Do you find bath time stressful? Does your child cry at the sound of running water? Do they find it overwhelming to sit in a big tub or feel a squishy sponge of warm, soapy water on their skin? You are not alone! This activity introduces the concepts of water, bathing, and water play in a fun, accessible way. The activity is appropriate whether your child loves taking a bath or is just starting to establish a bath-time routine.
Duration
Learn how to introduce a child with a visual impairment to water, water play, and bath time.
Enjoy playing with water using tactile exploration with everyday objects.
Expanded Core Curriculum Areas Supported
Independent Living: Learn how to take a bath and the steps involved in this routine.
Sensory Efficiency: Use senses to explore, understand, and interact with things, especially functional vision, touch, and hearing. Use available vision to look at bath toys, cups, and washcloth or sponge in a bin or tub. Increase tactile exploration with everyday objects that are in the water or feel wet.
Orientation and Mobility: Purposeful movement, learn about body parts and self in relation to other objects, learn location and function of bathtub within home.
Social Skills: Bonding and communicating with caregiver during the activity; labeling positive or negative emotions. Learn to play with a partner and communicate by making choices.
Compensatory Skills: Concept development, touch skills for learning and communication modes, sequencing of steps in bath time routine. Increase vocabulary, language, and concept development.
Recreation and Leisure: Discover leisure-time preferences like water play and sports.
Self-Determination: Choice making, decision making, and problem solving. For example, do you want to fill the red cup or the blue cup with water?
Everyday Routines Supported
This activity supports the routine of taking a bath and water play. It also supports other daily activities that use water, like hand washing, dish washing, filling cups during mealtime, washing clothes in the laundry, swimming, and other water sports.
Suggested Next Steps to Use This Activity With Caregiver and Child
Discuss activity with caregiver to determine appropriateness and relevancy to family.
Forward the caregiver version of the activity to the caregiver.
Remind the primary caregiver one to two days before the home/virtual visit to gather the materials required.
Introduce the activity, discuss the objectives, and provide an overview of the possible steps.
Be prepared to break down activities into a smaller subset as the child and family may not have the time or tolerance to complete all activities.
After completing this activity, consider extension activities that may be appropriate and relevant to the family.
