There is a bath time ritual at our home that goes something like this: I inform my two-year-old that it is time for her bath. She looks at me in horror and starts to wail. I run the water, chase after the tot and place her in the tub. Time passes. I inform her that it is time to get out of the bath. She looks at me in horror and starts to wail. And so it goes…night after night.
The fact of the matter is, my daughter has as many toys in the bathtub as she does in her bedroom. From finger paints and crayons (made especially for use in the tub), to balls, plastic ducks, whales, crabs… come to think of it, she has a complete set of Old MacDonald’s farm animals that squirt water out of their mouths. Then there are her boats and the Fisher-Price Lil’ People who navigate around her flower watering can and the foam letters and numbers that she will occasionally stick on the walls surrounding the tub (when she’s not using them as life rafts for her animal friends). If this sounds remotely familiar, you may be struggling to find a way to keep the bathroom from becoming an extension of the family room. Here are some ways that have helped me to keep the bath toys in check:
Shower Caddy—I keep my daughter’s (bathtub) finger paints and crayons in a shower caddy. I can stand the finger paint bottles upright and the caddy prevents them from tipping over. It also accommodates the cup that I keep the crayons in. The handle is also a nice feature that makes transporting the “art supplies” from the cabinet to the tub very easy.
Fish Net—While we were in Hawaii my mom got my daughter a small fish net with a wooden handle to play with in the pool. We brought it home and lo and behold, it too found its way into the tub. The net turned out not only to be a great “toy” for my daughter to scoop up her plastic animals, it is also where I keep the ducks, fish, and Old MacDonald’s other creatures when the tub is drained. The handle balances perfectly between the sides of the tub and the mesh allows the toys to dry quickly and completely. While there are toy nets made especially for the bathtub, I find that the suction cups do not adhere to the tub very effectively and the fish net is a lot more affordable.
Laundry Basket—The rest of the tub toys, including the boats, the foam letters and numbers, and the balls get thrown into a small round laundry basket. The laundry basket allows for excellent air circulation, which speeds up the drying process. Also, it fits perfectly under the sink. (You could easily fit it in your bathroom closet as well.)
Hanging Storage Unit—Storage units that hang from shower heads are also good places to store toys that are used frequently (along with soap and shampoo). The hooks on our unit work well for hanging my daughter’s plush tub toys (the ones that have loops sewn on them).
Each of the aforementioned products is inexpensive and you may already have some around your home. The best way to prevent toys from over running any room, including the bathroom, is to have a designated place to keep them stored and organized.
One more tip: I found that both Tilex and Clorox Anywhere Hard Surface Spray do a great job erasing my daughter’s paint and crayon “masterpieces” from the tub and surrounding walls.