I used to avoid giving Veronika anything resembling a cup at bathtime, because she lifted everything to her mouth and that meant a mouthful of soapy bath water (yuck!).

Now that she’s not mouthing everything automatically, these simple items make for fantastic tub time. I recently wanted her to have an extra long bath (to help soothe a slight sniffle; hello back-to-school season), and these kept her occupied for so long.

After she played for a while in her own way, I showed her how to stir. She really did try to imitate the motion!

Likewise, you can show your baby the idea of water transfer, whether from cup to cup, or from the measuring spoons into a cup.

She also tried stacking them, tapping them together, and swishing them around in the water. And she came out from the bath a little less sniffly!