Bath tub time is a sigh of relief in my day. I’ve worked my job, and then messed around in the kitchen to put together a healthy supper. Bath tub is a moment I look forward to interacting with my kids and don’t need to do anything else. I can be present, I can interact with them. I like watching them make bubble beards, and diving in looking for gold dubloons. It’s a lighthearted part of my day that makes me smile.

I started adding a little extra care to these moments by adding a new toy, a special bubble bath or shampoo, or a sensory experience lately. One of our favourite ones that the kids want to use night after night is the Ducky Tub. It’s super simple, and I hope you will try it too.

Ducks, Ducks, Everywhere

I picked up a few mini ducks at my local big box retailer. In the seasonal (Easter) or party good section, you can find several small bathtub friendly items for between $1-4. I picked up 4 packages of mini ducks for approx $12 plus tax. We already had a few ducks collected from gifts and trade shows we threw in too. All in all we had 25 ducks in the tub, which was more than enough to play with and still be able to move around.

If you can’t find ducks consider other items that will excel in the water like small boats, teething toys, plastic animals. In a pinch, I’ve even used measuring cups, plastic measuring spoons or small yogurt cups. 

Bubbles or No Bubbles?

A daily debate is whether or not to add bubbles. One of my favourite ways to get the kids clean effortlessly is to add a few capfuls of a baby wash right into the tub while it’s filling. Lately, we have been using AVEENO® Baby Wash & Shampoo. It contains ACTIVE NATURALS® oat which is moisturizing and soothing your baby’s skin with 5 vital nutrients even as they soak and play in the tub.  It’s perfect for daily bath play, and gentle enough for sensitive skin of even the youngest newborn babies. Best of all, if those little tub monkeys get their hands on and try and dump it all out, the spout dispenses the AVEENO® Baby Wash & Shampoo at steady, slow rate. The light scent is pleasing and not overpowering.

Activities To Try

• Count the Ducks: line up ducks along the edge of the tub and count them as you do so. When you run out of ledge space, use your arm to splash them back into the tub with gusto, and start again!
• Scoop the Ducks: If you have a large scoop or toy strainer, use it to pick up ducks and dump them back into the tub. See how big of a splash you can make from dropping them from really high or really low, slowly then quickly. 
• Bubble Beards: It’s classic for a reason. Throw in a couple extra capfuls of baby wash to really get those bubbles a flowing, and let the kids put bubbles on their chins, heads or make bubble shirts. 
• Chomp the Duck: Pretend you’re a hungry alligator out to chomp as many little ducks as you can. Stretch your mouth (arms) open as wide and you can and take giant hungry alligator bites! How many ducks did you eat?
• Duck Conversations: Use the ducks as puppets that have conversations with each other along the tub side. The story ends each time as one duck falls or jumps off the ledge.
• 5 Little Duckies Jumping on the Tub: (to the tune of 5 Little Monkeys): 5 Little Duckies Jumping on the Tub, One Fell Off and Bumped His Head, Mama called the doctor and the doctor said, No more duckies jumping on the tub! Replace 5 with 4, 3, 2, 1…. Thank goodness, said the Mama, now I can have a bath.

After the Splash

After you’re finished washing and shampooing, grab the lotion to use and lock in all the moisture from your play & soak. AVEENO® Baby Lotion is easy to grip even with slippery hands. Miss P has a few dry patches on her legs typically. After using the lotion for a few days, these patches disappeared. An individual who is fragrance-free looking for a scent-free lotion to use on their baby would appreciate it’s natural oat smell. My experience is a small amount goes a long way, there’s no need to use a large amount.

For more honest reviews and ratings from moms like us, visit the AVEENO® website to find more information about the AVEENO® Baby Daily Care products.