It’s no secret that an evening bath ritual lends to a better night’s sleep for babies. While some little ones love the water, others can take a little persuading to get their feet wet. Bath toys can make getting into the tub a lot more inviting and some even help develop your tyke’s motor and cognitive skills. Here are the seven best baby bath toys to add to your tyke’s scrub-a-dub-dub routine.
Table of Contents
7 Best Baby Bath Toys (2025 Reviews)
Best Baby Bath Toys
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1. Munchkin Shake’n Strain Baby Bath Ball
(Best value — $)
Why it’s great: This bath ball may appear simple, but it’s popular among parents for its ability to keep little ones engaged for the duration of an entire bath. Designed to stimulate all of babies’ senses, this colorful ball can be shaken, strained, rattled, and rolled. Perfect for playing with in and out of the tub, this toy is also easy to clean and easy for your little one to hold by themselves.
Keep in mind: These bath balls come in a variety of color combinations, but you aren’t able to choose which color you receive.
Good for: Young babies as this bath ball encourages early motor development and sensory exploration.
![Munchkin Shake’n Strain Baby Bath Ball]()
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2. Light Up Animal Bathtub Toys
(Best for younger babies — $$)
Why it’s great: These light-up bath toys are a fun take on the age-old bath classic. Featuring eight fun animal characters, these floating rubber toys automatically light up when they come into contact with the water. These toys are fully sealed to prevent mold growth or damage to the battery inside. Perfect for kids of all ages, these toys are small enough for tiny hands to hold and move by themselves. Parents praise these bath toys for being a fun and easy way to make baby’s bath time more enjoyable.
Keep in mind: These toys are battery operated and while they are sold with batteries included, you will eventually have to replace the batteries.
Good for: The swimming pool, the lake, the sink, the hot tub, and beyond! These toys work in all water environments.
![Light Up Animal Bathtub Toys]()
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3. G-Wack Interactive Bath Toy
(Most interactive — $$$)
Why it’s great: This interactive caterpillar bath toy is sure to grab your little one’s attention with its unique and exciting design. Water poured through the top spouts circulates through the toy, spinning and flowing through each piece until it comes back out in the tub. Perfect for teaching your little one cause and effect, this toy also improves motor skills and hand-eye coordination. This toy is easy to install as it is held up by suction cups designed to work on a variety of surfaces.
Keep in mind: Some customers report that this toy is smaller than they expected, but it’s intended to be child-size.
Good for: Developing your little one’s motor and cognitive skills.
![G-Wack Interactive Bath Toy]()
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4. Nuby Floating Purple Octopus
(Best for teething babies — $)
Why it’s great: This soft and flexible floating octopus is a fun addition to bath time as it encourages interactive play. Sold with three rings, little ones will love hooking the hoops on the octopus’s tentacles. This toy’s vibrant colors and textures will stimulate your baby’s senses while its plastic is durable but chewable, perfect for teething infants. Best of all, this floating octopus has been designed to prevent mold issues, ensuring it’s entirely safe for your tyke to take into the tub.
Keep in mind: This octopus has six tentacles instead of the anatomically correct eight!
Good for: Babies who like to put toys in their mouth as this octopus is made from soft plastic that is resistant to mold growth.
![Nuby Floating Purple Octopus]()
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5. MoraBaby 36-piece Bath Toy Set
(Best for active babies — $$$)
Why it’s great: This all-inclusive bath toy set is a great starter pack for babies just learning to love bath time. The package includes a whale-shaped net, three floating squirt animal balls, and 36 foam numbers and letters. Also included with these toys is a premium organizer, two square hooks, and suction cups for easy storage when the toys are not in use. The whale net can be used in two ways: as a basketball hoop and a fishing net, perfect for shooting or scooping the animal balls while in the tub. The letters and numbers will float in the water or stick to tile, inspiring your little one to practice counting and reciting the alphabet.
Keep in mind: Some customers report that the organizer’s suction cups aren’t very strong.
Good for: Busy babies who like to be active during bath time.
![MoraBaby 36-piece Bath Toy Set]()
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6. Skip Hop Baby Pull & Go Submarine
(Best for older babies — $)
Why it’s great: This Skip Hop submarine is an easy way to make bath time a little more entertaining. Your little one will quickly learn to pull the submarine’s string to activate the propeller, keeping their monkey friend afloat in the tub. Best of all: no batteries are necessary to operate this toy. Parents praise this bath toy for being high-quality and fun to play with in and out of the tub.
Keep in mind: This bath toy is recommended for kids 12 months and older.
Good for: Gifting as this toy is cute, affordable, and fun.
![Skip Hop Baby Pull & Go Submarine]()
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7. Melissa & Doug Bath Book & Toys – Three Little Duckies
(Most educational — $$)
Why it’s great: This adorable book and toy set is a great bath time accessory for babies ages four months to two years old. The six-page book teaches kids to count to three and has soft, water-resistant pages that are easy for little hands to turn and grasp. Three little ducks come with the book as an accompaniment to the story and can be stored in the mesh tube attached to the book when not in use.
Keep in mind: Some customers say this story is quite simple as it’s designed for younger children.
Good for: Combining bath time and story time into one fun bedtime routine!
![Melissa & Doug Bath Book & Toys]()
Best Overall
Munchkin Shake’n Strain Baby Bath Ball
The Munchkin Shake’n Strain Baby Bath Ball is our overall top recommendation. It's the highest quality product we have found with the most affordable price making it the best value on our list..
FAQs about Baby Bath Toys
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1. What are things to consider when looking for baby bath toys?
Mostly, you’ll want to look for bath toys that you know your little one will love. Taking into account their age, interests, and capabilities will be sure to steer you in the right direction. For younger bathing babes, choose something that’s tactile with fun sensory details. Older babies will appreciate more interactive toys and games. Some bath toys require more advanced motor skills while others are designed to aid your little one’s development. Bath books and toys that feature alphabet letters and numbers are great for any age as they will encourage your little one to practice their language and counting skills.
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2. Are there any safety hazards related to baby bath toys?
Bath toys are generally safe for babies, though you’ll never want to leave your little one unattended while they play in the tub. You’ll also want to avoid anything that has small parts your little one could choke on. The biggest safety hazard when it comes to bath toys is mold and mildew, especially if your tyke is prone to putting toys in their mouth. To avoid this hazard, make sure to clean your bath toys thoroughly and regularly and let them dry out between baths.
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3. How long should babies be in a bath?
For young infants, bath time should be fairly quick to avoid dry skin. As your little one gets older, bath time can go a little longer. Just make sure the water’s not too hot and always supervise your baby while they’re in the water. No matter if it’s a short or a long bath, a few toys always make the routine a little more fun and will help your little one learn to love bath time.
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4. How old should babies be to play with bath toys?
Bath toys can be used at any age, though some toys are designed for babies who are a little older. Simple toys like bath books and rubber duckies are great for younger infants, who won’t be in the bath very long but might still need a fun distraction. Older babies will love more advanced toys that feature games and encourage imaginary play.
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5. How many bath toys does my baby need?
Having a new toy to play with is sure to make bath time more fun, which can be useful if your little one gets fussy in the water. Having a handful of different toys to rotate can help distract your baby from their least favorite chore. However, while there are an endless amount of bath toys on the market, that doesn’t mean you need to fill your tub to the brim with floating ducks and submarines. In fact, too many toys might overstimulate your little one. It’s best to start with a few simple toys and grow the collection with your child as their interests and capabilities develop.
Conclusion
Bath time can be a soothing ritual, making it an important part of a baby’s bedtime routine. Bath toys add to the experience and fortunately, there are a lot more options to choose from these days than just the standard rubber duckie. Younger babies will enjoy the simple pleasures of light-up floating animals or water-resistant books while older babies will have lots of fun with interactive toys designed to engage and entertain. Always make sure to clean and dry out your bath toys to avoid mold growth and always, always supervise your little one while they play in the tub.
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