Want some toddler activities to keep your little one happy when it's time for the bathtub, or brushing teeth - or washing hands?
Toddlers are the most incredible little creatures - so full of life, with so much to learn and do. Sometimes the simplest of tasks seems so difficult.
And at other times your toddler wants to accomplish something much more difficult than their capabilities allow! It can be tough to keep your cool in such situations, but a little fun and humor goes a long way when dealing with everyday activities, keeping you sane - and your toddler content.
So here's a selection of toddler activity ideas, based on that never ending duty to keep your toddler squeaky clean!
Fun toddler activities - keeping clean!
Many toddlers love having baths, or fiddling around with toothbrushes and paste. Others seem to detest any attempt to bathe or wash, preferring instead to remain eternally filthy!
And as for toilet training - I heartily sympathise with all of you going through this harrowing time! Don't forget to check out my page with toddler activities and games for those of you potty training toddlers.
So how can you win the battle of the bathroom with your toddler?
Bathing your toddler
Baby bubbles in the bath add a lot of fun for toddlers. Chuck in
some sturdy plastic beakers
funnels...
...and a jug
plus a set of play spoons
or even a plastic tea set, complete with tea pot - we had great fun with this, lining up the cups along the side of the bath and pouring out the bubbly "tea."
Bathtub crayons Need some more toddler activities for bathtime? Bathtub crayons let your toddler draw colorfully all over the tub and themselves - and wash off easily. You could offer these as a really special treat for an unwilling bather - but make sure you have a few other bathtoys handy just in case your toddler tires of the crayons after a few minutes and is still a little anxious.
Finger paints You can also purchase finger paints for the bath. Do check age limits and suitability for any bath products you buy for your toddler.
Floating toys, fillers and squirters Other toys which will keep your child happy include floating blocks, boats and tugs, bathtime creatures - fish, turtles, frogs - or even bubbly dinosaurs! - filling and pouring sets, sponges, and water squirters.
Washcloths We've also used, to great success, a set of colorful washcloths to actually clean our toddler! Use a different color each bathtime, and wash your toddler all over with the cloth. Toddlers also love playing around with the washcloth, squeezing it out and letting it soak up the water again. As ever - safety first - don't let your child put the wet cloth over their face.
Remember, remember..! Never leave your toddler alone in the bath. Even for one second. I really think this is the most important bathtime safety rule of all. Before you bathe your child, make sure you won't need to go out of the bathroom to check on anything in the kitchen that you're cooking, for example. Don't answer the phone or the doorbell - just shut yourself into the bathroom with your little one and have a fab time!
Cleaning teeth
Does your toddler shudder at the thought of a little tooth cleaning? Let them choose a brightly colored toddler toothbrush, some suitable paste, and maybe their own toothbrush beaker. Or better still - choose two or three different brushes so that your toddler can select which one he or she wants to use that evening.
Make brushing into a fun toddler activity Let your toddler brush their own teeth at first, looking in a mirror. Make faces. Make noises. Dribble a little. Perhaps you could brush along in accompaniment? Brush the top front teeth, the bottom, around the sides, bend over left, bend right. Turn around and stamp your feet... and sing a song! "This is the way we brush our teeth" comes to mind. Then a nice bout of spitting everything out at the end. Lovely.
Clean dolly's teeth You could also keep one toothbrush dry - to use as a "play" toothbrush for your child. They can brush dolly's teeth, or the teeth of their favorite plush toy. This activitity can be quite useful just before you give your toddler's teeth a clean yourself, if their own efforts haven't been terribly successful.
Swap roles Or if you're feeling adventurous, let your child brush your teeth! I haven't tried this one, but I think it could be fun!
Washing hands
Dirty hands are the hallmark of toddlerhood. Or maybe childhood in general... but still, toddler hands really can get excessively dirty, what with sticky crafts, digging around in the dirt outside, or scrabbling about in the back of the vegetable cupboard while mom's back is turned :)
And toddlers love to eat with dirty hands, suck those dirty fingers, or pick their noses - all of which we, of course, never did when we were little!
Hand washing after toileting, or during illness is also very important - so let's take a look at a few hand washing games and techniques that might attract your little one to the sink.
Toddler friendly hand washing First of all, make sure your toddler can reach the sink with a step stool, for example, and choose together a suitable handwash or soap that is also placed within reach. A soap dispenser is often easier for toddlers to use than a bar of soap. Just make sure the contents are toddler-friendly.
Wash your hands and get your child to imitate you, running warm water over your hands and using the soap between your fingers, around finger nails, and across the backs of your hands. Don't forget to rinse! Then dry with an accessible towel.
Watch and play through this online toddler activity Here's a fun online toddler activity. Why not watch and play "Wet, Soap, Rinse, and Dry" with your toddler on the BBC's Bobinogs website?
Instead of using running water, fill the sink with a little water first. Let your child dip their hands in (just like Nib did in the game above) and maybe use a washcloth too, soaking and squeezing it and then gently rubbing it over your child's hands.
Now dry your hands Toddlers usually aren't too bothered about drying their hands :) - but you could help your child wipe them dry, and finish off with a game of "round and round the garden", starting off by using the towel on their hands. The gentlest of tickles will do - you don't want your child falling over or banging their head while trying to escape!
Sometimes wipes are all you need to give your kids' hands a quick clean, and they're particularly useful if you're travelling or somewhere where a sink isn't immediately available. Most toddlers will enjoy scrubbing as much dirt off their hands as possible with these.
