for mathematical learning, so why not count the number of fingers and toes as you go? Your little one will be able to hear number names, and begin to understand that they have ten fingers and ten toes!
Cuddledry’s tips: use a silky soft bamboo washcloth or a natural sea sponge for washing. Both are small enough for little hands to hold, and naturally kind to delicate skin too.
About Babbu:
Babbu is the UK’s first online nursery™; designed to support, reassure and empower parents and their children in the first critical few years. Our activities respect children’s individuality allowing them to be true to themselves, help develop their respect for others, the community and the environment. We provide tailored educational activities and content to support parents, at home – our aim is to make Early Years Education easy, accessible and fun.”