Craig Thornburrow

Floating Bath Toys: Educational Fun While Baby Is Getting Clean

Most babies love a bath, and if you give them some good floating bath toys they can start learning in the process of getting clean.

Floating bath toys can be a way to increase a number of skills for your baby, starting as soon as he or she is able to sit up on their own. Whether baby is using them in the tub, the inflatable swimming pool or in a bowl of water for some supervised water play, these toys are more than just playthings, they are learning tools.

Floating Bath Toys Teach Manual Dexterity

One of the first skills that a baby will develop is getting his hands to work the way he wants them. First, he learns the larger motions with the gross motor skills, and then he starts working on the fine motor skills that will allow him to pick up the smaller objects. The last of these skills is the pincer grip, the skill that will allow him to pick up items such as coins and other flat things- but that will come much later. Even if the baby does not reach out for the toys as they float by quite yet, he will get excited and will possibly kick his little legs and feet. Eventually, he will try to make an actual grab for it.

Not every parent gives their baby a bath every day, so on days where he is not getting into the tub, the floating toys can be added to a small bowl of water, which encourages baby in the same way.

Using Floating Bath Toys Safely

While it should go without saying, it never hurts to repeat it: any time that baby is going to doing any kind of water play, he should be properly supervised. A baby can quickly drown in even a few inches of water. In addition to monitoring the baby near water, it is important to make sure that you are checking the condition of any of the floating bath toys frequently, especially the ones that are made of foam or other soft material that can tear off and may become choking hazards.

It is also important to make sure that the toys are allowed to dry thoroughly between uses so that there is no chance of mold or mildew building up on them. If baby happens to potty while in the tub with the toys, they should be thoroughly disinfected before they are given to him again. Soft floating bath toys are potential breeding grounds for bacteria and germs and could make baby very sick if they do not get proper care and cleaning.

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