Bath Time Rhymes & Stories

My kids both love bath time and have since they were tiny. As a result, bath time is generally a fun, relaxed experience with a few toys, more than a few songs or stories, and lots of bubbles! Adding a song or a story to bath time helps make it a fabulous time for connection with and learning for little ones, so today I'm sharing some of our favorite bath time songs and stories for you to enjoy with your child.

Nursery rhymes are such an important part of our shared heritage, with many traditional rhymes and songs being handed down from parent (or grandparent) to child over many generations. As well as being engaging for children, nursery rhymes are wonderful for helping them to hear and recognize language patterns, such as rhyme, rhythm, and alliteration. Here are five of our favorite bath-time rhymes.

1. Row Row Row Your Boat

Row row row your boat,
Gently down the stream,
Merrily merrily merrily merrily,
Life is such a dream.
Row row row your boat,
Gently down the stream,
If you see a crocodile,
Don’t forget to scream!

2. Rub-a-Dub-Dub

Rub-a-dub-dub,
Three men in a tub,
And who do you think they be?
The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker,
And all of them gone to sea.

3. When Suzy Had a Baby

When Suzy had a baby,
She called him Tiny Tim,
She put him in the bathtub,
To see if he could swim.
He drank up all the water,
He ate up all the soap,
He tried to eat the bathtub,
But it wouldn’t go down his throat.
Suzy called the doctor,
Suzy called the nurse,
Suzy called the lady,
With the alligator purse.
“Measles,” said the doctor,
“Mumps,” said the nurse,
“Chicken pox,” said the lady,
With the alligator purse!

4. I’m a Tube of Toothpaste (to the tune of I’m a Little Teapot)

I’m a tube of toothpaste,
On the shelf.
I get so lonely,
All by myself.
When it comes to bedtime,
Then I shout.
Take the lid off,
Squeeze me out!

5. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
Once I caught a fish alive,
6, 7, 8, 9, 10,
Then I let him go again.
Why did you let him go?
Because he bit my finger so.
Which finger did he bite?
This little finger on my right.

To really make your rhyme time come alive, make a simple soap fish by slipping a bar of soap inside a small, soft children’s sock. Secure the open end of the sock with a small rubber band. You can leave your soapy fish plain, or add a few little details with a fabric marker (as shown below). Wet the fish and rub the sock gently for a soapy, sudsy wash as you sing.

Bath Time Story Time

There’s no denying that some kids need a little encouragement to get excited about bath time. One way to settle children into the bath is to read them a story as they soak. 

You might try Baby Faces: Splash! by Roberta Grovel Intrater with your baby or toddler, as little ones love looking at faces — especially other children’s faces.

For toddlers and preschoolers, start with Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion. It’s the story of Harry, a white dog with black spots, who hates taking baths. One bath day, he hides the bath brush and runs away to the city. When Harry returns home his family does not recognize him — as his day out has resulted in Harry being a black dog with white spots!

Alternatively, The Pigeon Needs a Bath by Mo Willems is the hilarious story of a pigeon who does not want to take a bath and finds all sorts of excuses to avoid it. Just you wait and see what happens when he finally does take his bath!