Best Bath Toys for Toddlers
One of my secret weapons in motherhood has always been bath time. It’s a better break for me at the end of a long day than almost anything else, and the right toddler bath toys can buy you an extra ten minutes (and get kids excited to actually get in the bath).
We have four kids and have gone through lots of years of bath time and bath toys. I’m sharing the ones we kept, the ones we bought again, the ones we continue to give as gifts….and the ones to skip.
So which bath toys are worth buying? The simple ones. I’ve split this post in two so you know what you’re getting. First come the bath toys we’ve owned and used for years. After that are the newer ones I’d add to the cart if I were stocking a tub from scratch today.
One rule before the list: even if you buy every toy here, only put one or two in the tub at a time. More than that gets overwhelming (for them and for you when you’re cleaning up).
Our Favorite Toddler Bath Toys at a Glance
| If you want | Start with |
|---|---|
| The one bath toy that grows with them | Classic stacking cups |
| A set for a kid who loves vehicles | Munchkin bath boats |
| A toy that stays up off the tub floor | Boon Pipes |
| Something for a kid who hates bubbles | Bath bombs with toys inside |
| Music in the tub | Rub a Dub water xylophone |
| Squeeze toys with no hole | Tub Works sealed animals |
The Best Bath Toys for Toddlers We’d Buy Again
Everything in this section has lived in our tub. These are the ones I’d buy again.
⭐ Favorite Overall: Classic Stacking Cups
Best for: babies through age 4 and up
These have always been the most used bath toy in our house, and we still use and love them now that my youngest is four. They’ve been cups for rinsing hair, pots of soup for a pretend dinner, and a way to carry bubbles from one end of the tub to the other. They were one of our first bath toys, and they’re just as good at the beach or on the living room floor. If you only buy one thing on this list, buy these.
Later on we upgraded to this Lovevery set and I love the different pour rates of each cup, how they stack, and the colors.
Munchkin Bath Boats
Best for: ages 1 to 4
If I had to rank our bath toys, these sit right at the top next to the stacking cups. It’s a set of six little boats that link together into a train, and each one scoops and strains water. For a kid who loves anything with wheels or a hull, that’s a lot of play out of a very simple toy. Simple has been the pattern with everything that lasted in our house.
Boon Pipes
Best for: ages 1 to 5
Five pipes in different shapes that suction to the wall, so your toddler can pour water in the top and watch where it comes out. They work one at a time or lined up in a chain. What I love most is that they stay up on the wall and off the floor of the tub. We’ve had a set at my mom’s house since Lincoln was little, and he used them with cups to see how the water moved through each pipe. It’s the same cause and effect play I look for in brain building gifts for toddlers.
Munchkin Fishing Set
Best for: ages 2 and up
A little fishing rod and three floating characters to catch. It’s a fun one, and ours got played with out of the bath as much as in it. It leads to a lot of pretend play.
Skip Hop Zoo Pull and Go Submarine
Best for: ages 1 to 4
Pull the string, the propeller spins, and the submarine takes off across the tub. That’s the whole toy, and it’s a fun one. It’s also an easy way for a toddler to figure out floating and sinking without anyone explaining it.
Bath Basketball Hoop
Best for: toddlers who love balls
This one was a big yes from my boys. The hoop attaches in the tub and comes with mini basketballs, and the balls are airtight so water can’t get inside them. If your toddler throws everything anyway, give them something they’re allowed to throw.
Foam Letters and Numbers
Best for: ages 3 and up
A classic for a reason, and these have been great for us. The letters and numbers stick to the wall of the tub when they’re wet and float when they’re not. A three year old will slap them on the tile and peel them off again, and a five year old will start hunting for the letters in their name.
Rub a Dub Water Xylophone
Best for: labeled 3 and up (mine started at about 18 months)
This was one of my two oldest kids’ favorite bath toys. The pieces come apart, they float or stick to the tub wall, and the set comes with waterproof sheet music. The one we owned was made by ALEX Toys and it has since been rebranded, so the link below goes to the current version.
Baby Bath Books
Best for: babies and young toddlers
We don’t keep these in the tub anymore, because my youngest is four and there are no babies left in our house. They were great when we did. They’re waterproof books with numbers, shapes, colors and letters, and they’re a good first book for a baby who puts everything in their mouth. If you’re shopping for a one year old, I’d start here.
Oball Grasp and Splash Bath Toys
Best for: babies and young toddlers
Every Oball toy we’ve owned has been a huge hit for baby’s first toys. This one isn’t technically a bath set but it works just as well in the water as it does in the playroom.
Bubble Bath, Bath Bombs, and Bath Crayons
Some of the best bath toys aren’t toys at all.
A Great Bubble Bath
Best for: kids who love bubbles
Mr. Bubble is our favorite for a tub that’s mostly bubbles. A good bubble bath and a set of stacking cups will carry a lot of bath times on their own.
Bath Crayons
Best for: ages 3 and up, the day before you clean the tub
We like bath crayons, but they’re messy. Our rule is that they come out the day before I’m planning to clean the bathtub anyway, so the mess gets one night and then it’s gone. If your kid loves to draw, it’s a nice change from the kitchen table. I keep our regular drawing favorites in my list of the best art supplies for kids.
Bath Bomb Toy Set
Best for: ages 3 and up
We just gave this to my 4 year old for her birthday and it was a huge hit! It comes with a little set of plastic toys that can be used in the bath and then each bath bomb has a tiny animal in it that can be used with the other toys. She was asking to take a bath multiple times a day 😛
Mold Free Bath Toys I’d Buy Today
Everything above this line has been in our tub. Everything from here down hasn’t yet. These are the bath toys I’d order if I were starting over today, and I picked them for how they’re built. I’ll update this post as we try them.
I’m starting with mold because it’s the first question I’d ask. The classic squirt toy has a small hole in the bottom. Water gets in, never fully gets out, and mold grows on the inside where you can’t see it. [ELISABETH: did you ever cut one open or throw out a batch? One line here.] Mold free bath toys get around that in one of two ways. Either they’re sealed with no hole at all, or they come apart so the inside can dry.
Tub Works Marine Sealed Animals
Best for: ages 6 months and up
Six sea animals, including an orca, a sea turtle and a clownfish. They’re soft and squeezable like a classic squirt toy but have no hole, so water can’t get inside. This is the set I’d buy first to replace squirt toys.
Tub Works Construction Trucks
Best for: toddlers in a truck phase
The same sealed, no hole design in a six pack of construction trucks. I’d pick these over the animals for a kid who notices every excavator on the drive to school.
Oli & Carol Natural Rubber Bath Toys
Best for: babies and young toddlers
Natural rubber bath toys made in one piece with no holes. The brand says they can double as teethers, and they’re the prettiest toys on this list. One of these costs more than a whole bag of plastic squirt toys, so I’d buy one or two as a baby gift.
Ubbi Interchangeable Bath Toys
Best for: toddlers
A seal, an octopus, a crab and a whale that each snap apart in the middle. The tops and bottoms mix and match, they have holes that make a rain effect, and Ubbi says they can go on the top rack of the dishwasher. Being able to open a toy and look inside it is the whole appeal.
Boon Jellies
Best for: ages 12 months and up
Nine little jellyfish that suction to the tub wall. They come from the same brand as the pipes we already love, which is why they made my list.
Fat Brain Toys Squigz
Best for: ages 3 and up
A 24 piece set of suction builders that stick to each other and to any smooth surface, tub wall included. They’re just as useful out of the bath, and I like a bath toy that can leave the bathroom.
Pouring and Water Play Bath Toys
Pouring is most of what a toddler does in the bath, which is why our stacking cups have lasted so long. These are the ones I’d add next. Like the mold free picks above, they’re on my list and not yet in our tub.
Skip Hop Zoo Stack & Pour Buckets
Best for: ages 9 months and up
Five little buckets with handles and three different sprinkle patterns. They stack for storage, and they’re the closest thing here to our stacking cups, with handles that are easier for small hands to grab.
Mushie Pour and Play Bath Set
Best for: ages 10 months and up
A four piece pouring set in Mushie’s muted colors, for anyone who doesn’t want a rainbow of plastic on the side of the tub. Mushie says to wash it with mild soap and dry it completely before storing.
Boon Cogs Water Gears
Best for: ages 12 months and up
Five gears in different sizes that suction to the wall and spin when water is poured over them. I’d put these right next to our pipes.
Munchkin Float & Play Bubbles
Best for: ages 4 months and up
Four floating balls. Two have little characters inside and two spin and rattle. They’re the youngest toy in this section, so I’d buy them for a house with a baby and a toddler sharing the tub.
Hape Bubble Blowing Whale
Best for: ages 18 months and up
Add a few drops of bubble bath to the spout, dunk it, and it blows bubbles. It doesn’t take batteries and it comes apart for cleaning. I’d save this one for a kid who loves bubbles (so, not my youngest).
Matchstick Monkey Bathtime Slide Set
Best for: ages 6 months and up
A small slide and three animal pieces to send down it into the water. It’s a simple toy, and simple is what has worked for us.
Bath Boats and Bigger Bath Toys for Gifts
Our Munchkin boats are at the top of my list, so more boats were an easy call. The bigger toys at the end of this section are the ones I’d save for a birthday or Christmas.
Green Toys Submarine
Best for: toddlers
A chunky submarine made from recycled plastic, with a propeller on the back that spins.
Green Toys Tugboat
Best for: toddlers
A tugboat that floats and pours, made from recycled plastic and listed as dishwasher safe. Green Toys also makes the ferry boat with two little cars that was on my original 2018 list.
Yookidoo Submarine Spray Station
Best for: ages 2 to 6
A battery powered submarine sits on the bottom of the tub and pumps bath water up to a station on the wall, where it spins and sprays through a little shower head. It takes four AA batteries, and Yookidoo says not to use rechargeable ones.
Yookidoo Ready Freddy Spray ‘N’ Sprinkle
Best for: ages 3 to 6
A fire hydrant with googly eyes and a hose that sprays recirculated bath water, with spinning pieces to aim at. It also takes four AA batteries.
Skip Hop Tub-to-Table Café Lemonade Set
Best for: ages 12 months and up
A pitcher, a cup, a lemon spinner and a citrus slice squirt toy that comes apart in two pieces for cleaning. Play food has been a win in our house for years, and it’s on my list of the best toys for 2 year olds, so a tub version makes sense to me.
Light Up Bath Toys and Bath Color
Okay how fun are these? I remember when we got our first light up bath toys and the kids spent a full 45 minutes in the tub!
Glo Pals Light Up Cubes
Best for: older toddlers (check the age on the box)
Small cubes that light up when they’re in the water. The cubes are small, so I’d keep these for a kid who is well past putting things in their mouth.
Honeysticks Bath Crayons and Bath Drops
Best for: ages 3 and up
Seven jumbo bath crayons made with beeswax, plus drops that color the bath water. We already like beeswax crayons for regular drawing, so this is the set I’d try next for the tub. My day before cleaning rule still applies.
Bath Toys by Age
Bath Toys for 1 Year Olds
Start with stacking cups, Oball toys and bath books. All three are made for babies, and the cups will still be in your tub years later. From my to-try list, the Skip Hop buckets, the Munchkin Float & Play Bubbles and the sealed Tub Works animals are all made for this age.
Bath Toys for 2 Year Olds
The Munchkin boats, the Boon Pipes and the pull and go submarine are the ones I’d pick for a two year old. My two oldest also loved the water xylophone from about 18 months. I have more ideas for this age, in and out of the tub, in my full list of the best toys for 2 year olds.
Bath Toys for 3, 4, and 5 Year Olds
Foam letters, bath crayons and bath bombs with toys inside are the ones for this stage. My four year old is happiest with a bath bomb and whatever new piece comes out of it. The battery powered Yookidoo toys and the Squigz are also labeled for this age group.
Bath Toy Storage That Lets Everything Dry
Whatever you use, the goal is the same: bath toys need to drain and get air between baths. We have a plastic bin with holes in it that lets the water drain out but keeps all the toys contained. In the past we’ve also used a small mesh bag I just hang on the faucet of the tub with the toys we’re using right then. The rest of the dried toys are stored in a plastic basket under the sink in the bathroom.
How to Clean Bath Toys
This is what the brands in this post recommend in their care instructions.
- After every bath: rinse the toys, drain them and let them dry completely before they go back in a bin.
- Every so often: soak them in vinegar and water for about 20 minutes, then rinse and dry.
- Dishwasher: hard plastic toys that are labeled dishwasher safe can go on the top rack.
- Squirt toys with a hole: if you can see mold inside one, replace it.
Honestly, we just keep the toys in the tub, rinsed in the bin and don’t worry too much about it. The exception is if the toddler has an accident in the tub, everything gets sterilized. If there is any hint of mold, it gets tossed immediately (and if it is a toy that could get mold in it, it only lasts a few months before it “disappears.”).
What We Stopped Buying
Bubble bath for the kid who hates it. I assumed every kid loves bubbles until my fourth one didn’t. Bath bombs are our go to for her (but its a much more expensive habit so stick with the bubble bath if you can).
A full tub of toys. One or two at a time has always worked better for us than the whole collection at once.
Conclusion: Which Bath Toys Would I Buy Again?
Bath boats, stacking cups, a good bubble bath, and bath bombs for the kid who doesn’t want the bubbles. After four kids, what I keep learning is that the simpler the toy, the longer it lasts in our tub.
If you’re buying one thing today, make it the stacking cups, and don’t be surprised when they end up at the beach. For the toys that live outside the bathroom, see our favorite toddler toys.
Toddler Bath Toys FAQ
Rinse them and let them dry completely after each bath. For a deeper clean, soak them in vinegar and water for about 20 minutes, or run dishwasher safe toys on the top rack.
If the mold is inside a squirt toy with a small hole, you can’t see whether you got it all out. I’d replace it with a sealed toy that has no hole.
Wash them with hot soapy water first. Then sanitize hard toys with a diluted bleach solution mixed according to the directions on the bottle, rinse them well and let them air dry. Dishwasher safe toys can go through a hot cycle on the top rack.
Fewer than you’d think. We keep one or two in the tub at a time and swap them out.
Buy ones that are made for the bath, follow the age on the box, and keep the battery door screwed shut.
Later than you’d expect. My youngest is four and we still use our stacking cups.
I totally want to get some foam letters for my little girl to get her knowing those more and more! There are so many good ideas here!
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