Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Frugal Fridays Bath tub Toys


My children love to take a bath and play in the tub. Instead of buying bath tub toys I give them empty bottles and different containers to play with. Examples would be the empty bubble bath, shampoo or a ketchup container. Maybe the scoop out of the laundry detergent. I've even given them the liquid laundry detergent bottle for the kiddie pool in the summer. They love to fill things up and dump it out again. This would work good for going to the lake too, no worrying about the expensive beach toys. Then when they get dirty of soap scummy I just toss or recycle it and give them a new bottle. Free and disposable toys gotta love it. Go visit Crystal for more frugal ideas.

On a side note: When should kids stop taking a bath together? I have three kids 6-2yrs, 2 boys and one girl and they love to take baths together. Should I be putting an end to this, its so easy just throw them all in together and get it done and over with than three seperate baths. What do you think?

9 comments:

Laura in KY said...

I think we started splitting up the sexes around 4 yrs. old or so. My older children started taking baths by themselves at 6 yrs. old and switched to showers when they turned 8. All our little ones are boys, so they still take their baths together. :-)

~ Laura ~

Jessica Snell said...

My kids will love this - especially my daughter, since her favorites are bath toys that SQUIRT!

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica

Sharon said...

Good idea Esther. Ambry will love that, especially since we go through so much shampoo/conditioner over here with the pounds of hair that we have in this house! She will have a collection in no time at all! :)

Stephanie Appleton said...

Washed out sour cream containers are a favorite here too.

As for spliting them up. My oldes (8) started wanting a shower a few years ago so that took him out.

The middle two (5 & 2) and sometimes the baby (10 mos) bathe together. I expect the 5 yo to soon want her privacy. I think it will happen naturally as they become more self aware.

Lines From The Vine said...

I'm soon expecting my ninth child...we always knew when it was time to split them apart when they began to notice "things"... until then, we had no problems.

Blessings!
Tracy

Tracy said...

Gotta love those old shampoo bottles I do the same thing my kids play with them more than anything. Except my little Roman likes to dump the water out of the tub also so I have to watch him. Last year at the dollar store I bought a bag of rubber ducks and a bag of boats for the tub for 2.00 can't go wrong. As for splitting up the kids for bath time I'm sorry I'm no help since I have all boys I've always bathed them together the older two shower now but every so often they all want to take a bath together they almost don't fit it's hilarious!:)

Headmistress, zookeeper said...

We do the same thing with bath toys- and old measuring cups from yard sales are terrific, too (they get some early math play in).

As for bathing together, I was the oldest of three and the only girl and we bathed together until I was 8. I didn't mind it *then* as I viewed my brothers as 'babies,' but I was very embarrassed for several years afterwards, and I still think it was kind of weird that my mother did that for so long. She worked and I know it was easier on her, but I was _really_ humiliated about it until I was nearly a grown up.

We only have one boy and he's the youngest, and I think we had our youngest pair (boy and girl) stop bathing together when the older one was four.

Dahlia said...

I would ask your oldest if she's comfortable bathing with her siblings. If so and if she's not asking questions yet, I wouldn't worry about it. I think you'll know when it's time.

Martha A. said...

When we were younger I think it was about age 4 when we split them up. I have all boys also, so when they were about 5 or 6, they start to want their privacy also.