Are you hearing, "But I don't wannnnna take a bath!" from your child? With these simple and inexpensive ideas, you may soon hear, "Mom, can I take a bath NOW?!":

1. SAFETY FIRST:
· Never leave your child alone in the tub!
· Feel the temperature before putting your child in the tub.
· Fill the tub before adding the child, to avoid temperature fluctuations.
· Bone up on other safety tips here:
http://www.parentcenter.com/refcap/health/safety/10559.html

2. TUB TUNES:
· During tub time, teach your kids the songs you loved as a child.
· Play their favorite music while they splash in the tub.
· Try singing, "Scrub, scrub, scrub your face (arms, legs, etc)" to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" while washing them.
· Don't forget the old Sesame Street song, "Rubber Duckie." What? You've forgotten the words?! Refresh your memory at http://www.lyricsdownload.com/data/m/muppets/muppets_rubber_duckie.php4

3. TUB TOYS:
· Pouring and Measuring: Measuring cups, measuring spoons, funnels, plastic bottles, plastic watering cans, eye droppers, colanders, strainers
· Floating and Sinking: Balls, rubber ducks, plastic boats, a rock, a full bottle of shampoo, sponges
· Squirting: Empty plastic shampoo bottles, turkey basters, squirt guns, plant misting bottles
· Things for the little bather to wash: a doll with hair to shampoo, toy cars for a car wash, plastic dishes
· Bubblers: Bubble bath or bubble solution plus wands, empty plastic berry baskets, straws to blow through, slotted spoons. Make your own bubble solutions and wands at http://creativekidsathome.com/activities/activity_5a.html

4. GAMES:
· Tea parties, with a plastic tea set
· Hide a small plastic toy beneath one of several floating plastic lids (like yogurt lids) while your child closes her eyes. She seeks, and finds. Her turn to hide the toy for you!
· Paint the tub with homemade bath fingerpaints from http://www.turtletrack.org/Issues00/Co12022000/CO_12022000_Bath.htm

On your mark, get set . . .go fill the tub with fun!

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Terry Miller Shannon and her son, Tim Warner, wrote a wacky, rhyming picture book, TUB TOYS (Tricycle Press, 2002). Tim's bath-loving son was their inspiration. MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW says TUB TOYS is "..greatly recommended..whimsical and fun." Check it out at TUB TOYS.

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