TinyStepper

Bath Wall Art

At a glance: Draw on bath tiles with bath crayons or soap — a mess-free creative session that washes straight off. A 15-minute, low-energy indoor activity for ages 18m–3y.

Built by a parent of toddlersBest for 18m-3y

Field-tested ideas shaped by direct parenting experience and advice from reputable sources, including NHS Best Start in Life and NSPCC child development research.

18m–3y15 minslow energyindoorsome mess

Hand your toddler a bath crayon (or a thin sliver of soap) and let them draw on the bath tiles. The smooth, vertical surface feels completely different from paper, and the knowledge that everything washes off removes all pressure to get it right. Scribbles, circles, faces, stripes — whatever emerges is celebrated. You narrate what they create: 'You drew a big circle! And now lines coming out — is that a sun?' The combination of warm water, creative freedom, and descriptive narration turns the last ten minutes of bath time from a chore into a highlight.

Best for this moment

for calmer, lower-pressure moments, especially when you need an indoor option.

Parent tip

Set out bath crayons 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 creativity.

More help for this situation

Instructions

Get ready
  • Bring bath crayons (or a small, thin piece of bar soap) to the bath.
  • Show your child how to draw on the tiles by making a simple mark: 'Look — I can draw on the wall!'
  1. Bring bath crayons (or a small, thin piece of bar soap) to the bath.
  2. Show your child how to draw on the tiles by making a simple mark: 'Look — I can draw on the wall!'
  3. Let them explore freely — scribbles, dots, lines, anything goes.
  4. Narrate what you see: 'You made a long wiggly line! It goes all the way across!'
  5. Draw alongside them: make simple shapes (circle, square, wavy line) and name them.
  6. Play a copying game: 'Can you draw a circle like mine?'
  7. For older toddlers, draw a face together: 'Two eyes... a nose... a big smiley mouth!'
  8. At the end, let your child wash the art away with a flannel or splash of water — the erasing is half the fun.

Why it helps

Drawing on a vertical surface develops shoulder stability and wrist extension — the same upper-body control needed for writing at a desk later. The EYFS Expressive Arts and Design area identifies mark-making as a precursor to early writing, and doing it in a consequence-free environment (everything washes off) encourages experimentation and builds creative confidence. The narration element strengthens vocabulary by linking descriptive words to the child's own creations.

Variations

  • Use different coloured bath crayons and talk about the colours: 'Which colour do you want next? The blue one!'
  • For early walkers who are not yet drawing, let them make handprints on steamy tiles or drag a wet flannel across your drawings to erase them.
  • Draw simple outlines (a house, a tree, a cat) and let your toddler colour them in — bath-time colouring book.

Safety tips

  • Use only bath crayons or soap specifically designed for this purpose — regular crayons or markers may stain tiles or contain ingredients unsafe for bath use.
  • Supervise closely to ensure your child does not put bath crayons in their mouth — while most are non-toxic, they are not designed to be eaten.
  • Test bath crayons on a small tile area first to check they wash off your specific tiles without staining.

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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