Bathtime with a toddler can be a real struggle or pure joy depending on their mood. But with some tricks up your sleeve, the joyful baths can quickly outweigh the meltdown-y ones. Here is a list of our favorite bath products for kids ranging from soap to toys to bath bombs and more. Anything on this list makes for a great birthday gift and something that parents will appreciate because their kiddos will actually use it.

Let me know what your kids like to play with in the bathtub too!

Our Favorite Bath Toys for Kids

Bath toy storage: We have the older version of this bath toy storage container and love it because it sticks to the wall and never falls off and is also very easy to clean. We had a mesh one previously but it got gross really quickly. It’s not huge but I have a thing about keeping our bathrooms clutter-free so while we don’t have a ton of bath toys, the ones we do have, get a lot of good use.

Light-up water cubes: These cubes are hands down the coolest bath toy I’ve ever seen. One of her friends sent them to her as a gift and we are huge fans. I have no idea how they work but they light up when in the water and turn off as soon as you pull them out. She gets a kick out of them and they make bathtime a breeze.

Bath crayons: These admittedly make a big mess but it’s very easy to clean (just wipe with a wet cloth) and worth the extra minute of clean up given how much joy they bring her. Amalia has been practicing writing out her name as well as mom and dad and bathtime is one of our new favorite times for letters and spelling. The other night she wrote “mom” unprompted with her bath crayons and I cried (#hormones) because I was so proud.

Pour bucket toys: This set of buckets has been our longest-standing bath toy. We’ve had them since before she was one and they still get regular use.

Mermaid mirror set: Because every toddler is a touch narcissistic 🙂

Fishing rod: Or fishing “rob” as Amalia calls it. We’ve had this one for over a year and still love it.

Leaky pipes: Amalia loves these colorful plastic pipes and has been playing with them on and off for a long time. She pours water through them with a cup and cracks herself up.

Our Favorite Bath Accessories for Kids

Organic bath bombs: I save bath bombs for the nights when she really doesn’t want to get in the tub. At the mere mention of a bath bomb, she runs to the bathroom and is undressed in 0.5 seconds. She loves how it colors the water and that she gets a little toy at the end.

Shampoo rinser: This is one of those stupid things that you look at in a store and think, “what moron would spend money on it” and then you become a parent and realize your child hates getting her head rinsed and buy it to avoid tears at bathtime. Great use of $6 in my opinion.

Bathrobe (similar for less): My aunt sent Amalia this cute bathrobe as a Christmas gift and it is one of her most prized possessions now. She loves to put it on after her bath and run around the house which is usually not allowed but she looks so cute I can’t stop it! It keeps her warm while we get ready for bed and is just one of the softest things I’ve ever felt. I want the same one in my size.

Towel: Very random mention but I bought this towel on a Target run over the summer and it’s been our favorite kid towel to date. It’s a really big size, very cozy, absorbent, and colorful.

Our Favorite Bath “Beauty” Products for Kids

Shampoo/soap: We switched to EO 3-in-1 soap for every kid about 6 months ago and it’s great because it comes in a big bottle (less package waste), smells good, and acts as a shampoo, soap, and bubble bath all in one.

Lotion: We used Burt’s Bees Baby Oil up until this fall but I moved her to a lotion for her “big girl” skin and I’ve been really loving this kids lotion from the Honest Company. It absorbs really quickly and smells good without being too strong. She usually gets really dry knees and elbows in the winter but this prevents that completely.

Hair detangler: We always spray this on her hair before brushing with a kid-sized wet brush after her bath to avoid knots. It doesn’t leave any weird residue and does the trick.