Bath Time Fun for Babies and Children-

By: Brooke Ditlow

Bath time is a wonderful opportunity to bond and play with your little ones.  Whether your use bath time as a time to calm down and start getting ready for bed, or in the morning to play and get ready for the day, it is great face to face interaction time that you and your child will cherish.   Below you will find some fun activities and songs to make the most of your time in the tub.

Tub Time Tips-

Use products that are made specifically for your baby or child’s delicate skin and sensitive eyes.  basq’s “Love Cleansing Soap” is the perfect product for a beautiful bath time experience.  Treat your baby or child to basq’s “Touch Lavender Butter”, “Dream Lavender Sleep Mist” and “Share Lavender Calming Oil”.  The aromatherapy will help prepare your little one for bed by helping him/her relax.  The great smells will trigger happy thoughts and in the future happy memories of bonding between parent and child that occur during bath time. 

Activities: 

Puppet show- Even the really little guys will appreciate watching your creative side come out through a puppet show.  Using regular puppets or those specifically made for the tub, the bath tub edge makes a perfect puppet theater.  What child, (and grown up) doesn’t enjoy watching and putting on a good puppet show.  You can also take this opportunity to act out your children’s favorite stories with the puppets.  Seeing a favorite story in a new context is great for your child’s pre-reading skills.

Pour me some fun!-  Kids love to pour.  The tub is the perfect place to work on his/her pouring skills.   Grab your measuring cups, or clean out some containers from your recycle bin to give your children the opportunity to pour.  Not only will your child be developing his motor skills, but older children will start to see how many 1/3 cup measuring cups it takes to fill a 1 cup measuring cup.  It is a fun way to start working on pre-math skills.   

Change the bathtub color- When you have an activity that you do as often as bathing, it is fun to change up the routine to make it more fun and exciting.  It thrills children to see their bath water in a new color.  There are special products that are made to change bathtub water.  They usually come in tablet form, are non toxic and gentle on skin.  For an older child, it is great to tie this activity into a lesson on how to blend two colors to make another color.

Glow in the dark- This activity requires close supervision.  I have used left over glow in the dark bracelets and necklaces in the tub to create an awesome glow in the dark bath time.  I bend the glow in the dark sticks until they start to glow, and then throw a few in the tub.  I turn out the lights, and then invite the kids in to see their fun glowing tub. 

Crazy hair and beards- What child doesn’t love sticking his/her hair up in a crazy hairdo or making a bubble mustache?  Add a new dynamic to this dress up fun but hanging a shatterproof mirror in the tub.  Kids love to checkout their new dos and shower mirrors are fairly easy to find and inexpensive.  This is a great activity to develop those dramatic and pretend play skills.

Art- There are a variety of products on the market to bring out the Picasso in your little one.  I have tested the crayons, markers and paints that are made for the tub.  My kids have loved them all and they have been fairly easy to clean up after the fun. 

Songs:

“Rubber Ducky” from Sesame Street and “Splish Splash I was taking a Bath” naturally come to mind to sing during a bath. 

Rub-a-Dub-Dub

Rub-a-dub-dub

Three men in a tub

And who do you think they be?

The butcher, the baker,

The candlestick maker.

And they all sailed out to see.

Infant Massage Tips

By Brooke Ditlow

Always talk to your doctor about what is safe for your baby. 

Research has shown that there are many advantages to infant massage.  Massage can help babies with many discomforts including, colic, upset stomach and gas.  The skin to skin contact provided during infant massage is wonderful for bonding.  

Set the environment for optimal relaxation for you and your baby:  Prepare an area where baby can lie comfortably.  Spray the room with basq’s Dream Sleep Mist.  Lavender promotes calm, relaxation and better sleep.  Limit distractions, dim the lights and play soothing music.  Be sure to look your baby in the eyes and talk in a gentle soothing voice during this valuable bonding time.

There are many approaches to infant massage.  Find what works best for you and baby.  One approach is to start from the bottom and work your way up.   Using either basq’s “It’s A Small World”, SHARE Lavender Calming Oil, or basq’s, “It’s A Small World” Touch Body Butter, start at baby’s toes and work slowly toward baby’s head.

Toes- Softly squeeze each toe.  

Foot- Starting at the heals, use your thumbs to rub up to the toes. 

Ankle- Move babies foot in a circular motion one way and then the other.

Legs- Starting at baby’s thigh, use a “Milking” motion to massage baby’s leg from thigh to foot.  Do one leg several times, and then switch legs. 

Bicycle- Lightly move babies legs as if he/she were riding a bicycle.  This motion can help with baby’s gas and upset tummy.

Tummy- With very gentle pressure, use your hand like a windshield wiper and rub from one side of tummy to the other.  This motion in combination with bicycle legs can help with discomfort caused by gas.

Back- If your baby is a pro at tummy time, or if you are working on helping baby enjoy being on his\her belly, a gentle back rub can aid in babies comfort. 

Arms- Use the same milking technique as used on babies legs.  Finish by squeezing babies fingers. 

Face- Starting with your thumbs between babies eyebrows, massage across forehead, down cheeks and end at babies chin. 

If at any time your baby seems uncomfortable with any one part of the massage, or the whole thing, stop and try again another day.  Massage should be a wonderful time for bonding and relaxation for both parent and baby.

(Age: New Born)

Bubbles are a fun, inexpensive activity that can be used in a huge variety of ways. Even a tiny, new baby will get excited by this slow floating fun. Bubbles are an excellent way to help your baby develop his/her ability to visually track an object. When your child is old enough to realize that he or she is able to pop a bubble, it aids in his/her understanding of the relationship between cause and effect.

*Tip- Stock up on your bubbles during the spring and summer months. If you use nontoxic bubbles, you can use them in the house year round. However, bubbles are surprisingly difficult to find in the fall and winter months. I like to buy them when they are marked down at the end of the summer is mass quantities.

Activities to do with bubbles

Make sure that the bubble formula that you choose, (or make) is nontoxic and that bubbles don't fall directly onto babies face. Blow bubbles slowly so that they come out large and float slowly to the floor.

Use bubble wands of all different sizes and shapes to keep things interesting and exciting for both you and your baby. You can also make your own wands with pipe cleaner. Just bend the end into different sizes and shapes. Be sure to keep these homemade wands away from little hands as the ends tend to be poky.

Soon your baby will discover that he/she can pop the bubbles with his or her touch. This will add a whole new dynamic to bubble time and it will keep your babies interest much longer.

Add music to bubble time. Listed below are some bubble songs and finger plays that will add to the bubble fun.

Bubble Songs

Counting Bubbles Song

One little, two little, three little bubbles
Four little, Five little, Six little bubbles
Seven little, Eight little, Nine little bubbles
Ten little bubbles go pop, pop, pop, pop, pop
Pop those, pop those, pop those bubbles
Pop those, pop those, pop those bubbles
Pop those, pop those, pop those bubbles
Ten little bubbles go pop, pop, pop, pop, pop

Bubbles floating all around (pretend to catch bubbles)
Bubbles fat and bubbles round (make a circle with arms)
Bubbles on my toes and nose (point to toes and then to nose)
Blow a bubble, up it goes! (pretend to blow bubble and point up)
Bubbles floating all around. (pretend to catch bubbles)
B..u..b..b..l..e..s..f..a..l..l..i..n..g to...the...ground. (sing slowly while sinking to ground)

Crafts, recipes and more

Make your own bubble solution:

1/2 cup of dishwashing liquid 2 cups of water 2 teaspoons of sugar

Rumor has it that Joy works the best, but if you prefer a different dishwashing liquid, any will do.

About the Author: Brooke Ditlow is basq's National Account Manager an expert in Early Childhood Development.