Learning in the Bath

Can kids learn math while taking a bath? If you get a set of bath shapes, or draw shapes on the tub wall, your kids can learn a lot!

I use an old set of bath shapes to talk to my kids in the tub. Here’s a whole bunch of the ones I use:

Use these questions to get an ideas of how you can talk about shapes, patterns and strengthen critical thinking skills:

• Talk about shapes that are similar and ones that are congruent.
• Talk about shapes are kind of the same (similar, but not in the official math sense of “similar”).
• Ask them to pick shapes that “go together” – like the same shape, color, “feel” (like B6 and B7 are both angled).
• Pick some “roundish” shapes and talk about how they compare (Like A3, A4, A5, A6, A7 and A8).
• Find shapes that make up other shapes (C1 has two triangles, B3 has two rectangles and they’re both like C2) and talk about how they can look alike if you put them together right.

And then look at the world!

When you’re out of the tub, make sure to encourage observations – of everything. Ask questions like:

• What pieces are similar?
• Which are different?
• What looks the same but is made up of different shapes?

Have fun seeing patterns and enjoy the discovery with your child!

Contributed by Bon Crowder, math mom and education fanatic, who helps grown-ups see math in their everyday world so they can help their kids have a positive attitude in math.

Check out her blog MathFour.com for various articles on math learning. Or head over to That’s Math to see more specific ways to see and say math using everyday things.