My gran used to say it to my mom, and now my mom says it to me “If the kids are giving you a rough time, just stick them in the bath” and let me tell you, it works wonders! On those rough lockdown days, I’ve popped the girls into the bath and after half an hour or so, everyone is in a better mood and has burnt some energy. I thought it would be fun to share two sensory activities for bathtime that my littles have been enjoying, using safe, gentle ingredients and letting you in on how to make sure that their skin stays happy while doing it.

With the cooler weather rolling in, Johannesburg starts to get terribly dry and so it’s even more important for us to keep the barrier layer of the skin healthy and in-tact. When the skin barrier is compromised, it becomes more prone to infection. You all know that we are big fans of the Johnsons range with its 100% gentle ingredients and recently we’ve been trying out the Chamomile Baby 3-in-1 variant.

Like all Johnson’s Baby products, it is hypoallergenic, pH balanced, paediatrician and dermatologist tested and is free from dyes, alcohol and sulphates. I love that it lathers up really quickly and can be used on the hands, body and hair, making life so much easier!

I’ve also found fun ways of using the Chamomile Wash to make bath paint and play-dough sensory activities for bathtime. First up is bath paint!

½ cup cornstarch

1 cup Johnsons Baby Chamomile Baby 3-in-1 wash

2 tablespoons water

Food colouring

Mix together the cornstarch and Chamomile wash. Add in the water and stir until combined.

If you are doing different colours, divide the mixture between different containers and then add a few drops of food colouring and then stir until combined.

Give it to your kids when they’re in the bath and let them go wild!

My girls loved this and painted the entire tile wall behind the bath. Because the Johnsons Baby Chamomile wash has the “no tears” formulation in it, it didn’t matter if they got it into their eyes by mistake.

When they’re done, simply wipe the wall clean with a cloth. We didn’t have any problems with staining but I wouldn’t let it stand on the tiles and grouting for a long period of time.

Next up is bathtime play-dough!

1 cup cornstarch

1 cup Johnsons Baby Chamomile Baby 3-in-1 wash

Food colouring

Mix together the cornstarch and Chamomile wash until combined.

Sprinkle some flour or cornstarch on the counter and start to knead the playdough. If it’s a bit sticky, add more cornflour until you’re happy with the consistency.

Once you’re happy, add in a few drops of food colouring and knead until its distributed evenly.

This is such a fun alternative to a soap bar; the bubbling and the fact that your kiddos can actually play with it makes it an absolute hit! I’m pretty confident that this would be an amazing way to help teach your child how to wash themselves.

As a mom, I love that even though these are really fun activities for the kids to do in the bath, their skin is still being taken care of thanks to our favourite Johnsons Baby products. And of course the girls love it because it’s just plain fun!

Which one are you going to whip up first?

*This blog post has been sponsored by Johnsons Baby South Africa