The Absolute Best Bath Toys for Toddlers

Ever seen a kid get so wild in the water that bathtime starts to seem more like an adventure sport than a suitable part of the bedtime routine? Reel your little one in while they catch a big one with this fun fishing activity from Munchkin. This tub toy comes with three floating sea creatures and a magnetic fishing pole to pick them up. Your child will get to hone her hand-eye coordination—and concentration is required so you’ll like this one for bringing quiet and calm back to bathtime.

Budding athletes will have a blast with this number that brings basketball to the bathtub. Your kid can practice hand-eye coordination while getting clean, and the big splash after every basket will definitely make her smile.

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If your kid has a tough time getting his head wet, hair-washing can be a harrowing experience for both of you. (No judgment here if mutual shampoo-avoidance has left his mop matted with more meals than you care to admit.) Ditch the other cups and bowls and give this watering can a try. The gentle drizzle might not get the job done as quickly, but it won’t feel as cruel. 

This basic bath toy is a great way to engage a pre-k kid’s ever-growing interest in spelling and sounding out words. Stick some words to the side of the tub and the big kid in your life will be delighted to show off his alphabet prowess as he decodes the “secret messages.”

Pretend play meets the water when the classic rubber duck makes her debut as a mama, trio of babies in tow. The toddler in your life will get very involved in imagining sweet storylines of swimming lessons and the like—and the simplicity of this tub toy is undeniably charming.

Buy it ($9)

This battery-operated shower head from Yookidoo is pretty much the best thing you can do for a tired tub routine. Just suction it to the side of the bath, submerging the bottom half of the toy in the water and it will keep making magic for your munchkin until you pull the plug. It also comes with wheels and cogs to stick next to the spout, and a variety of cups so young ones can use the spout to set a watermill in motion as they learn about cause and effect.    

Buy it ($30)

Bubbles! No matter how much bubble bath you put in the tub, those suds won’t stand up long to the tiny hands of your toddler.  Get yourself a bath-time bubble machine (this one is musical)—your babe will be thrilled and you will save money on soap.

This turtle is perfectly sized for small hands and small bodies of water. True, your toddler won’t be the only moving target in the tub when you throw a wind-up water toy into the mix, but the addition could actually make bathtime go … swimmingly?

If you’re sold on the watering can idea for practical purposes, you might want to scoop up said can in a set that involves real fun for your kid, too. The price tag is bigger but this bath-time treat comes with a garden of stacking flower cups and a suction-cup flower pot that doubles as toy storage. Your toddler will enjoy tending to their flower garden after you tend to their tangles. 

Buy it ($23)

This bath toy boasts a cute design: elephant trunks double as slides in this water-friendly marble run.  The marbles make a splash as they chute down the tracks and plop into your toddler’s wading pool. The good news: They aren’t actually marbles so you get all the entertainment without compromising the integrity of your tub’s enamel.

Kids love to torture (er, play) with their vegetables. Buy this set of bobbing plastic vegetables for the bath, and watch your child delight in the opportunity to throw, drown and squish the life out of healthy stuff. We can’t promise your pride and joy will start relishing the real deal, but at least there’s a product that lets her have fun with food you didn’t prepare.

Buy it ($11)

This tug boat will inspire many an aquatic adventure and your young one will get a kick out of being captain of the vessel. Parents will appreciate the pleasing aesthetic and high-quality, eco-conscious construction (this bad boy was made solely from recycled milk jugs). The open design also makes for faster drying and mold-free fun, because no one wants a petri dish in the tub.

Not a toy per se, but kids can make fun from most anything, so if you stick this must-have safety feature on your faucet, you might be surprised to see how much your child enjoys soaping up and rinsing this cute rubber whale.  Meanwhile, you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that even when things get rambunctious, there’s no risk of the dreaded kid-faucet collision. 

For any youth who loves all things crafty and creative, aquatic art is sure to become a bath-time staple. Crayola has definitely cornered the doodling market and these bath crayons will allow your little one to make masterpieces all over the tub.  Soaping up a child under 4 is much easier when they are quietly creating art. Best of all, these scribbles (unlike the ones on your walls) will wash right away—no scrubbing needed. 

Not the cheapest choice on our list, but this toy is a good investment thanks to its staying power and versatility. Squigz are beloved by boys and girls from the first birthday right through first grade, and they keep kids occupied in the water and on dry land.  These suction cups stick to each other and pretty much every other surface, from table to tub. (Yes, they will stick to your forehead, but don’t do it unless you want to walk around with a hickey that looks like a third eye.) Varied textures and vibrant colors give Squigz sensory appeal and your child will love the pleasing pop! they make when pulled apart. Take ‘em along to a restaurant and when it’s time to wash the tomato sauce off, toss ‘em in the tub along with your tot.  Easy peasy and fun. 

Car enthusiasts account for a huge percentage of the toddler population, but even if the child in your life isn’t one of them, this toy will probably still float their boat.  The car-carrying ferry is an undeniably impressive feat of engineering, so it’s safe to say that this bath-time favorite from Battat will fascinate your little one. 

Rubber duckie just got a high-tech transformation and the result is … radiant.  Little people love things that light up, so clearly you can’t go wrong with these floating rubber creatures that glow when they meet water. High novelty factor makes for so much fun.