Sailing in Your Very Own Bathtub
Books to Share
- Amazing Adventures of Bathman by Andrew T. Pelletier.
- Bath Time by Eileen Spinelli.
- Bathtime PiggyWiggy by Christyan Fox.
- Bathtub Blues by Kate McMullan.
- Scrubba Dub by Nancy Van Laan.
Books to Show or Booktalk
- Big Red Tub by Julia Jarman.
- Bubble Bath Pirates! by Jarrett J. Krosoczka.
- Bubbles, Bubbles by Kathi Appelt.
- The Fish is Me, Bathtime Rhymes by Neil Philip.
- Splish! Splash! Animal Baths by April Pulley Sayre.
Bulletin Board
Bubble Up With Books!
Create a bathtub scene with lots of bubbles in the tub, spilling out of the tub, and floating above the tub. Place a person or animal character in the tub reading a book, with other books on the side of the tub and piled around the tub. If you’d like, add some clear cellophane circles for bubbles floating above the tub. A bathtub pattern is provided.
Nametags
Bubbles
Cut circles out of a shiny paper or material or use the plastic circles that come with button or badge making machines for a ‘bubble nametag.’ Use a Sharpie or other permanent ink marker to write the names on the circles. Punch a hole and tie a piece of yarn to create the nametag. If you need the plastic covers, quantities can be purchased from companies like Badge-a-Minit, www.badgeaminit.com.
Displays
Baths’n’Books!
Display books, videos, and DVDs and musical recordings about bath time, such as those listed in this chapter, mixed with toothbrushes, soap, bubble bath, towels, scrunchie scrubbers, back scrubber, and bath toys including rubber ducks, boats, etc. Wear a bathrobe to storytime.
Fingerplays
“After a Bath” in Books Ahoy, www.state.sc.us/scsl/BooksAhoy/handbook/stories/stories4.pdf.
Bubbles, Bubbles
(Adapted by Debbie Brightwell Brown. Sing to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”)
Bubbles, bubbles, all around, (Pretend to catch bubbles)
Bubbles, bubbles, fat and round. (Make a circle with your hands)
Bubbles on my toes and nose. (Point to toes, then nose)
Bubbles way up high they go. (Pretend to blow bubbles up high)
Bubbles, bubbles all around, (Pretend to catch bubbles to the floor)
Bubbles, bubbles, on the ground.
Songs
Tiny Bubbles
(Adapted by Debbie Brightwell Brown. Sing to the tune of “Where Is Thumbkin?” Sing the song while blowing soap bubbles or using a bubble machine or gun.)
Tiny bubbles. Tiny bubbles.
Won’t you land? Won’t you land?
Right in the middle. Right in the middle,
Of my hand. Of my hand.
Goodbye bubbles. Goodbye bubbles.
Time to go. Time to go.
See you next time. See you next time.
Blow, blow, blow. Blow, blow, blow.
Rhymes and Poetry
Tiny Tim
(Traditional, adapted by Debbie Brightwell Brown. The poem could also be presented as a flannel board or acted out with creative drama.)
I have a little monkey.
His name is Tiny Tim.
I put him in the bathtub,
To see if he could swim.
He drank up all the water.
He ate up all the soap.
Then he had a bubble,
Coming from his throat.
In came the doctor.
In came the nurse.
In came the lady,
With the alligator purse.
“Measles!” said the doctor.
“Mumps!” said the nurse.
“Nonsense!” said the lady,
With the alligator purse.
“A shot!” said the doctor.
“A pill!” said the nurse.
“Bananas!” said the lady,
With the alligator purse.
Now my monkey is much better!
Audio Recordings
- “I am a Bubble” on Charlotte Diamond’s World by Charlotte Diamond.
- “I Took a Bath in the Washing Machine” on Jim Gills Sings the Sneezing Song and Other Contagious Tunes by Jim Gill.
- “Ten Little Bubbles” on Toddler by Sara Hickman.
Flannel Boards
The Brushing Song
(Adapted as a flannel board by Debbie Brightwell Brown. Pretend to brush your teeth as you sing this song to the tune of “Do Your Ears Hang Low?” Use the pattern provided to create a big mouth out of felt, fun foam, or paper. Use an extra large toy toothbrush, if available, or a regular sized one. Check with a local dentist to borrow a giant toothbrush or order one from a medical supply company, such as Anatomical Chart Company, www.anatomical.com.)
Are your teeth clean and white?
Do you brush them every night?
Do you brush them in the morning?
Do you brush them up just right?
Do you brush them up and down?
Do you brush them side-to-side?
Are your teeth clean and white?
Crafts
Bathtime Duckie
Materials
- Construction or copier paper
- Glue sticks
- Craft sticks
- Crayons or markers
Directions
Cut out the bathtubs and duckies using the patterns provided. Cut a slit along the inside of the tub. Let the children color the tubs and ducks. Let the children glue the ducks to the craft sticks. Insert the craft stick into the slit in the tub to so that the ducky “floats” in the tub.
Bathtub Bunny
Materials
- Washcloth or fabric
- Ribbon or yarn
Directions
Purchase inexpensive washcloths or ask each child to bring one. Take the washcloth and roll it up diagonally, from point to point. Fold it in half. Tie a ribbon or yarn around middle. Fluff out the ends to create the two bunny ears. Inexpensive washcloths can be purchased in bulk at warehouse and dollar stores.
Games and Activities
Bubble and Bath Time at the Library
Fill a small plastic tub or large container with water and bubble bath solution to make bubbles. Allow the children to put bath toys in the water and splash the water. Have pre-cut compressed sponge shapes. These can be cut with a die-cut machine or purchased from dollar, craft, and novelty stores. Let the children put the shapes into the water to expand. Give the children bottles of bubble blow, or show the children how to use their own fingers to blow bubbles using the directions from The Ultimate Bubble Book: Soapy Science Fun by Shar Levine and Leslie Johnstone or Bubble Town, www.zurqui.com/crinfocus/bubble/bubble.html. Note that researchers have learned that toddlers who blow bubbles and lick their lips seem to learn how to acquire language earlier than those who did not, so this is not just a fun activity! (“Toddlers Who Blow Bubbles Learn to Speak Earlier,” in Medical News Today, June 24, 2006.)
Professional Resources
Medical News Today
www.medicalnewstoday.com/healthnews.php?newsid=45889
This article reports on a study that showed that toddlers who blew bubbles learned to speak earlier than those who didn’t.
Anatomical Chart Company
www.anatomical.com
This health education web site sells giant toothbrushes and other health and human body items.
Badge-a-Minit
www.badgeaminit.com
Purchase parts and supplies for badge and button machines from this supplier.
Books Ahoy
www.state.sc.us/scsl/BooksAhoy/handbook/stories/stories4.pdf.
This manual for South Carolina’s reading program includes fingerplays, patterns, games, and more.
Bubble Town
www.zurqui.com/crinfocus/bubble/bubble.html
This site provides instructions on how to mix bubbles solutions, how to make bubble-blowing tubes, and a variety of bubble games.
The Ultimate Bubble Book: Soapy Science Fun by Shar Levine and Leslie Johnstone.
