Best Bath & Water Toys for Babies and Toddlers

Water play is one of the best sensory experiences you can offer a small child, and one of the few where the safety rules are non-negotiable. The toys matter. The supervision matters more.

Every pick below is independently safety-scored and recall-checked, with a bias toward designs that drain and dry rather than trap water.

Water safety comes first, always

Never leave a child unattended near water, including a water table or a bucket. Drowning is silent and can happen in a very small amount of water.

Stay within arm's reach for babies and young toddlers in the bath. A baby seat or ring is not a substitute for hands-on supervision.

Empty water tables, buckets, and tubs immediately after play, and store them so they cannot refill with rain.

Check water temperature before every bath, and keep hot taps out of reach.

The mold problem, and how to avoid it

Prefer toys with large drainage holes or fully sealed, one-piece designs. The classic squeeze-and-squirt toy is the hardest kind to keep clean.

Squeeze out all trapped water after every bath and store toys somewhere they can air dry, not in a closed bin.

Clean regularly per the manufacturer's directions, and never mix cleaning products.

If you see black specks inside a toy or squeeze out cloudy water, retire it. Interior mold cannot be reliably cleaned out.

How we score these

Every toy is scored out of 100 on four safety factors — material safety, choking risk, recall history, and independent certifications — plus a separate developmental score. We take no sponsorships; placement is earned, never paid. Age ranges reflect safety labeling, not how clever your child is.

Our picks

Leading this guide: Green Toys Bubbling Submarine, Green Toys My First Submarine, Green Toys Rescue Boat & Helicopter. Tap any product below for its full safety breakdown, materials, and age guidance.