Best for this moment
when your toddler needs focused engagement, especially when you need an indoor option.
Bath Time Fishing Game
At a glance: Float toys and household objects in the bath and scoop them out with a cup or sieve — a hand-eye coordination challenge in the tub. A 10-minute, medium-energy indoor activity for ages 12m–3y.
Scatter a handful of small floating objects across the bath water and challenge your toddler to 'fish' them out one by one using a cup, sieve, or slotted spoon. The moving targets on the water's surface demand careful hand-eye coordination and concentration, while the scooping motion builds wrist control and grip strength. Naming and counting each catch adds language and early numeracy naturally. This simple game turns the tail end of bath time into an engaging challenge that children want to repeat, making reluctant bathers keen to stay in the water.
Parent tip
Set out plastic containers and plastic cups before inviting your toddler in so the first minute feels smooth.
What success looks like
A good outcome is a few minutes of engaged play, some back-and-forth with you, and a small sign of progress in cognitive skills.
More help for this situation
Bedtime and wind-down
Bedtime
Use predictable routines, low-pressure activities, and calmer transitions into sleep mode.
Read the bedtime guideInstructions
- Gather six to eight small floating objects — plastic lids, corks, sponge pieces, foil balls, or bath toys — and a cup or small sieve for scooping.
- Scatter the objects across the bath water: 'Look at all the fish in our pond! Can you catch them?'
- Show your child how to scoop with the cup: 'Slide it under the water and lift — you caught one!'
- Name each catch: 'You got the yellow duck! That's one. Can you find the red lid?'
- Make it trickier by gently rippling the water with your hand so the 'fish' swim away: 'They're escaping! Quick, catch them!'
- Count the catch together: 'How many have you caught so far? Let's count — one, two, three, four!'
- When all the fish are caught, tip them back in and play again — or ask your child to put them back one at a time by naming them.
- Finish by letting your child choose their favourite catch to take out of the bath with them — a small reward for a great fishing trip.
Why it helps
Scooping moving objects from water requires the convergence of several developing skills: visual tracking, hand-eye coordination, grip strength, and wrist rotation. These are the same foundations that underpin later skills such as using cutlery, writing, and catching a ball. The water resistance also provides gentle proprioceptive feedback that helps toddlers understand where their hands are in space without looking, building body awareness in a playful, low-pressure setting.
Variations
- Use a small sieve instead of a cup for a finer motor challenge — the draining water makes it more exciting.
- Assign point values to different objects and add up the score — older toddlers love the competitive element.
- Add a few objects that sink and challenge your child to reach under the water to find them — 'The treasure has sunk to the bottom!'
Safety tips
- Ensure all objects are too large to be a choking hazard — nothing smaller than a golf ball for children who still mouth things.
- Check that objects have no sharp edges or small parts that could come loose in water.
- Never leave your child unattended in the bath, even for a moment.
When to pause and seek extra support
Stop if your child becomes distressed, unsafe, or consistently frustrated by the activity. If play, behaviour, or development worries keep showing up across settings, check in with a qualified professional.
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