Bathtime Activity: 30-36 Months

Let your child experiment with toys that have holes in them, such as toy watering cans or sand sifters. Talk about how water goes through the holes and how it goes through faster as the holes get bigger. Continue to let her pretend to bathe her favorite doll or character. After bathtime, you can encourage her to dress the doll and put it to bed. She may also insist on bathing herself during this stage of development. It's perfectly fine for her to have a turn followed by your own. By now, be sure that you have established a fairly consistent routine in terms of washing. When you have, see if she can tell you what to do "first," "next," and "last" during bathtime.

Possible Intervention Strategies & Supports

• If your child has trouble making it through all of the steps in the bathtime routine, try using a laminated picture schedule to show her what's going to happen. See the example to the right.

• It may not have occurred to you, but doing things like practicing balancing on one foot, kicking a ball, and stepping over low obstacles can actually transfer to being able to get in and out of tub! Incorporate these types of activities into everyday play.

• Count with your child how many times she needs to rub her hands in her hair to wash it (e.g., “O.K. Put the shampoo on your head and now rub all over for 1, 2, 3,...”). Be sure to make it fun and silly!

Tips

If you don't have bath toys with holes in them, you can easily use a clean plastic funnel and/or small colander/strainer from around the house instead. If she's a child for whom bathtime is difficult, tell her exactly what's going to happen ahead of time. These warnings may help her feel more at ease with the routine. For example, say, "First, I will wash your hair. Then we will do a quick rinse. After that, you can help me wash with the washcloth. When we're all done, you can pick a favorite book for us to read before bed!"

Family Handout

Click here to download an editable one-page handout of this age range's bathtime activity, interventions, and tips.