A lot of parents may be apprehensive about bath crayons, assuming they are messy and involve a lot of cleaning up. However, if you have a budding Picasso on your hands or are looking for a distraction to keep your little one in the bath for longer, then one of these best bath crayons for toddlers could be a perfect addition to your bath-time ammo.
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Benefits of Drawing and Art for Toddlers
Toddlers love to draw, which is good news as there are plenty of benefits in encouraging your little one’s creative talents. Drawing in the bath is the perfect way to encourage your child to draw.
Drawing is shown to have the following benefits for toddlers:
- Helps to develop their fine motor skills – gripping and controlling a crayon or marker helps your little one to develop their hand eye co-ordination and motor skills, which will help them when they learn to write. It will also help them to develop and strengthen their finger muscles.
- Develops their creative side – encouraging your child to draw is a great way for them to use their imagination and express themselves. Toddlers often get frustrated when they can’t express how they are feeling or what they want, so drawing is a great way for them to express themselves and let their imagination run wild.
- Develops their problem-solving skills – from deciding what to draw, choosing what colour to use and how to bring the picture in their head to life, drawing is a great way to foster your little one’s problem-solving skills.
- Helps to get them ready for school – it may seem early to start thinking about school but if you encourage your little one to draw it helps them learn a skill they will be using at school. In the early years of school, children are often encouraged to draw as a way to understand difficult concepts so the more comfortable they are drawing from an early age the better!
Best Bath Crayons for Toddlers
Bath or shower crayons are similar to normal wax crayons but have a softer, creamier texture which makes them easier to use on smooth surfaces. Bath markers usually look similar to felt tip pens with a plastic outside and a soft nib. They are filled with a water-based solution which includes coloured dye.
Here we look at a selection of crayons, markers, pencils and paints available on the market and assess their various pros and cons. Decide which are the best bath crayons for you and pop some in your bath side storage for easy access.
Munchkin Bath Time Toy Crayons
Best Overall
These Munchkin Bath Time Toy Crayons are good value for money and come in five bright colours. They have a plastic casing with a clicker to move the colour up as it runs out.
Although it may seem odd, they are not water -resistant (a lot of bath crayons aren’t) so will dissolve if they are left in the water too long. If they are removed from the bath and dried out between uses then they should last for a while.
Some parents have commented that the crayon easily comes out of the plastic casing which will leave you with a plastic shell and a disintegrated crayon! The marks they leave clean off easily and they are a nice cheap addition to bath-time.
Honeysticks Bath Crayons
Best Eco-Friendly
If you prefer to buy products that are good for the environment and don’t waste plastic, then these Honeysticks Bath Crayons will probably appeal. They are made from 100% Beeswax and Soy Wax and use food-grade colourings (good to know in case they end up in a little persons mouth!). They also come in a nifty bio-degradeable container with drain holes so they are easily stored between uses.
They are a good size and the colours are vibrant but one major sticking point is that as soon as they get warm and wet, they start to melt – which will result in a very messy bath and toddler. Some customers have said that they have a glue-like consistency so once dried on it is quite an effort to get off. They are also considerably more expensive than other crayons.
Check Price at: Amazon
Kitpas for Bath 10 Colours
Best Selection of Colours
Parents rave about these Kitpas crayons and for good reason. Although they may seem expensive, they last a lot longer than other comparable crayons and you get more crayons in a pack than with some of the other brands. They produce a lovely vibrant colour and are really easy to clean off after use – probably the most important thing! They also come with their own sponge.
The non toxic bath crayons are nice and chunky and come with an ergonomic grip to make them easier for your little one to hold and control. The range of colours is more imaginative than other brands and they are specially designed for wet environments so will float on the water rather than turn to mush when wet. All in all, a great product.
Check Price at: Amazon
Tobar Bath Crayons
Best Budget Crayons
These Tobar Bath Crayons are very similar to the Munchkin Crayons in that they have a plastic casing with and inner crayon. Also, like the Munchkin ones they have a clicker to push the crayon up and it will then slide back down when not in use.
Like some of the other brands they will disintegrate if left in the water too long and some customers have complained that they stain the bath (although others have reported that they wipe off easily!). An inexpensive purchase but probably won’t last that long.
Check Price at: Amazon
Aladine Bath Crayons
Best Slim Grip
These Aladine bath crayons are almost more like pencils. They are quite slim, have a clear plastic casing and a handy thick ‘collar’ which makes them easy for your little one to grip. They come in a nice variety of colours and write really nicely on the bath with vibrant, clear colour.
Downsides are that they break fairly easily (not really a problem when you can just push more colour up to the top) and like a lot of the other brands they get really soft if left in the water too long. They are relatively easy to wipe off and don’t leave any staining.
Check Price at: Amazon
Kitpas for Bath Set w/Blue Sponge
Best Bath Crayon Set
The Kitpas Bath Set is a very similar product to the Kitpas set of coloured crayons (albeit more expensive!) but this set comes with a mesh bag to store the crayons that has suction cups to attach to the bath. It also comes with a sponge (like the other set of crayons) so your little one can wipe off their drawings when they want to.
The crayons are the same excellent quality as the other Kitpas set but there are less crayons in this set (6 compared to 10). They have the same ergonomic grip and are really easy to wipe off.
Check Price at: Amazon
Crayola Bathtub Markers
Best Bath Markers
Some parents prefer the idea of markers in the bath as they leave less mess than crayons. These bathtub markers from Crayola come in a pack of 5 bright colours and are in a plastic casing with a lid to prevent them from drying out. Markers may make less mess but they are sometimes not as vibrant and clear when used than crayons, and these are no exception.
These markers do need jabbing against the bath for the colour to come out effectively but your little one will no doubt love doing that! Make sure you wash any coloured residue off your little one before you dry them as the colour in these markers may stain towels and bath linen.
Check Price at: Amazon
Little Brian Bath Paint Sticks
Best Bath Paints
Is it paint? Is it a bath crayon? It is a marker? Little Brian Bath Paint Sticks are a great little invention. They work like a glue stick (you twist to get more colour) and produce a much more vibrant colour than most bath crayons.
They do make a bit of mess but the colour washes off both the bath and little ones relatively easily. A quick blast of warm water from the shower and a wipe with a cloth will clean most baths.
Check Price at: Amazon
Bath Crayon and Marker Buying Guide
What’s the difference between bath crayons, markers, paints and pencils?
Bath crayons, markers, paints and pencils all do the same job, which is to keep your little one happy in the bath. However, there are some differences.
Bath paint, for example, is essentially soap with some colouring in so can be made at home and is easy to wash off both your bath and your little one.
Bath crayons are similar to the waxy crayons that your little one will already be familiar with – the difference being that they have a softer texture to make them easy to write on smooth surfaces. Crayons can be messy, and with most brands you will need to ensure you clean your bath thoroughly after use.
Markers and pencils that you use in the bath are similar to felt tips and drawing pencils – some bath ‘pencils’ are really crayons so check carefully what you are actually buying. Again, the only difference is that they are specially crafted for use in the bath. Like crayons these can sometimes be messy and require the bath to be cleaned thoroughly after use to prevent staining.
What to look for in bath crayons
The two main features to look for in bath crayons are that they write clearly and that they wash off easily! Some crayons need to be pressed quite hard before they make a decent mark which is not ideal as they are more likely to break when used like this.
Ideally, you want a crayon or marker that needs a tiny bit of pressure to draw clearly. You also want a crayon that will wash off easily after use – both from your bath and your little one!
How to clean up after using bath crayons
There’s no escaping it – bath crayons can be messy. They often leave a waxy residue on the bath surface which should be easy to wash-off, although this varies from brand to brand and some do stain. To make sure the bath doesn’t stain you should rinse off any excess from the crayons with warm water and then use a bath cleaner or wipe to finish the job.
Try to avoid leaving your works of art on the bath for too long – the longer they are left on the more likely they are to stain your bath.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are bath crayons worth it?
Bath crayons are fun, and your little one will probably love making a mess with them and letting their imagination run wild. However, they can be expensive in comparison to normal pens and crayons and they can make a lot of mess!
If you’d like something less messy to keep your child entertained in the bath, take a look at waterproof bath books instead.
Are bath crayons different to normal crayons?
Bathtub crayons are slightly different to normal wax crayons as they have a smoother, creamier consistency which makes them easier to write or draw on smooth surfaces.
Do bath crayons wash off?
Washable crayons for bath often leave a residue that will need to be wiped off straight after the bath to avoid staining. If you use a bath cleaner or wipes any left-over residue should come off relatively easily. Some crayons or markers may also leave some residue on your little one so they may need to be washed off before they get out to avoid staining towels and bath mats.
How do you make homemade bath crayons?
Homemade bath crayons are surprisingly easy to make and as they are made of soap, they will get your little monkeys clean at the same time!
There are lots of different recipes for homemade bath crayons but the easiest way to make them is to melt some glycerine soap in the microwave, add some natural soap colouring, put the mixture in an ice-cube tray or cookie moulds and freeze until they are solid. Check out some of the other ways to make them here.
The Bottom Line
So, bath crayons are messy – there’s no escaping it! But if your little one loves to draw, one of these best bath crayons for toddlers are a great way to keep them occupied in the bath while at the same time nurturing their creative side. Just make sure you clean the bath afterwards!!
