'Children... It's bath time!' How to make a game out of children's baths and hygiene

After a day of games and fun comes the dreaded moment of... "Children, it's bath time!". Sometimes they are unenthusiastic about this routine, but there are ways to make it fun, easy and natural.

Building a safe, comfortable bathroom for children is fundamental to making their personal hygiene routines a game. Moreover, by planning the space carefully, we can teach them how to organize space, store their belongings and follow these new routines independently.

How to decorate and organize bathrooms for children

The layout and design of the bathroom are key aspects if we want to make it a play area, a safe place which is free of danger and bacteria and also teaches children habits of hygiene.

Here are some ideas for improving the bathroom and adapting it to the needs of children.

1. Vibrant colours and attractive shapes and designs for the youngest help to create fun environments that encourage children to enjoy a bath or shower. These resources are not only decorative: they can help to teach children the value of order and cleanliness in a wet space like the bathroom. There are accessories for storage in different colours and shapes to help them arrange the items they use in the bathroom.
2. For better hygiene, everyone should have their own towel, with a different colour for each family member, so that they can always identify it.
3. Adapt the space to their height. If we want children to learn to be independent and follow their daily bathroom routine by themselves, it is important for them to have everything within easy reach. To make the task easier install hangers at child height and have a stool in the bathroom. This will help to make them more independent when washing their hands, cleaning their teeth or combing their hair.
4. Games in the bathtub. Bath time is a moment to relax and have fun. As well as having toys to play with in the bathtub, you can decorate the walls with pictures on vinyl of a swimming pool or the sea. The toys children have in the bathroom should only be used there. They should be dried after use, and cleaned and changed regularly, as they are located in a wet area and can attract bacteria.
5. Commitment to safe solutions. Safety measures include thermostatic taps, which control the water temperature and prevent children from being scalded, anti-slip showers and flooring, and safe shower screens. Avoid fitting bolts, so that children cannot get locked inside the bathroom. 
6. With children, bathtub or shower? When children are small, the most comfortable option is a bathtub. However, there are children's bathtubs that can stand on the shower tray. From the age of 4, children can start using the shower.
7. Reward progress. You can create a checklist with the daily routines that children must follow, and reward them each day for their achievements with coloured stickers.